Effect of partial replacement of oats with sugar beet pulp and maize oil on nutrient utilisation in horses.
Authors: Lindberg J E, Karlsson C P
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Lindberg and Karlsson investigated whether farriers and nutritionists could safely substitute oats with sugar beet pulp (SBP) and maize oil in equine concentrate rations without compromising nutrient uptake, using a crossover trial with Arabian geldings receiving four different dietary combinations whilst on a hay base. Overall digestibility of energy and most nutrients remained largely stable across treatments, though diets containing maize oil improved crude fat digestibility and energy availability compared with straight oats, whilst SBP inclusion suppressed apparent crude protein digestibility. The metabolic picture became more nuanced at the systemic level: maize oil substitution increased urinary nitrogen and energy losses, and blood glucose and insulin responses were noticeably blunted on SBP-based diets compared with oat-rich rations, suggesting carbohydrate quality influences post-prandial metabolism despite similar gross nutrient extraction. Practitioners can confidently replace oats with these ingredients from a total-tract digestibility standpoint, but should recognise that doing so alters the glycaemic profile and nitrogen handling—considerations relevant for managing metabolic conditions, competition fuelling strategies, or weight regulation in individual horses.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Oats can be partially replaced with sugar beet pulp and/or maize oil in horse diets without impairing overall nutrient utilisation, offering feed flexibility and cost-saving opportunities
- •Maize oil supplementation improves fat digestibility and energy availability, potentially beneficial for performance or condition maintenance
- •Monitor urinary nitrogen excretion and plasma glucose/insulin responses when making dietary substitutions, as carbohydrate composition affects metabolism at the organ level
Key Findings
- •Sugar beet pulp replacement of oats reduced apparent crude protein digestibility (P<0.05) but did not affect apparent energy digestibility
- •Maize oil replacement of oats increased apparent crude fat digestibility (P<0.05) and apparent energy digestibility (P<0.05)
- •Urinary nitrogen excretion increased (P<0.05) with maize oil supplementation; energy excretion was higher with combined maize oil and SBP replacement
- •Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations tended to be higher on oats-based diets compared to SBP diets, suggesting dietary carbohydrate composition influences metabolic responses