The energy/protein quoata

[Elno]

I'm merely curious, really.

Do people here concider the desired quota between energy/protein when deciding what to feed their horse? In Sweden for instance it is very widely spread that the relationships between energy and digestible protein ( we do not concider crude protein) should ideally be around 6 for leasure horses and around 8 or higher for pregnant and lactating mares, but the more I read about this I realise that this is something we take into consideration in Sweden but not abroad, where at least in US they count crude protein without taking into account the energy (MJ) the forage might have.

In Sweden some people even go to great lenghts to stay around this quota when figuring out a feed for their horses but I have not come across this when reading the US or UK forums. I'm really curious how you decide how much extra protein you should feed your horse when you for instance decide which hard feed to feed?

 

[Barton Bounty]

No, i dont take it into consideration at all. There is little enough feeds out there that my horse can actually eat never mind working that out ? I do however manage sugar, in that his feed hasnt got much sugarwise

 

[Widgeon]

No not at all really - I think about starch (good in oats, for a bit of extra whizz) and sugar (to be avoided). I haven't got any further than that! My horse is a good doer though, and grazing 24/7, so he has pretty basic requirements.

Interesting that it's such a "thing" in some countries.

 

[ycbm]

I've never heard, in 45 years, about protein/energy ratios before this thread. How interesting that is a thing in Sweden.
.

 

[Elno]

I've never heard, in 45 years, about protein/energy ratios before this thread. How interesting that is a thing in Sweden.
.

Indeed, I was a bit confused when I wanted to learn more about equine nutrition and began to read articles and listen to podcasts from veterinarians and equine nutritionists abroad and realised that it wasn't a thing AT ALL while we here basically twist ourselves into a knot trying to figure out how to up the protein levels without at the same time upping the energy to reach the correct balance.

 

[LEC]

I normally look at starch as I don’t feed above 8%but have become obsessed with protein recently and finding good quality protein. It’s something I have been upping but not considered a % level.

 

[ihatework]

The first thing I look at on a feed label is protein % (but maybe that’s crude, I’m not actually sure), then the overall energy level, then the starch level.
I don’t specifically work out ratios though.

 

[TGM]

I think the protein content of hard feed only becomes a pressing concern when the forage available is lacking in protein. A horse on good quality grazing/hay/haylage will need less protein supplied in hard feed than one on poor quality forage. The type of forage available in different countries seems to vary a lot which might explain why protein is more of a concern in some places than others.

Personally I tend to look at digestible energy levels and starch/sugar content rather than protein levels (but all mine are mature horses, not breeding or young stock).