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Posted by pnp4kidz on 6/11/2008, 3:39 pm, in reply to "Draft Breeds Nutrition"
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they need a diet low in NSC (Non structural Carbs) but HIGH in fats... moderate Protien.
Can't just drop the carbs down low... you also need to push the oil up high as they have a deficiency in thier ability to utilize the energy from fiber and carb sources... but can use fat sources quite well...
this is absolutely NOT an IR diet... a horse with IR can't have high fat, it worsens IR...
drafts are prone to EPSM, which is a genetic disease of metabolism...
so, the 'basic diet' is a grass hay, teff works well.. so does Orchard... with a feed or two of alfalfa pellets as a carrier for oil. Need about 6 cups of oil per day for a moderate sized draft horse I believe...
takes a month to get their metabolism changed over to using fats, then they show great recovery... this is a lifelong diet for them.
Go to Rural Heritage... they have it all written up.
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