Equine Nutrition - be wary of false feeding economies

Article by Louise Jones

Many horses, especially performance horses, breeding stallions, and broodmares at certain stages of production, require additional calories in the form of hard feed. Whilst in the current economic climate, with rising costs and inflation, it might be tempting to look at lower cost feeding options; in reality, this could be a false economy. When choosing a feed, in order to ensure that you are getting the best value for money and are providing your horses with the essential nutrients they require, there are a number of factors to consider.

Quality 

The ingredients included in feed are referred to as the raw materials. These are usually listed on the feed bag or label in descending order by weight. Usually they are listed by name (e.g., oats, barley wheat) but in some cases are listed by category (e.g., cereals). Each raw material will be included for a specific nutritional purpose. For example, full-fat soya is a high-quality source of protein, whilst cereals such as oats are mainly included for their energy content, also contributing towards protein, fibre and to a lesser degree, fat intake.

Waste by-products from human food processing are sometimes used in the manufacture of horse feed. Whilst it is true that they do still hold a nutritional value, in most cases they are predominantly providing fibre but contain poor levels of other essential nutrients. Two of the most commonly used by-products are oatfeed and distillers grains. Oatfeed is the fibrous husks and outer layer of the oat and it mainly provides fibre. Distillers grains are what is left over after yeast fermentation of cereal grains used to produce alcohol. The leftover grain is dried and used in the feed industry as a protein source. Distillers grains can be high in mycotoxins, which are toxic chemicals produced by fungi in certain crops, including maize. Furthermore, despite being used as a protein source, distillers grains are typically low in lysine. As one of the first limiting amino acids, lysine is a very important part of the horse’s diet; horses in work, pregnant mares and youngstock all have increased lysine requirements.

Another ingredient to look out for on the back of your bag of feed is nutritionally improved straw, often referred to as “NIS”. This is straw that has been treated with chemicals such as sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) to break down the structural fibre (lignins) and increase its digestibility. Straw is a good example of a forage which contains filler fibre; in fact, you can think of it as the horse’s equivalent of humans eating celery. Traditionally, oat straw was used to make NIS, however many manufacturers now use cheaper wheat or barley straw due to the rising cost of good quality oat straw.  Not all companies state what straw is used and instead use generic terms such as cereal straw, which again, allows them to vary the ingredients used depending on cost and availability. 

By law, feed manufacturers must declare certain nutrients on the feed bag, one of which is the percentage crude protein. This tells you how much protein the feed contains. However, not all protein is created equal; some protein is of very high quality, whilst other proteins can be so low in quality that they will limit a horse’s ability to grow, reproduce, perform or build muscle. Protein ‘quality’ is often measured by the levels of essential amino acids (e.g., lysine, methionine) it contains. In most cases feed manufacturers do not have to list the amount of these essential amino acids; but looking at the ingredient list will give you a clue as to how good the protein quality is. Good sources of high-quality protein include legumes and soybean meal, whereas by-products often contain moderate- or low-quality protein, even though they may be relatively high in crude protein. 

Understanding more about the ingredients in your bag of horse feed will help you to assess whether they are providing good, quality nutrition. Feeds containing large proportions of lower quality ingredients will obviously be cheaper, but this could compromise quality of the products. The goal therefore is to ensure that the nutritional makeup of the products remains high quality and consistent. 

Cooking for digestibility 

Digestibility is a term used to describe the amount of nutrients that are actually absorbed by a horse and are therefore available for growth, reproduction, and performance. Understanding digestibility of energy sources—such as fibre, fat, starch, and sugar as well as protein, vitamin and mineral digestibility—is important when devising optimal diets for horses. 

Most of the energy in grains is contained in the starch; however, horses cannot fully digest starch from uncooked (raw) grains in the small intestine, which results in this undigested starch traveling into the hindgut where it will ferment and potentially cause hindgut acidosis. Therefore, in order to maximise pre-caecal digestibility, feed manufacturers cook the grain. Similarly, soya beans must be carefully processed prior to feeding them to horses. This is because raw soybeans contain a specific enzyme that blocks the action of trypsin, an enzyme needed for protein absorption.

