Comparative study of three feeding methods for draught horses of the Swiss army

Three feeding methods were compared in 36 4- to 6-year-old Franche-Montagne horses during the military school of St-Luzisteig (GR) of Spring 1992. The horses were separated into 3 groups: a group with the traditional oats-hay ration (OH), a group with a pelleted feed and hay ration (PFH), and a group with the complete diet (CD). Feed analyses were performed and food consumption, eating behavior and digestibility were studied. The horses received their daily amount of feed in 3 portions covering the requirements for a medium work: OH = 8 kg hay and 3 kg oats, PFH = 8 kg hay and 3 kg pelleted feed and CD = 10 kg of the complete diet. For the 3 rations, the amount of digestible crude protein for horses was higher than the reference value for the requirement of a 600 kg horse with a medium work. In the 3 diets, the calcium content was higher than the required 32 g per day (g/d). Not enough sodium (OH: 1.2 g/d; PFH: 7.3 g/d; CD: 9.6 g/d) and too much potassium (OH: 140.3 g/d; PFH 153.0 g/d; CD: 167.5 g/d) were present in the diets, both without consequences for the blood parameters. In 3 meals of 60 minutes, the horses of the group OH, PFH and CD ingested 82%, 89% and 92%, respectively, of the daily ration. The complete diet was ingested more quickly than the hay. The number of mastications per minute was smaller for the complete diet than for the hay. Ingestion times were similar for oats and pelleted feed. However, the number of mastications per minute was smaller for the pelleted feed. The digestibility of nutrients was not influenced by the method of feeding. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that the 3 types of ration studied here are adequate for the swiss army horses if sodium is added to the diet. However, despite the fact that both PFH and CD correct excessive supply or deficiencies of nutrients and despite the fact that these two feeding methods offer nutrients in amounts that are closer to the requirements of the horse, the method PFH was introduced in 1994.