Glossary

Ad lib feeding

Offering as much food as the horse wants (free choice) i.e. in the case of forage, allowing constant access so that they can eat as much or as little as they want (not suitable for weight watching horses and ponies).

Amino Acids

Amino acids are known as the “building blocks” of protein. The protein found in SPILLERS horse feeds will be constructed from ideal levels of essential amino acids for example lysine.

Antioxidants

When your horse’s cells use oxygen, they naturally produce by-products called free radicals, which when produced in excess can cause damage to your horse’s body. Antioxidants such as vitamin E and C attract and bind these free radicals, helping to reduce this damage.

Azoturia

(See ERS)

Balancer

Balancers are concentrated feeds, rich in vitamins, minerals and essential protein that are low in calories/energy and are designed to balance the diet. This means that balancers can be fed in small amounts giving a horse all of their daily vitamins and mineral requirements without the extra calories. SPILLERS Balancers also contain many functional ingredients to support the digestive system, hooves, joints and the respiratory system.

Bio-available

The rate and degree a substance can be absorbed and used in the horse’s body once it has been ingested.

Bio-Active System

A blend of natural fibres found in SPILLERS High Fibre Cubes that help support gut health and digestion.

Biotin

A water soluble B vitamin which when fed at high levels can help strengthen the horn of a horse’s hoof.

Calorie

A unit of energy

Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio

There needs to be more calcium than phosphorus is a horse’s diet in order for them to interact effectively. The ratio should be kept around 1.5 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus.

Carbohydrate

Provides the main source of energy in the diet, carbohydrate is the collective name given to starches, sugars and dietary fibres found in horse feed which can be digested in some form to provide energy. Carbohydrates are processed by the horse’s digestive system at different rates. Starch and sugar are digested quickly so horse feeds with high levels of starch can provide a lot of energy quickly (instant energy), which maybe good for feeding laid-back or lethargic horses. Fibres are digested slowly and so produce more controlled, slow released energy.

Chelated

If a mineral (e.g. copper, zinc, manganese) is chelated it is combined with a small protein or amino acid which makes it easier for the horse’s body to absorb the mineral.

Choke

Choke can be caused when the oesophagus becomes blocked. The food passes from the pharynx to the oesophagus, which is a muscular tube that transports food to the stomach.

Creep feed

The first feed a foal usually receives.

Colic

Abdominal pain that can range from being very mild to life threatening.

Complementary feed

A feed designed to be fed alongside forage and/or grass to provide your horse with a balanced diet containing with all the nutrients he needs.

Complete Feed

A feed designed to be capable of supplying all the nutrients in the diet including adequate fibre levels to maintain optimum digestive health and vitamins and minerals (e.g. SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF^®)

Compound feed

A manufactured feed that contains a variety of ingredients.

Concentrated feed

A feed with concentrated levels of vitamins and minerals so you can feed your horse all he needs in a smaller portion.

Conditioning

A conditioning horse feed aims to build condition and support the development of topline and muscle tone. SPILLERS Conditioning Cubes and Mix are proven in trials to build condition in as little as two weeks without excitability.

Condition Scoring

An assessment of your horse’s body fat coverage. With practice, condition scoring can be an accurate way of ensuring that your horse does not gain or lose too much condition, and allows you to make dietary adjustments accordingly.

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

See (RAO)

Digestible

A nutrient which can be absorbed in the intestines (as opposed to indigestible which will just pass through the intestine)

Digestible Energy (DE)

The estimated energy content in a horse feed. Measured in MJ/Kg. This energy system takes into account the digestibility of feed and gives a useful measure of the energy the animal may be able to use, however it does not take into account losses of energy in urine, combustible gases or the heat generated during digestion.

Digestive Enhancers

Digestive enhancers are products that are often added to compound feeds to help support the horse’s digestive system. Digestive Enhancers include live yeasts, prebiotics and probiotics.

Dry matter

Describes feed without any of its natural water content.

Electrolytes

Minerals responsible for maintaining water balance in the body. The most common electrolyte is salt (sodium chloride) but others include magnesium, potassium and calcium.

Energy Dense

A concentrated source of energy in a small amount of feed e.g. fats and oils

ERS (Exertional Rhabdomyolysis Syndrome)

Also known as azoturia, tying up, or setfast (amongst others). This is simply described as a disturbance in muscle function, causing the horse muscular pain. The horse may seem unwilling to move or seem stiff taking short steps, with the muscles over its hindquarters appearing hot and hard. In nutrition terms, it is important not to over feed cereal starch, as this can be one of the contributing factors.

Fatty acids

These are molecules that make up fats and oils and are released when oils and fats are broken down in the digestive system. They provide a source of energy.

Fibre

Fibre is structural carbohydrate which cannot be broken down by enzymes in a horse’s small intestine, but is broken down slowly in the large intestine by bacteria, a process known as microbial fermentation. Fibre is the most important part of the horse diet.

