Equus Feeds Newsletter

Bran Mash is great for my Horse's Digestion!
Fact or fiction?

Feeding bran mashes is an equestrian tradition that has been passed down through multiple generations. Horse
owners believe they are doing something positive for their horses when they feed them bran mashes. Some people
can be quite dogmatic about the proper way to mix and "cook" a mash, and recipes abound to provide our equine
companions with a gastronomic variety.

Evaluating the tradition of bran mashes in the wisdom of modern nutritional knowledge, however, may offer an
explanation of why the desired result is not always achieved and leaves the nutritionist with very little justification for
recommending using it at all.

Why We Feed Bran

Many ingredients have found their way into livestock diets over time because manufacturers were searching for a
profitable use for the byproducts of the milling process. In the case of bran, the process was milling wheat and the
byproduct was the large reddish-brown flakes of the grain's outer husk, which were removed before grinding the soft,
inner kernel into flour.

People soon discovered that horses liked the taste of bran. And millers were more than delighted to sell bran
cheaply to local farmers who fed it to their horses. There was only one problem with this turn-of-the-century
feeding practice. Horses fed large amounts of bran over long periods of time developed a serious skeletal problem
known as "big head" due to the extremely lopsided calcium-to-phosphorous ratio.

Modern nutritionists eventually unlocked the secrets about mineral interactions which explained the cause of big
head. Now, however, nutritional science is questioning the practice of occasional mashes for reasons that have
nothing to do with mineral imbalances. Like those farmers who inadvertently overfed bran and caused big-head
disease, modern horsemen may unknowingly be causing their horses distress when they feed bran sporadically
as a weekly mash or as a constipation preventative just prior to traveling.

Many firmly held beliefs about mashes are based on nothing more scientific than old horsemen's observations as
they guessed at causes and effects. Although nutritional common sense now debunks the mythology, horse owners
still share it as gospel and are loathe to let go of the wisdom of ages. The reasons they give for feeding mashes
include:

Myth 1: Wheat Bran has a Laxative Effect

Myth 2: Wheat Bran is High in Fibre

Myth 3: A hot bran mash warms a horse in winter.

Myth 4: A bran mash is a good way to get more water into a horse in the winter.

Read more about these myths and whether Bran should be avoided altogether?

FEEDING SENIOR HORSES AND GOLDEN OLDIES

Do I need to feed my older horse a special diet?

Many horses live longer these days and
enjoy healthy, active lives into their late
twenties. However, as a horse gets older
his digestive system becomes less efficient
due to damage caused by internal parasites
over the years and also due to a general
change in metabolism.
Loose and worn teeth can also make it
difficult for oldies to chew properly. It is
important, thus, to identify timeously when,
or if, a horse requires a diet designed
specifically for his age.

Bear in mind that horses age at different rates
and thus need to be evaluated individually.
As long as your old horse is not struggling
to maintain his normal condition, there is no
reason to use a more nutrient dense feed
than the diet you are currently using. Only
when his condition is not as good as it was on his current feed and it is clear that he needs to be fed differently in
order to maintain body condition, should he be regarded as a senior horse or geriatric and step up to a feed more
suitable for his age.

Research has shown that feeds suitable for older horses generally need a higher level of protein to make up for
the reduced efficiency in digesting protein. Because grains also become harder to digest in the foregut, feeds
that rely more on ingredients rich in fibre to supply the calories required are preferred. It is important, however,
to use fibres in the diet that are more digestible and the addition of a live yeast culture to improve fibre digestibility
can make a big difference. The addition of oils to the diet to further supplement the energy requirements often
works well and is good practice except in cases of liver damage where oils are not advisable.

One of the biggest issues with older horses losing weight, however, is not getting enough fibre. This is often
a result of dental problems because the biting surface may have changed and become wavy, or the horse has
lost teeth and can no longer grind forage properly. You might have a horse that does well on green grass, but
during winter can't chew drier hay as easily as the softer grass.

Read more about Feeding your older Horse…..