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The effect of a hay grid feeder on feed consumption and measurement of the gastric pH using an intragastric electrode device in horses: A preliminary report
Author(s) -
Aristizabal F.,
Nieto J.,
Yamout S.,
Snyder J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/evj.12175
Subject(s) - hay , horse , zoology , crossover study , medicine , stomach , analysis of variance , repeated measures design , biology , mathematics , pathology , paleontology , statistics , alternative medicine , placebo
Summary Reasons for performing study Obesity and gastric ulceration are highly prevalent in horses. Management modifications for preventing squamous gastric ulceration include frequent feeding and free access to pasture; however, these practices may predispose horses to obesity. Objectives To compare the percentage of hay consumed, intragastric pH and horse activity between feeding from the ground and a hay grid feeder. Study design Crossover experimental study. Methods A pH electrode was inserted into the stomach to record the intragastric pH for 48 h. Horses received 1% of their body weight in grass hay twice a day. Horses were assigned to be fed from the ground or a commercial hay grid feeder for 24 h and then switched to the opposite protocol for an additional 24 h. Horses were continuously video‐recorded and the percentage of time spent eating or drinking, walking or standing, and lying down were calculated. Two point data were compared by paired t test and pH over time was compared by repeated measures ANOVA . Results Horses consumed significantly greater amounts of grass hay when fed on the ground compared with a hay grid feeder (n = 9; P<0.001). There were no significant differences between the groups for mean intragastric pH values (n = 6; P = 0.97), mean intragastric pH over time (n = 6; P = 0.45) the length of time the pH was below 4.0 (n = 6; P = 0.54), and the percentage of time horses spent eating or drinking (n = 9; P = 0.52), walking or standing (n = 9; P = 0.3), or lying down (n = 9; P = 0.4). Within each group horses spent more time eating during the day compared with the night (n = 9; hay grid feeder P = 0.003; ground feeding P = 0.007). Conclusions The hay grid feeder studied may be used to reduce the amount of hay ingested by horses without reducing the time horses spend eating.