There are various methods of cooking including pelleting, micronizing, extrusion, and steam-flaking.  This is a fine art as, for example, undercooking soya beans will not deactivate the enzymes correctly, thus resulting in reduced protein absorption. On the other hand, overcooking will destroy essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine, threonine, and possibly others.

Variation in cooking methods, and hence digestibility, can have a direct impact on how the finished product performs. Your individual feed manufacturer should be able to tell you more about the cooking processes they use to maximise digestibility.

Micronutrient and functional ingredients specification

The back of your bag of feed should list the inclusion of vitamins, such as vitamin E, and minerals including copper and zinc. A lower vitamin and mineral specification is one way feed companies can keep the cost of their products down. For example, the vitamin E level in one unbranded Stud Cube is just 200 iu/kg—50% lower than in a branded alternative.

For most vitamins and minerals, the levels declared on the back of the bag/label only tell the amount actually added and do not include any background levels provided by the raw materials. In other marketing materials, such as brochures, some companies will combine the added figure with the amount provided by other raw materials in order to elevate the overall figure. For example, a feed with 50 mg/kg of added copper may list the total copper as 60 mg/kg on their website or brochure.  Whilst it is perfectly acceptable to do this, it is equally important to recognise that background levels in different raw materials can vary and hence should not be relied upon to meet requirements. To complicate this slightly further, chelated minerals (e.g., cupric chelate of amino acids hydrate, a copper chelate) may be included. Chelated minerals have a higher bioavailability, and so a feed with a high inclusion of chelated copper may perform as well as one that has an even higher overall copper level but does not include any chelates.

Equally important is the need to verify that any specific functional ingredients such as prebiotics or yeast are included at levels that are likely to be efficacious. 

Feeding rates

Whilst the cost of a bag of feed is undeniably important, another aspect that should be considered is the amount of feed required to achieve the desired body condition and provide a balanced diet. Feeding higher volumes of hard feed not only presents a challenge from a gastrointestinal health point of view but also increases the cost per day of feeding an individual. For example, the daily cost of feeding 8kg of a feed costing £400/€460 per tonne vs 5¼ kg of a feed costing £600/€680 per tonne are exactly the same. Plus, the lower feeding rate of the more expensive product will be a better option in terms of the horse’s digestive health, which is linked to overall health and performance. To keep feeding costs in perspective, look at the cost of feeding a horse per day rather than relying on individual product prices.

Consistency 

When a nutritionist creates a recipe for a horse feed, they can either create a ‘set recipe’ for the feed or a ‘least cost formulation’. A set recipe is one that doesn’t change and will use exactly the same ingredients in the same quantities. The benefit of this is that you can rest assured that each bag will deliver the same nutritional profile as the next. However, the downside is that if the price of a specific ingredient increases, unfortunately, so will the cost of the product.

On the other hand, least-cost formulations use software to make short-term recipes based on the cost of available ingredients. It will use the cheapest ingredient available. When done correctly, they will provide the amount of calories (energy), crude protein, vitamins and minerals as specified on the label. However, the ingredients will change, and protein quality can be compromised. Often feed companies using least-cost formulations will print their ingredients on a label, rather than the bag itself, as the label can be amended quickly and cheaply, should they alter the recipe.

Checking the list of ingredients in your feed regularly should alert you to any formulation changes.  Equally look out for feeds that include vague ingredient listings such as ‘cereal grains and grain by-products, vegetable protein meals and vegetable oil’; these terms are often used to give the flexibility to change the ingredients depending on how costly they are.

Peace of mind

Another important issue is that some companies producing lower-cost feeds may not have invested in the resources required to carry out testing for naturally occurring prohibited substances (NOPS) such as theophylline, banned substances (e.g., zilpaterol - an anabolic steroid) or mycotoxins (e.g., zearalenone). It is true that, even with the most stringent testing regime, identifying potential contamination is difficult; and over recent years, a number of feed companies have had issues.  However, by choosing a feed manufacturer who is at the top of their game in terms of testing and monitoring for the presence of such substances will give you peace of mind that they are aware of the threat these substances pose, and they are taking significant precautions to prevent their presence in their products. It is important to source horse feed from a BETA NOPS registered feed manufacturer at a minimum. It may also be prudent to ask questions about the feed manufacturer’s testing regime and frequency of testing.  