Fizzy

An excitable or exuberant horse

Forage

Generally used to describe fibrous feeds and roughages for example hay and haylage.

Fully Balanced

A feed that provides all a horse’s dietary requirements when fed at the recommended rate.

Glucosamine

A molecule that can help support joint health which can be beneficial in elderly horses or those with stiff joints.

Glycaemic response

The blood glucose response following a meal.

Glycogen

Glycogen is the body’s storage carbohydrate, it is broken down into glucose when the horse requires energy.

Good Doer

A horse who holds weight or condition easily. often with a propensity to become overweight. Natives are often good doers.

Hard Feed

(See complementary feed)

Hard Work

Work such as three day eventers, advanced endurance, racehorses.

Hind gut

A term used to describe the large intestine

Insulin response

The response of insulin following a meal to predominantly blood glucose. Insulin causes cells to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and in muscle.

Insulin sensitivity (IS)

The sensitivity of insulin receptors to insulin in order to clear blood glucose.

Insulin resistance (IR)

A reduction in the horse’s sensitivity to insulin which means that insulin is released but fails to exert its normal effect, therefore more insulin is released in order to elicit the same effect; consequently this can lead to high levels of blood glucose and blood insulin circulating.

Laminitis

Laminitis in its simplest sense is the inflammation of the laminae which is the soft tissue that attaches the pedal bone to the inner hoof wall causing pain and lameness. The risk of laminitis can be high in ponies that are overweight, under exercised and fed large quantities or sugar and high starch feeds.

Light Work

Most Leisure horses being ridden between 1-2 hours a day 4 to 6 times a week or less. Occasional weekend competing.

Live Yeast

A digestive enhancer which helps good bacteria in the large intestine break down food.

Low calorie

Contains low levels of energy or calories making the feed ideal for good doers. A low calorie feed should still provide the correct levels of vitamins and minerals when fed at the recommended rate

Macro minerals

Minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium and Chlorine which are required in relatively large amounts in a horse’s diet (i.e. g/day).

Magnesium

A mineral known for its calming properties.

Maintenance level

A horse not being ridden and therefore requires only minimum energy levels to maintain condition.

Medium Work

Horses working between 2 and 5 hours a day such as rising school horses, or those competing regularly at a higher level.

Micro (trace) minerals

Minerals and elements such as copper, zinc, cobalt, manganese, iron, sulphur, iodine and selenium which are required in tiny quantities (i.e. mg/day)

Muscle Tone

The amount of tension or resistance to movement in a muscle. All muscles are constantly partially contracted so they are ready for immediate use. It is important to maintain muscle tone to keep them healthy, a muscle without any tone will waste away.

Non-heating

A non-heating feed is one that is less likely to produce excitable behaviour in horses and ponies when fed at the recommended rate.

Nutrient Dense/Rich

A feed dense in vitamins and minerals so is fed in lower volumes than traditional compound feeds..

Pelleting

One of the processes used in milling horse feed to create pellets or cubes. The feed is heat treated with steam then forced through holes of different sizes depending on what size pellet is required.

Prebiotics

Fermentable carbohydrates which act as food for good bacteria in the gut.

Probiotics

Live micro-organisms which can colonise the gut and add to the population of good bacteria.

Protein

Required for growth and repair of the body. Protein is made up from amino acids, some of which the body cannot produce itself and must be included in the diet.

Poor Doer

A horse who does not holds weight or condition very easily and is prone to weight loss.

Quality protein

A protein containing high levels of essential amino acids, important for building condition and muscle tone. Quality protein sources include soya.

Ration

Another word for diet usually means the total amount of feed a horse takes in per day.

RAO (Recurrent Airway Obstruction)

A condition where a horse’s airways become narrowed, usually from inflammation cause by an allergic reaction to mould spores. This narrowing restricts airflow to the lungs causing stress on the respiratory system and sometimes a cough.

Rest

See Maintenance

Senior

A senior horse is traditionally considered to be any horse over 16 years old, although as horses are living longer 16 years old is often an age where horses are in their prime. However in reality horses all age at different rates.

Starch

A non-structural carbohydrate found in high levels in cereals. Starch is broken down in the horse’s small intestine to provide quick released energy.

Steam Flaking

Cooking a cereal such as barley or maize in steam to aid digestibility, then rolling the soft, hot cereal into a flake.

Straights

The term given to cereals, cereal by-products, proteins, vitamins and minerals when they are fed individually rather than mixed or blended as in a compound feed.

Trailblazers

Trailblazers is an organisation developed for the competitive rider. It is a competition structure suitable for the true amateur/recreational rider with competitions in showjumping, dressage, combined training and showing. Find out more at www.trailblazerschampionships.com.

Topline

The muscles over the neck, withers, back and croup of the horse. A good topline requires good muscle tone which can be built from quality protein in the diet combined with correct exercise.

Veteran

See Senior

Vitamins

Substances required in the diet in minute quantities to maintain health and normal bodily functions. The main fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K and the water soluble are C and the B vitamins.