To determine the effects of 3 rations (low grain, fat, high grain) on plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity and lactate concentration in Thoroughbred horses with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER). Rations high in grain and formulated to exceed daily energy requirements may increase episodes of rhabdomyolysis in thoroughbred horses susceptible to RER.

Crandell KM, JD Pagan. 2000. Incidencia de ulceras gastrica en caballos. In: Primer Curso Alimentacion y Nutricion Equina y Su Relacion Con La Clinica, Manejo y Entrenamiento. Asociacion Mexicana de Especialistias en Nutricion Animal A.C. 17-22.

Crandell KM, JD Pagan. 2000. Equilibrio hidrico y de electrolitos enel caballo de alta escuela. In: Primer Curso Alimentacion y Nutricion Equina y Su Relacion Con La Clinica, Manejo y Entrenamiento. Asociacion Mexicana de Especialistias en Nutricion Animal A.C. p. 109-115.

Fat has become a popular feed ingredient in performance horse rations. There are
a number of different fat sources available for use in horse feeds, and many of these such
as soybean oil and rendered animal fat have been extensively studied, Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the digestibility of several fat sources and evaluate how well they functioned as energy sources for horses
during exercise.

Performance horses compete in a wide variety of athletic events ranging from high speed racing to 100 mile endurance rides. These types of exercise are known to induce oxidative stress, leading to the generation of free radicals.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate how cracking, grinding or steam processing affects starch digestibility of corn, using glycemic response as an indirect measure of prececal starch digestibility.

A 6 x 6 Latin square design experiment was conducted to determine glycemic response in horses fed six different feeds at 3 different levels of intake. Six Thoroughbred geldings were fed mixed grass hay and one of six diets: cracked corn, whole oats, sweet feed (45% cracked corn, 45% whole oats, and 10% molasses), sweet feed + 10% corn oil, alfalfa forage, or a low starch, high fermentable fiber mix (25% rice bran, 25% soy hulls, 25% wheat bran, and 25% soaked beet pulp).

High-grain diets for the exercising horse were compared with diets which provided 15% of the total caloric intake from either vegetable oil or a highly fermentable fibre source (beet pulp). Six Thoroughbreds age 3 years were fed one of 3 diets or 5 weeks in a replicated 3 x 3 Latin square.

There is considerable debate among horsemen about how to feed horses before exercise. Should horses be fed or fasted before work and when should hay be fed relative to grain and/or exercise? Three experiments were conducted to evaluate if feeding hay with and without grain affects glycaemic and haematological responses in Thoroughbred (TB) horses at rest and during a simulated competition exercise test (CET) on a high-speed treadmill.

Previous studies have associated recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) with a diet high in soluble carbohydrate (CHO). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 3 diets on clinical and metabolic parameters in 5 Thoroughbred horses with RER and 3 healthy Thoroughbreds performing a standardised exercise test (SET). Two diets were formulated to meet energy requirements for the amount of exercise being performed in the form of CHO or fat (21.4 Mcal DE/day).