Supplements – to use or not to use?

A good nutritionist will be able to assess any supplements that are fed, making note of why each is added to the diet and the key nutrients they provide. It is easy to get stuck into the trap of feeding multiple supplements that contain the same nutrients, effectively doubling up on intake. Whilst in many cases this isn’t nutritionally an issue, it is an ineffective financial spend. For example, B vitamins can be a very useful addition to the diet, but if provided in levels much higher than the horse needs, they will simply be excreted in the urine. Reviewing the supplements you are feeding with your nutritionist to ensure they are essential and eliminating nutritional double-ups is one of the simplest ways to shave off some expense.

Review and revise

A periodic review of your horse’s diet ensures that you’re providing the best nutrition in the most cost-effective way. This will require the expertise of a nutritionist. Seeking advice on online forums and social media is not recommended as this can lead to misinformed, biased advice or frankly, dangerous recommendations. On the other hand, a properly qualified and experienced nutritionist will be able to undertake a thorough diet evaluation, carefully collecting information about forages, concentrates, and supplements. 

Working with a nutritionist has many advantages; they will be able to work with you to ensure optimal nutrition, whilst also helping to limit needless expenses. Some nutritionists are better than others, so choose wisely. (Does the person in question have the level of qualifications?) Bear in mind that while qualifications can assure you that the nutritionist has rigorous science-based training, experience is also exceptionally important. Ask them about their industry experience and what other clients they work with to ensure they have the right skill set for your needs. In addition, a competent nutritionist will be willing and able to interact with your vet where and when required to ensure that the health, well-being, and nutrition of your horses is as good as it can be. 

There are independent nutritionists available, but you will likely incur a charge—often quite a significant one. On the other hand, the majority of feed companies employ qualified, experienced nutritionists and offer their advice, free of charge.

Economics of Feeding Horses in Training

While economic efficiency within any business is important to maintain profitability, there has been a particular focus on cost saving recently within the racing industry as a result of the underlying economic climate.
Catherine Dunnett
 (05 February 2010 - Issue Number: 15)

Eco Trainers - converting manure to electricity

By Katherine Ford

Trainers at the main French training base, Chantilly, have gone green and are soon to be the envy of their contemporaries around the world with a ground-breaking manure-disposal project. Faced with piles of manure, the bane of all trainers' lives, Chantilly professionals are working together to launch a pioneering scheme which looks set to solve all their problems and at the same time reap both environmental and financial rewards. The 10-million euro project, which should be operational towards the end of 2009, is at the cutting edge of technology and consists of using a process of methanization to convert the waste into electricity which will then be sold to the EDF (French Electricity Board), and into heat which will be used locally.

With some 2500 Thoroughbreds currently in training in and around the towns of Chantilly, Gouvieux and Lamorlaye, the region is France's leading training center and among the most prestigious sites for preparing racehorses in the world. A further 700 polo ponies and 800 riding horses are stabled in the area to make a grand total of 4,000 equine inhabitants. Slightly less glamorous than the haul of Group 1 victories which the four-legged stars of Chantilly bring home each season is the waste they produce. Each horse creates one ton of manure per month. The muckheaps of Chantilly are overflowing and a solution is urgently needed.

Dual-purpose handler Richard Crépon was one of the first to react to the issue, and in early 2006 he became president of the Lamorlaye Bio-Resources Association. "We started to research ways to deal with our large quantities of manure and initially came up with the idea of converting it into compost, or incineration. Local farmers made a small contribution by spreading shavings-based manure on their land. But none of these systems were perfect and we realized that we needed to take control of the situation ourselves." It was then that the current CUMA (Co-operative for the Utilization of Agricultural Material) was born, again under the presidency of Crépon. All of Chantilly and the surrounding area's hundred or so license holders, as well as the towns' riding school, livery and polo proprietors, have been invited to invest the modest sum of 100 euros to join the co-operative which, as Crépon explains, "needs manure in order for our project to be feasible."

