Ingredients and Labelling (Elementary Level)

Read the following information and then complete the quiz questions at the end of the page to test your knowledge and earn AMTRA points.

This resource will introduce you to the following topics:

Common ingredients and why they are included in horse feeds
A basic guide to the legal information on labels
Exploration of other information that can be found on feed packaging

Why are labelling and ingredients important?

Knowing why certain ingredients are used helps us to understand the suitability of products for different horses.
In the UK, the horse is considered a food-producing animal and so legislation relating to feed is the same as for livestock.
Understanding what claims can and can’t be made helps us to identify products and companies that are operating illegally.

How to read a horse feed label:

Why do we feed horses?

To provide sufficient energy to keep them at a good weight – at the simplest level this could be achieved by feeding forage, e.g., hay, when grass is poor.
To provide essential nutrients for a balanced diet – a horse’s requirements for these nutrients are determined by work, age and levels in the pasture or forage.

Let’s start with energy

Energy is often described as slow release or quick release.
Fibre and oil provide slow release energy.
Starch from cereals and simple sugars are sources of quick release energy.

Fibre as an energy source

Fibre is fermented in the hind gut – it has a very complex structure and only microbes in the gut can break it down to release the energy.
Pasture and forage provide fibre and should be the largest parts of the horse’s ration.
Only if grazing and forage can’t provide sufficient energy to keep the horse in good condition should more energy dense supplementary feed be used – all horses and ponies need a source of vitamins and minerals in their ration.
Bucket feeds can also be high in fibre which can come from a wide range of ingredients.

Key sources of fibre in the horse’s bucket:

Chopped forage – alfalfa, grass, straw
Sugar beet pulp – the sugar is extracted leaving a fibrous pulp
Pea hull fibre – comes from the hull of the pea itself rather than the pod
Cereal grain co-products – e.g., oat feed, wheat feed, rice bran – husks from around the grain
Oil seed co-products – soya hulls
Co-products are usually pelleted for ease of use

horse eating from bucket

Oil as an energy source

Oil contains 2.25 times more energy than carbohydrates.
Absorbed in the small intestine – the horse has no gall bladder so bile moves continuously into small intestine.
Oil is made up of fatty acids, some of which are essential in the diet – omega 3 and 6, for example.
Better quality oils tend to contain more essential fatty acids, e.g., fish, hemp, linseed.
The horse’s natural diet is low in oil but has a greater content of omega 3 than 6.
Cereals have greater levels of omega 6 – high cereal diets disrupt the natural balance – this is an issue for humans as well as horses.
Oil requires oxygen to be utilised as an energy source (aerobic respiration) and so is ideal for low intensity work.
High oil diets are commonly used for endurance horses – research has suggested that it can support stamina.
Utilising oil as an energy source increases free radical production and so increases the horse’s requirement for antioxidants such as vitamin E (1 IU of vitamin E is required for every millilitre of oil added).

Starch as an energy source

The main source of starch in equine diets is cereals.
Starch is made up of glucose molecules.
Glucose can be used immediately or stored.
Glucose is stored as glycogen in muscles and liver.
Starch should ideally be broken down and absorbed in the small intestine.
Other than oats which are relatively digestible, cereals should be cooked to maximise absorption in small intestine.
Micronising and extruding are both commonly used cooking techniques.

bucket of oats

Why does starch cause problems?

Starch is broken down relatively rapidly.
High intakes of starch can increase acidity in the stomach, which increases the risk of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS).
There is a limited capacity in small intestine for starch absorption.
An excessive intake means that starch reaches the hind gut.
Bacteria in the hind gut break down starch rapidly, creating very acidic conditions.
The result is digestive disturbance and potentially colic and laminitis.

Protein sources

Plant material NOT animal origin
Legume family all fix nitrogen from environment and so have higher protein levels.
Soya, alfalfa, peas and beans are key sources of protein from plant material.
Distillers grains are made from cereals that are low in the quantity and quality of protein.
- Alcohol industries utilise sugar and starch in grains leaving a protein residue.
- In a concentrated form, this provides a protein source that is useful in animal feed.

soya beans

Problems with soya

UK market often demands non-GM ingredients.
Limited sources of non-GM soya are available.
Brazil is a major source of soya – but there are ethical issues of soya farming contributing to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

Ash – what is it?

Would you be surprised to know that balancers have a higher ash content than cool mixes?
Ash is what is left when the carbon containing (organic) components of a feed material are burnt off.
Ash is therefore NOT rubbish – it is actually the minerals as they are inorganic (think animal, vegetable, mineral).

Minerals

Only needed in small amounts but are vital to health.
Macro-minerals are measured in % or g/kg, whereas micro or trace minerals are measured in mg/kg.
Minerals can interact with one another as they are not always very stable.
Mineral content in plants reflect the soils they are grown on, hence UK plants tend to be low in selenium and copper.

Vitamins

Fat soluble – A,D,E and K
Water soluble – B and C
Fat soluble vitamins can be stored in the body and so can be toxic in very high levels, whereas water soluble vitamins are excreted.

Vitamin A

Naturally formed from beta carotene found in green plants as well as carrots!
Needed for night vision

Vitamin D

The sunshine vitamin!
Synthesized in the skin from UV light
Increased use of sun block is thought to be contributing to a vitamin D deficiency in humans.
Facilitates calcium absorption from the intestine.
Alfalfa is a good source of vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Found in cell membranes where it protects lipid content from free radicals.
Fresh forages and those harvested young are usually the greatest natural source of vitamin E.
Recommended to be fed in increased levels for horses with muscle problems and performance horses where the free radical production is the greatest.

B vitamins

Produced as a by-product of fibre fermentation in the horse’s hind gut.
High fibre diets should provide horses with enough B vitamins.
Stress, old age and low fibre diets may necessitate supplementation.

Vitamin C

Another important antioxidant vitamin.
Can be synthesized from glucose.
Not much is known about the vitamin C content of common feedstuffs for horses.
Vitamin C is the antioxidant found in lung fluid, and so supplementary vitamin C is commonly recommended for respiratory problems such as Equine Asthma.

Legal definitions

Feed Material

Any product or derivative of vegetable origin in its natural state, fresh or preserved.

Beyond the label

Feed Additives

Substances, microorganisms or preparations other than feed materials and premixtures intentionally added to feed or water to perform a specific function.
In this context an additive isn’t bad – it could refer to beneficial ingredients such as yeast.

Additives legislation

Vitamins and minerals added to feeds are considered additives.
The additives list has changed from a negative list to a positive list.
Basically, something now has to be proven to be safe and efficacious rather than unsafe.

Limits of variation

Obviously it is impossible to achieve exact levels of nutrients in every bag – plants vary in their nutritional composition.
There needs to be boundaries to ensure that the customer isn’t losing out.
Limits of variation set the levels that are acceptable above and below the declared value.
Boundaries are different for different nutrients.

Summary

In the UK, the horse is considered a food-producing animal and so legislation relating to feed is the same as for livestock.
Changes to additive legislation means something now has to be proven to be safe and efficacious rather than unsafe.
Knowing why ingredients are used helps us to understand the suitability of products for different horses.

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