and
KIDS ‘n PONIES FEATURE
feeding ponies for
performance
by Dr Tim Kempton
www.StanceEquine.com
Photo Cristina Wilkins
Overfeeding and
obesity are the main
nutritional issues
with ponies and can
lead to many of the
metabolic disorders,
including laminitis,
difficult behaviour,
insulin resistance
and equine
metabolic syndrome.
Although your pony
will require less feed
than other horses,
the need for good
nutrition is still
paramount.
What defines a pony? Generally any horse
under 14.2 hands at the withers for English
ponies, and under 14 hands for many
Western disciplines. The world’s smallest
recorded ponies are Einstein (3.5 hands)
and Thumbellina (4.5 hands).
Performance ponies are usually judged on
topline, condition and coat mane and tail.
Overfeeding and hence obesity are the
main nutritional issues with ponies.
How do we feed ponies to be healthy and
happy, without getting too fat?
1
The important points to be considered:
HOW MUCH TO FEED
Feeding tables are usually based
on horses weighing 300 – 500kg.
Ponies weigh much less (50-350kg)
and so the amount of feed offered must
be reduced according to their body size.
Most ponies are overfed. Ponies also have
the knack of scrounging more feed than
bigger horses - so they eat more. It is also
important that any treats or snacks be taken
into account when feeding ponies, smaller
body size means less margin on feeding
guidelines.
2
HOW DO YOU ESTIMATE BODY
WEIGHT?
Weighing your pony on weigh
scales is the only accurate method.
Weightapes based on girth measurement
are quite variable and can often lead to
inaccurate measurements, especially with
ponies. For the best estimate use the girth
measurement and the length of the horse
from the shoulder to the point, rather than
the stifle.
A recent study in the US compared
methods for estimating bodyweight. The
difference between the actual weight and
weight tapes was 65.8kg. Measurement
of body length from shoulder to the point
gave the most accurate estimate.
Photo 1 on the next page (p47) shows the line of
measurement from the shoulder to the point of
the buttock. The most accurate way to measure
weight is to use the formula as described.
We will use our pony ‘Jummy’ who as you will
see in the next page weighs 360kgs.
3
GETTING YOUR FEEDING
MEASUREMENTS SORTED
3.1 Dry matter. As a general rule of
thumb; your pony will need 1.5 to 2% of its
bodyweight as dry matter, depending on the level
of work, and the energy content of the feed.
Some ponies can eat up to 5% of their
bodyweight... hence they get fat.
Our pony needs about 5.5 kg of dry matter
per day (360 X 1.5% = 5.5kg). Grass contains
approximately 10% dry matter. Hay contains
about 70% dry matter. Most concentrated feeds
contain about 90% dry matter.
It is important to weigh what you are feeding...
dont guess, remember to allow for the water
content. Dont be fooled by volume. For
instance CoolStance copra will absorb up to 3
times its weight in water and swell to three times
its volume. Hence 1kg dry CoolStance will weigh
4kg when wet, but it still only delivers 1 kg of dry
matter.
This is where many people can become confused.
Water does not provide nutrients.
3.2 Digestible energy (DE). All feeds contain
energy. You pony will require approximately 140
Kilojoules DE /kg bodyweight. Our pony therefore
requires 5.5 kg dry matter and 50 Megajoules per
day (1000kilojoules = 1 megajoule). If your feed
contains 10MJ/kg dry matter, he will need 5kg
feed. If feed contains 15MJ DE/kg dry matter, he
will need 3.5kg dry matter for maintenance.
Rules of thumb
Dry matter intake = 1.5% to 2% of
bodyweight
Digestible Energy Intake = 140 KJ per kilo of
bodyweight
continues page 47...
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and
VET
KIDS ‘n PONIES FEATURE
continued from page 45...