The CUMA'S methanization project offers a mutually-beneficial solution to a relatively new problem. Until recently trainers had been able to rely on the abundance of mushroom producers in Chantilly to dispose of their troublesome "by-product." The farmers had chosen Chantilly for its combination of an unending supply of the horse manure necessary for their fungus to grow, and the geological characteristics of the surrounding area. Chantilly is built on valuable limestone which has been excavated over the centuries, notably to construct the spectacular Grandes Ecuries and Chateau which give such charm to France's Classic racecourse. The quarrying left vast underground caves perfect for mushroom cultivation and thirty years ago the area was home to around 25 mushroom farms. "They used to pay us to take away our manure. Nowadays, the industry has largely moved to Eastern Europe, leaving only 4 mushroom producers in Chantilly. We have trouble to get anyone to empty our manure pits and it costs more and more." In Chantilly it now costs 15 euros per ton for trainers to dispose of their organic waste.

Aside from the purely practical inconvenience of evacuating the tons of waste produced weekly, fellow trainer Tony Clout, making a regretful gesture towards a steaming skip full of manure, comments, "we don't realize it, but we contribute to the greenhouse effect every day with all this manure." Clout is another board member of the French Trainers' Association who is an active player in the CUMA. Like all his trainer colleagues, he is primarily concerned by another form of pollution. "Horse manure is officially considered as a waste product and we are responsible for it until it has been completely destroyed. At the moment we have no control over where it ends up. In the current crazy situation, our manure is transported the length and breadth of France. It is always worrying to see piles of manure left standing in fields across the countryside, as they could easily have originated in our stables. There is a real risk that effluent from the waste will pollute the ground water in these instances and the trainer will be held liable and fined."

The increased environmental awareness on the part of the authorities, aside from making them more likely to take trainers to task for inadequate disposal of their waste, has another more beneficial side for the CUMA. "The timing has been ideal for us," explains Crépon. "We started to think about environmentally-friendly ways to recycle our manure at the same time as the government was creating grants and finance schemes for exactly this type of project." One such policy is that proposed by EDF, who pay a special tariff of 140 euros per megawatt hour (compared to usual rate 60 euros MW/h) for electricity produced by renewable sources. This price operates on the basis of a 15 year contract, which the CUMA has secured. "All this is possible thanks to our contract with EDF," states Clout.

Although the finer details have yet to be settled, the principle behind the Chantilly project is the same as that used in Germany by around 4,000 methanization plants for pig slurry. Nevertheless this will be the first time the technology has been used for horse manure. Bruno Battistini, consultant to the Lamorlaye Bio-Resource Association, explains, "We are setting a European and worldwide precedent. The pig manure operations are common in Germany and function in the same way as sewage processing plants as the slurry is highly-concentrated and in liquid form. However this is the first time anyone has attempted the process with dry matter, although it is similar to that used for household waste." In France there are two such plants, in Calais and Lille, for recycling household waste but there remain a number of unknowns concerning Chantilly's innovative project and the CUMA is still conducting research in conjunction with the INRA (National Institute for Agronomic Research) of Narbonne. "Our primary concern is to verify that our horse manure is compatible with the anaerobic breakdown process. We must also be sure of the levels and composition of the biogases produced, and finally that the equipment will stand the test of time." At the current time, around 18 months before the project is due to leave the starting stalls, Battistini and the trainers are certain that the process will work with straw-based manure and are expecting confirmation from the INRA that shavings will be able to be recycled in the same conditions.

Methanization is an anaerobic fermentation process through which the waste is decomposed by bacteria in an air-free environment. The manure will therefore be collected in giant sealed silos, where it will ferment to give off biogas consisting largely of methane and carbon dioxide. These gases will in turn be used to drive turbines which produce the electricity destined for EDF. "While EDF is our guarantee of income," explains Battistini, "we have a legal obligation towards them according to which, in order to benefit from their favorable rates, we must not waste potential energy." The latent heat generated during the methanization process therefore becomes a secondary resource. In addition to its utility in heating the plant's reactors, which need to be maintained at an operational temperature of 131°F, it will also be sold locally for heating purposes.

