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Update: Amount Of Lignin In Alfalfa Impacts Horse Microbiome

Horses are hindgut fermenters with a small stomach and larger cecum and colon harboring millions of microorganisms. These microorganisms help make up the microbiome and are the sole contributors to the degradation and fermentation of forage cell wall components, including lignin. Alfalfa is commonly fed to horses, but can contain significant amounts of lignin which can reduce feeding value, microbial degradation, and digestion. Cultivars of reduced lignin alfalfa are now commercially available, but have not been evaluated in the horse diet. Therefore, the objective of this study, conducted at the University of Minnesota, was to evaluate equine fecal microbiome composition when feeding reduced lignin or conventional alfalfa hay to adult horses.

Reduced lignin and conventional alfalfa were fed to six adult horses, and included a 5 day total fecal collection period, during which horses were housed in individual box stalls and manure was removed on a continuous 24-hour basis. At 12-hour intervals, manure was mixed, frozen, and processed for sequencing to evaluate the microbiome.

Reduced lignin alfalfa did not shift microbiome composition equally across all horses; however, each horse's microbiome responded to hay lignin content in an individualized manner. Horse-specific associations between individual gut microbiome traits and characteristics of the digested alfalfa were also observed, mainly in regards to dry matter digestibility and average fecal particle size. These findings emphasize the importance of considering individual and historical factors when designing or evaluating feeding programs for horses. Future research should focus on uncovering what these individualized microbiome patterns mean from a functional perspective and physiological response of horses to feed. More information on this research can be found by reading the abstract.

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Rutgers Hosts Two-Day Hay Assessment Seminar For Horse Owners

Rutgers University's is hosting a two-day, free seminar series for horse owners that investigates multiple factors involved in assessing hay intended for equine consumption. The “Assessing Quality Hay” webinar series will be held on November 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. Both sessions will run for just over an hour.

The Monday session is presented by members of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Animal Ag/Field and Forage Working Group, Melissa Bravo and Hank Bignell. It will focus on assessing hay quality, weeds and weed control, and hay testing. Register for the Monday webinar here.

The Tuesday session investigates what hay is best for horses and what to feed ruminants in winter. This session is presented by Rutgers Equine Extension Specialist Dr. Carey Williams and Animal Science Extension Specialist Dr. Mike Westendorf. Register for the Tuesday event here.

Both webinars are free, but preregistration is required.

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Let Them Eat: Preventing Welfare Issues In Stalled Horses

Horses stalls overnight can spend multiple long hours with nothing in their stomachs, making them eat more rapidly when fed breakfast. German scientists suggest that horses kept inside should have something to chew on nearly continuously through the overnight hours, whether that's a constant supply of hay or their bedding, reports The Horse.

The Horse also notes that any straw horses ingest should be high quality and introduced slowly; a veterinarian or equine nutritionist should be consulted before adding edible straw to a horse's diet.

Dr. Miriam Baumgartner, of the Technical University of Munich, Germany, noted that horses shouldn't be without food in their system for more than four hours at a time. Horses bedded on non-edible bedding like pellets or sawdust are without something to eat for an average of nine hours each night.

When horses are without food for this amount of time, they “rebound” during the day, Dr. Margit Zeitler-Feicht, Baumgartner's colleague, noted. The duo studied 104 horses that were kept in stalls; those that were stalled on non-edible bedding ate faster with fewer pauses than horses that were kept on straw. They also ingested their evening meals more rapidly than horses kept on straw. The research team reports that this could mean that horses housed on inedible bedding may have compromised welfare.

The team concludes that horses should be offered something to eat continuously throughout the night, whether in the form of hay or edible bedding. To deny them the ability to eat continuously can cause health and welfare issues.

Older Horses At Higher Risk For Colic, Euthanasia

Colic is the No. 1 cause of death in horses and it disproportionately affects older horses. Surgery isn't always the best option for elderly equines because of the high cost and generally less-successful outcomes, so many older horses that colic are euthanized.

Colic, which is a catch-all term for abdominal pain, can be caused by a variety of things, including gas buildup, a blockage or twisting of the gut. Though minor colic can be handled with medical intervention and pain relievers, other episodes require surgery to resolve.

A study out of Germany looked at nearly 1,000 horses that were admitted to a veterinary clinic for symptoms of colic. The average age was 19.9 years old and the majority of the horses were treated medically; these horses had a better survival rate than those horses that underwent surgery.

The most-common type of colic for horses between 21 and 29 years old were strangulating lipomas. This occurs when a fatty tumor develops and becomes so heavy that it weighs down part of the horse's digestive tract, sometimes looping around areas and strangulating either the intestines or the blood flow to them. There is no way to prevent these types tumors.

However, there are some risk factors for colic that can be mitigated by feeding and management changes. A review of colic studies in 2019 reported that horses that crib have a higher risk of colic, specifically epiploic foramen entrapment, where part of the small intestine are strangulated. Horses that spend most of their time in a stall are at higher risk of colic episodes than those that live out or those that spend more time on pasture. Changes in stabling also increase colic risk.

Changes in hay or grain increase the risk of colic, as does feeing higher amounts of grain. The type of hay fed also increases colic risk; horses fed coastal hay and alfalfa are more likely to colic than horse fed other types of hay.

Dental issues, to which older horses are particularly susceptible, increase colic risk. It's imperative that horse owners work closely with an equine dentist and adjust the horse's diet as necessary to mitigate the risk of colic. This might include changing feed or hay options or soaking feed. The addition of a ration balancer or oil may be necessary if an older horse is struggling to maintain weight.

Colic will affect one in 10 horses during their lifetime; older horses tend to have less-favorable outcomes. Adjusting elderly horse management, feeding and care can help decrease colic risk.