[LateBloomer]

What happens to a mature horse in maintenence to light work that may not be getting enough protein? Are their specific symptoms? Dangers?

[ejforrest]

Of all the components of your horses diet, protein is probably the most misunderstood. Long assumed to function as an energy souce for the body, proteins real role is to provide amino acids(the building blocks of bones, muscles, and soft tissues) for growth and repair.
Growing horses, who are 'building' new tissues as they mature, and horses being used for breeding, have a higher protein requirement than do mature horses being used for pleasure or performance. Whether working or idle, most mature horses need a surprisingly small amount of protein.
How much is enough?
Continuing research is changing that answere all teh time, but there are some general guidelines. As a rule, a value of 0.60 g of digestible protein per kilogram of body weight per day is appropriate for most adult horses(10-10.5% crude protein a day for light to moderate work-trail riding-jumping-cutting-ranchwork)
Inadequate amounts of protein in their diets can suffer a number of ill effects, including decreased grwoth and developement in youngsters, and reduced appetite, body tissue loss, slow hoof growth, energy deficit, and a poor hair coat with reduced shedding in adults. Muscle deterioration, especially in a the large muscle groups of the hindquarters, also might be eveident, and some horses will begin eating manure. The reduced food intake of a depressed, protein deficient horse can become a vicious cycle, as it makes it difficult to correct the condition with a proper diet. But the protein requirements of an adult horse are low enough that true protein deficiences are quite rare. They usually occur only when a horse is on very poor pasture or hay with no other supplemental feed, for a prolonged time. With a corrected diet, most of the signs of protein deficiency in adult horses can be turned around in as little as a week.
More common and equially damagind, is an excess of prtein in the diet, especially in mature horses who have been fed by owners laboring under the misunderstanding that protein equals energy. This is what happens:
The ammonia and urea are excreted in the urine, which leads to increased water intake, increased urination, and a noticeable strong ammonia smell in the stall. And before ammonia and urea can be excreted in the urine, they must be filtered out of the blood--which in over time, can tax the kidneys. Its conceivable that this eventually might lead to decreased renal functions, and that then the unfiltered urea and ammonia in the bloodstream can exacerbate liver and kidney disease. Theres some evidence that excess protein can interfere with calcium absorption.

[harli36]

well first of all what do you define as "light work"? How many times a week is this horse being worked and for how long?

If the horse is truley in light work at maitenence level then you would be hard pressed to feed a diet that is protein deficient. Many maitenence level horses on a good quality grass hay diet only will meet their protein requirements. You usually see protein deficeincies in lactating mares, growing foals or heavily worked horses. It is pretty much the same symptoms as other defieciencies. Pretty much ill thrift. The horses production rate goes down, endurance goes down, hair lacks luster, winter coats may not shed out as readily. If a horse is actually protein defiecient it may also be lacking enough essential amino acids, there is also probably a lack in energy etc. I think it would be safe to say that a maitenence level horse in light work would come across many other nutritional problems before he became protein defiecient, this horse is probably one that doesn't look like it is in good condition ie. looks like the neighbors may be looking up the Humane Societies phone number.

[LateBloomer]

OK, thanks. I just worried a little because I don't exactly know how much protein is in our hay. I have one slightly overweight 14 yr old who is not working currently due to inclement weather. He gets a handful of pellets (11% pro) 2x a day so he doesn't break down the door, LOL, and probably 3/4 bale per 24 hrs (this is an estimate because we have 3 horses) of 1st cut grass hay (timothy, brome, trefoil mix). The other horse is 7 yrs and is lightly worked (walk, trot canter 2-3 x/week for 1 hr or less). She gets same amt of hay plus probably 1 lb of the 11% protein pellets daily, split into 2 meals. She is currently losing a little weight so we have added 1 cup (dry) soaked beet pulp pellets, 2x a day. I know that 1st cut hay is kind of low in protein, so is she getting enough? What about the 14 yr old?

We just got a new load of hay and it is the grass mix, but some is 1st cut and some is 2nd. I WILL have this batch and all the following batches checked from now on.

[Blistering Winds]

Rarely do you ever see" protein" deficiencies unless you have an overall EMACIATION issue.

The mix you are saying should have plenty, as most of the time, we feed TOO MUCH.

I'll get back to you here in a bit. Gotta go eat and back to class.

[LateBloomer]

Well, I am thinking.. a dangerous thing! LOL! What if I change to a higher % protein pellet (like strategy) to offset the low % protein in hay? Since I only give 1 lb/day. BTW, I have added a vit/min supplement also.

[Craig]

if a horse has a protein deficiency due to it's feed ration, it usually results in deficiency symptoms such as loss of weight, loss of condition, dull/depressed look and/or attitude and the obvious lack of energy. also, a common sign of protein deficiency is a loss of appetite.

if any of the above become obvious, that's when a horse needs to have it's diet looked at.

[LateBloomer]

Well, our 7 yr old has lost weight, a little. But she isn't depressed or dull or has any lack of energy. I thought the weight loss was a combination of the winter cold and/or the "new horse" we got in October. He is more dominant than her and she hates it!

But it wouldn't hurt her to add a higher protein pellet right?

[Dawn]

An excess of protein in the diet is harmful. It would be best to have your hay tested and balance your horse's diet off of that.

[ejforrest]

If the horse has lost wieght the first thing you should look at is how much is the horse eating? Is it being taken away from him by the other horse? If so, put out more hay in different piles. If you are feeding two horses, put out three or four piles of hay. That way if he is chased out of one pile, he can go to the next. His teeth coulb be a problem. Horses can develop teeth problems from birth. If they need floated, points can interfer with food digestion causing weight loss. When was the last time the horse was checked for a Fecel Egg Count? He could need deworming. He could have parasites which will interfere with weight. If he is getting good quality hay and
losing wieght, there could be something else going on. If you increase hay, check teeht, deworm and still he isnt gaining wieght you would be better off having a vet come out and do a blood test to see if there is anything going on with his health. Keep in mind, with putting weight back on a horse it takes a while to see it. At least a good couple of months. But when a horse is losing weight during this time of increased feed, there is something going on.