Hot, dry Tucson, Ariz., doesn’t conjure up images of equine nutrition research, but leading animal scientists convened there May 31-June 4 to present their latest findings on a variety of equine science topics. The following article highlights the equine nutrition portion of the 2005 Equine Science Society Symposium.

Fat Supplementation

“Not all fat is created equal,” said Kelly Spearman, MS, graduate student in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Florida. “Some fatty acids might be more beneficial that others.” Spearman set out to find the best fat supplement to supply essential fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) to lactating mares.

“The practice of providing supplemental fat to the equine diet has become increasingly popular in the horse industry,” explained Spearman. “In addition to increasing the energy density of the ration, fat supplementation has been shown to have various positive effects on exercise metabolism and other physiological parameters