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RE: [RC] Hay to keep warm - Susan E. Garlinghouse, DVMI had a discussion with my farrier the other day about feeding extra hay to keep warm at night. If the temps drop below 25*, I will give my horses extra hay before I go to bed at night. Which will keep the horse warmer: alfalfa or grass hay? I said the mere act of eating (grass hay) is what keeps them warm, my farrier said the higher protein in alfalfa will keep them warmer. If I feed the alfalfa at night, I can always give them the grass in the morning. So, at night, which is best for warmth?? Well, you're both right, but your farrier is righter. :-) Feeding extra fiber in almost any reasonably digestible form does help bump up core temperature just a little, as about 35% (it varies) of the energy in fiber is thrown off as waste heat. The pathway isn't as useful in horses as it is in ruminants, like cows and sheep, as horses aren't as efficient at digesting fiber, therefore don't produce the extra heat as by-product. You can keep ruminants warm in very cold weather with just straw or poor quality forage, but because horses can't maintain core temperature very well on that. What works better is feeding some extra protein, which in most cases is going to be alfalfa. Protein is well digested, more efficiently than structural carbohydrates (fiber), but not nearly as efficiently as nonstructural carbs (sugars and starches). The by-product of the digestive process is 'waste' heat, which then helps support the maintenance of core body temperatures. I can't remember the exact numbers anymore, but I think something like five pounds of alfalfa will raise core body temperature around 1.25 degrees F for eight hours---it doesn't sound like much, but is significant when you're talking core temperatures. Feeding ten pounds won't raise the temp higher than that, it would probably just maintain the temp for a little longer. The protein source doesn't have to be alfalfa---any source of protein will do. So some extra grass hay is useful, too, but some extra protein to produce higher core temps is going to be your best bet. Hope this helps. Susan Garlinghouse, DVM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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