Feed intake patterns of sport ponies and warmblood horses following iso-energetic intake of pelleted fibre-rich mixed feed, muesli feed and semicrushed oat grains.
Authors: Bochnia M, Boesel M, Bahrenthien L, Wensch-Dorendorf M, Zeyner A
Journal: Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
Summary
# Editorial Summary Researchers compared how sport ponies and warmblood horses consumed three iso-energetic concentrate types—pelleted fibre-rich mixed feed, muesli, and semicrushed oats—each delivering equivalent energy but differing markedly in physical form and composition. Using modified halters to record chewing frequency, intake time and chewing intensity on day 8 of a crossover feeding trial, the team found that warmbloods ingested the pelleted feed significantly faster (10.3 min/kg dry matter) compared with muesli and oats (13.0 and 14.4 min/kg respectively), whilst ponies demonstrated a similar but non-significant trend. Breed differences were largely confined to the pelleted feed, which ponies consumed more slowly than warmbloods, and both breeds altered their chewing patterns when consuming pelleted and muesli feeds relative to oat grains (chewing frequency in ponies increased from 1.28 to 1.43 chews per second). These findings suggest that feed particle size and structural composition fundamentally influence mastication behaviour across both types of horse, with practical implications for concentrate selection where slower consumption may be desirable to promote digestive efficiency, yet the authors appropriately note that reported "throwback" issues with pelleted feeds and longer-term metabolic consequences warrant further investigation before definitive feeding recommendations can be made.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •When feeding pelleted fibre-rich concentrates to ponies, expect slower intake rates and monitor for potential issues like throwback; warmbloods process these feeds more efficiently
- •Oat grain feeding requires the most ingestion time in both breeds, which may have implications for meal management and digestive efficiency
- •Feed type significantly affects chewing patterns in ponies but less so in warmbloods, suggesting ponies may benefit from consideration of concentrate texture and formulation
Key Findings
- •Pelleted fibre-rich mixed feed (PF) was ingested faster in warmbloods than muesli feed and oat grains (10.3 vs 13.0 vs 14.4 min/kg DM; p=0.05)
- •Ponies required significantly more time to ingest PF compared to warmbloods (p<0.05)
- •Ponies showed higher chewing frequency with pelleted and muesli feeds compared to oat grains (1.43 vs 1.28 NC/s; p<0.05)
- •Concentrate intake patterns between breeds were similar overall, with breed differences limited to pelleted fibre-rich feed only