Nutrição e manejo alimentar de equinos da categoria escola de hipismo

Abstract

Horses are classified as non-ruminant herbivores with a functional cecum. Their stomachs are small and empty 6 to 8 times a day, justifying gradual and constant intake of nonfibrous and fibrous foods, which requires enzymatic and microbial digestion, respectively. Thus, efficient feed management, understanding what horses can eat and the amounts provided per meal, is of utmost importance for maintaining the health and wellbeing of animals. The objective of this study was to describe practices for estimating animal weight and the amount of energy stored in the body, the six different classes of nutrients present in the food provided to animals, and to discuss the feed management of horses in the equestrian school category. Thirty-two Brazilian Equestrian breed animals and their crossbreeds were used, 13 females and 19 males. Body weight was estimated from weight prediction equations using the measurement of the shin perimeter. The body condition score was assessed on a scale of 1 to 9, where 1 is very thin and 9 is very fat. Daily dry matter intake was calculated as 2.5% of live weight for moderately working horses. The estimated body weight was on average 447.46±23.16kg and 465.61±21.26kg ( 𝑋̅ ± 𝑆 ) for males and females, respectively, while the body condition score showed average values of 5.53±0.50 and 5.31±0.61 for males and females, respectively. The horses received an amount of concentrate per meal that was higher than that indicated as safe for the prevention of metabolic problems. Feeding forage in only two daily meals increases the animals' boredom and leads to the appearance of stereotypical behaviors. It is possible to increase the animals' well-being and prevent health problems with simple changes in feeding management without changing the routine already practiced on the farm.