Forage nutritive analysis in practical equine feeding: challenges and opportunities

Area of Science:

• Equine Nutrition
• Animal Science
• Agricultural Analysis

Background:

• Forage nutritive analyses are underutilized in equine nutrition despite wide variations in forage quality.
• Accurate knowledge of forage nutritional value is crucial for preventing under- or overfeeding in horses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the utilization of forage nutritive analyses by horse owners in Sweden.
• To identify challenges faced by horse owners regarding forage analysis in equine feeding.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was conducted to gather data from horse owners.
• Survey questions covered respondent demographics, access to and use of forage analytical reports, and barriers to utilization.

Main Results:

• 84% of 425 respondents had access to forage nutritive analysis reports.
• Reports were primarily used for calculating feed rations (52%) and forage allowance (45%).
• Key barriers included difficulty obtaining representative samples (39%) and perceived lack of necessity (26%).

Conclusions:

• A majority of Swedish horse owners have access to forage analysis reports.
• Enhanced information on interpreting and applying forage analysis results could increase their use in equine feeding practices.