A 3 ½ acre site has been chosen for the plant, on land owned by the Institut de France and subsidized by France Galop. Its central location at Mont de Po, between the training centers of Chantilly and Lamorlaye, while being practical for trainers, is of vital logistical importance for the sale of the heat. Within just a few hundred meters of the site are the AFASEC jockeys' school and the Bois Larris Red Cross Hospital, the two major clients whose heating systems are to be supplied by the warmth created by the turbines. Their proximity means that a minimal amount of heat will be lost during transfer.  Another bonus with the location is that there is already a 20,000 volt cable running underground across the site to cater for the hospital, which means that no unsightly pylons will be required.

After the three-to-four-week methanization process has been completed, around 60% of the initial volume will remain as biologically stable residue. "Our profitability is also dependent upon the use we make of this residue," says Battistini. "The heat we sell to the hospital and the AFASEC will be running at 100% of its potential in December and January, however that will be reduced to 10% in the summer months. This seasonal issue will affect our global efficiency and in order to qualify for the subsidies on offer, we need to prove that we utilize at least 75% of the energy produced."  The solution to this final conundrum is to recycle the residue a second time to create fuel briquettes. The latent heat which is surplus to requirements over the summer will be used to dry, and then carbonize, the waste from the digestors at temperatures of up to 752°F. The resulting matter will be compressed into briquettes for use either in households or possibly by the AFASEC or the hospital if their boilers could be converted to use this type of fuel. The CUMA are also keen not to leave the remaining mushroom-growers in the lurch and are working together to determine whether the farms can make use of the residue.

The project is expected to cost in the region of 10 million euros. "We have yet to finalize a finance plan as we are still awaiting the various technical validations from the INRA. When we have these we will be able to make an accurate evaluation of the cost of the plant and then source funding for our operation." However Battistini does not have any concerns on this score. In addition to the EDF contract, a whole range of grants and support dedicated to the development of biomass projects and the recycling of waste are proposed on regional, national and European levels, including Grenelle Environment and Brussels. The scheme is supported by the government ministries of agriculture and environment as well as by Finance Minister Eric Woerth, who is Mayor of the prestigious racing town. Indeed the town of Chantilly itself, thanks to its status as a Pole d'Excellence Rurale (Center of Rural Excellence), is eligible for European money dedicated to this type of project. Another source of income could quite simply be a bank loan. This may be more simple than it first appears, as Battistini confirms, "According to a law which was passed five or six years ago, all the major French high-street banks offer loans called ‘Sofergies' which are dedicated to the financing of this type of equipment. The interest rate is negotiable but the real advantage of the idea is that banks must give priority to innovative projects such as ours which will produce renewable energy." In the future, carbon credits may be recuperated by the CUMA, although there is still work to do on this front as they are currently only available for porcine and bovine schemes. Battistini intends to change this state of affairs. "We are lobbying the CITEPA (Technical Interprofessional Center for the Study of Atmospheric Pollution) to convince them to change this ruling and hope to benefit from carbon credits within a year or two."

Richard Crépon and Tony Clout aim to have written off the cost of the factory within seven or eight years, whereas Battistini offers the slightly more conservative estimate of ten years. Whoever is right on this minor issue, the CUMA seems assured of success on both economic and ecological levels. "Once we have repaid the cost of the plant, the trainers, who are the shareholders in the CUMA, will reap the financial benefits," says Clout. "In the future we should be able to return to a situation in which trainers are paid for the removal of their manure, and not vice versa." While the renewable energy supplied to EDF and local services will make a small impact on country-wide electricity production, the project is also advantageous in cutting down on primary pollution which currently originates from the currently steaming muckheaps of Chantilly. The CUMA will seek to standardize manure storage for all the region's trainers so that all waste is kept in covered pits or containers prior to transportation to the plant's closed fermentors, thereby considerably reducing current methane emissions.

While the project is far from completion, the ensemble of favorable circumstances mean that the members of Chantilly's CUMA can be confident of a cleaner, cheaper future in which they will be in control of the manure their horses produce. Their progress will be followed with interest by trainers around Europe and the world.