Effects of supplementation with combination of polyunsaturated oils in diet of horses in maintenance and during marcha training

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementation with polyunsaturated oil on lipid and mineral blood biomarkers in two different groups of horses. Was used 6 healthy horses in maintenance (MT-g) and 10 healthy horses in marcha gait training (GT-g). The MT-g and the GT-g received 100mL and 300mL/day/animal of combination of polyunsaturated oils, respectively, during 8 weeks. Blood was collected in pre-test and after 4 and 8 weeks, after overnight fasting and it was measured: total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride, NEFA, LPS, glycerol, Ca, P, Mg, and Cl. The supplementation produced significant increase in NEFA and reduction in lipase in both groups. In addition, the LPS content in both groups had a large decrease (~35%) from the pre-test to the 8th week of supplementation. In the MT-g, the LDL cholesterol and glycerol increased significantly after 4 weeks but returned to the pre-test levels after 8 weeks, and the triglyceride content decreased (~62%) after 4 weeks. The total cholesterol concentration in the GT-g increased after 4 weeks (~70%), but after 8 weeks it decreased to levels similar to those observed in the pre-test. The mineral biomarkers increased in the MT-g and GT-g, after 8 weeks. In the MT-g and in the GT-g, Ca decreased. In conclusion, supplementation with a combination of polyunsaturated oils increased NEFA concentration and reduced LPS activity in both groups, unlike the concentrations of the other biomarkers that showed different variations between groups, indicating that both NEFA and LPS the changes in their concentrations during supplementation may be more sensitive and more indicated for these types of evaluation. In addition, some blood mineral concentrations reduced significantly in both groups of horses, and thus, they need to be evaluated in horses under chronic oil supplementation

Use of oil-rich diet for gaited horses during physical training

In Brazil, gaited horses are selected based on field tests, during which they move at speeds of 3 to 4 m/s for 30 to 60 min. To cover their nutrient requirements, feed manufacturers have developed oil-rich dietary supplements and concentrates. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of increasing the density of dietary fats in the feed of 16 Campolina horses undergoing intense gaited training. The training schedule consisted of training 4 × a week: 3 days riding for 60 min (10' warm-up, 40' doing marcha gait, and 10' cool down, and 1 day walking for 90'). The horses were divided in two groups: control and supplemented. The dietary supplementation was isocaloric, with the control group receiving an ordinary concentrate (3.5% fat) and the supplemented group fed 1.0 kg of the supplement (18% fat) plus the ordinary concentrate. Both groups had free access to fresh grass, salt and water. Blood samples were collected prior to and after 4 and 8 weeks of supplementation to calculate the complete blood count, glucose, total protein, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA). The results were evaluated by ANOVA and Tukey's test (P < 0.05). The supplemented group showed elevated levels of NEFA, red blood cells and haematocrit (P < 0.05), while the control group showed high triglyceride concentrations; both groups showed reduced plasma protein concentrations (P < 0.05). The other indices did not change (P > 0.05). The increase in dietary fat intake increased the blood lipid biomarkers and antioxidant capacity of gaited horses during intense training, possibly contributing to improve their metabolic performance.