24 hr Equine Hospital
& Intensive Care Unit
24 hr Mobile Service
• Eye centre incl cataracts
• Full medical and surgery facility
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Photo source: Wagner & Tyler, J. Equine Vet. Sci, In press
Photo 1:
Estimated weight (kg) = (heart girth (cms) 2 x body length (cms) (point)) / 11,877
Our own pony ‘Jummy’ measured 167 cm girth and 156 cm shoulder to buttock, therefore his estimated weight was (167x167x156)
= 446224 / 11800 = 368kg. His real weight (on the scales) was 357kg. His weight using a weigh tape was 390 kg.
4
FEEDING FOR
PERFORMANCE.
- Colics
- Roarers
- Rigs and castrations
• Foal surgery & medicine
• Ultrasound
• X Rays incl pelvis & shoulders
• Videoendoscopy incl foals
• Dentistry
• Lameness workups
• Pre-purchase examinations
• Reproduction incl miniatures
• Freeze branding & microchipping
• Sarcoid therapy
VET
b. Coat condition. Feed oil for coat
condition. Polyunsaturated vegetable
oils (canola, soy, maize) will
increase and unbalance the omega
3 : omega 6 ratio. Polyunsaturated
oils can produce free radicals unless
stabilised. Saturated oils do not
unbalance the Omega 3:6 ratio and
don’t produce free radicals.
c. Omega 3: Omega 6. The Omega
3:6 ratio is out of balance because
horses are fed high NSC feeds
containing polyunsaturated oils.
Reduce the NSC intake, and replace
polyunsaturated oils with saturated
oils, and you will reduce the Omega
3:6 ratio to normal levels.
Photo Alice McNamara
a.There are a lot of articles
in this series about feeding
for topline, feeding balanced Non
Structural Carbohydrates (NSC) and
feeding to avoid metabolic disorders.
Although ponies are resilient in the
toughest conditions, the need for
good nutrition and feed management
is still paramount
f. Understand feed labels.
Unfortunately there is no requirement
for including NSC on feed labels. Read
the label. If it contains grain, or grain by
products it will contain sugar and starch.
If it contains vegetable oil, it will be
polyunsaturated. Also remember to
look for seed grains in any hay that you
feed.
g. Temperament. Do horses get
headaches? We know that what you
feed your horse will influence how
they feel and the way they behave.
For example high NSC feeds cause a
myriad of unwanted responses in horses
including behavioural problems. Try
reducing the NSC to <15% by replacing
grain with saturated oil and digestible
fibre.
h. Feed little and often. Ponies have
small stomachs and so feeding at least
three times per day will enhance their
digestion, improve feed utilisation, and
prevent insulin and glucose spikes.
d. Building Topline. The previous
article “Feeding for Top line and
Condition” explains the science
behind how feed nutrients are
partitioned into muscle or fat. High
NSC diets are partitioned into body
fat, and can cause insulin resistance.
Be sure to select diets high in
saturated oil, low in NSC (<15%) and
high in digestible fibre.
i. Activity level. Be honest with
yourself and your horse and feed
according to the activity level. Don’t
overfeed.
e. Understand your feeds. Recognise
that not all feeds are the same, some
feeds are designed to meet very
specific requirements, and that water
does not provide nutrients.
Throughout history, ponies have always
demonstrated the ability to be extremely
resilient in tough conditions. Although
your pony will require less feed
than other horses, the need for good
nutrition is still paramount.
j. Treats. It’s okay to give treats and
rewards to your pony, just make sure
you have accounted for this and
substituted from his or her daily ration.
Remember that your pony depends on
you to be strong for both of you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A horseman and specialist in the relationships between nutrition and the performance of animals, Tim Kempton, PhD has the
unique opportunity to draw on experience across many species, and pioneered the concept of ‘cool feeds” for horses in Australia. He introduced copra
meal into Australia in the 1980’s, which is now fed extensively as a cool feed for horses. More recently, he has researched the role of NSC in horse feeds,
and the possible effects on health and performance of horses. Dr Kempton is committed to providing equine education and products based on sound
science to avoid harming our horses.
www.horsesandpeople.com.au • HORSES and PEOPLE • Page 53