Feed Raw Materials, Nutrition and Feeding of Horses
A.Y. 2023/2024
Learning objectives
The learning objective of the course is to provide the students all the essentials to understand the principles of equine nutrition, with both a theoretical and practical approaches, to evaluate the most common feeds in equine nutrition and to recognize the nutritional issues in everyday practice. A further aim of the course is to lead students to acquire knowledge on the most recurrent equine nutritional-related pathologies, providing competences to decrease their incidence through the evaluation of the nutritional adopted plans and the ability to develop new dietary strategies to fulfill the nutritional and requirements of horses. In this view the course will be aimed to improve the equine nutritional skills of the students, providing technicians able to perform diets and concentrates for horses and to manage both with the equine feed industry and the horse owners.
Expected learning outcomes
The expected learning outcomes at the end of the course will be related to the improvement of the knowledge and skills to analyze the adopted nutritional plans for equines, developing the ability to define new specific diets and concentrates that fulfill the nutritional requirements and the management condition of each farm. Moreover, the student will develop a critic approach to the different aspects of equine nutrition and dietetics, with the improvement of the ability to interpret the obtained results from diets formulation and nutritional plans developed during the course. Further, the student will improve his/her communications skills and the ability continuously update the knowledge on horse nutrition from the activities of preparation and presentation during classes of slides and communications on specific nutritional topics.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The course program will deal with the main feed raw materials used in the field of equine nutrition, then addressing the main aspects related to the formulation of horse diets as follow:
-The principles of horse feeding, with reference to the different absorption activities of the gastroenteric tract
-Use of nutrients according to the type of work done
-Dietology of the horse in relation to the physiological state
-Horse requirements calculation systems according to INRA and NRC
-The dietary mean transit time in the horse as a function of the feed and concentrates supplied, and its influence on the digestibility of the diet
-Analysis of nutritional needs according to age, physiological state, and the extent and type of work performed
-Feed strategies for anaerobic and aerobic sports
-Analysis of nutritional equine diseases
-The role of diet in the prevention of equine diseases
The following training activities will be carried out:
Horse rations based on age and physiological status
Formulation of diets for horses in relation to the food pathology found
-The principles of horse feeding, with reference to the different absorption activities of the gastroenteric tract
-Use of nutrients according to the type of work done
-Dietology of the horse in relation to the physiological state
-Horse requirements calculation systems according to INRA and NRC
-The dietary mean transit time in the horse as a function of the feed and concentrates supplied, and its influence on the digestibility of the diet
-Analysis of nutritional needs according to age, physiological state, and the extent and type of work performed
-Feed strategies for anaerobic and aerobic sports
-Analysis of nutritional equine diseases
-The role of diet in the prevention of equine diseases
The following training activities will be carried out:
Horse rations based on age and physiological status
Formulation of diets for horses in relation to the food pathology found
Prerequisites for admission
No prerequisites needed
Teaching methods
The teaching methods will be based on frontal lessons and training on nutritional softwares, together with external visits
Teaching Resources
The teacher will provide the students slides and scientific paper covering the whole courses topics
Assessment methods and Criteria
An oral examination will be carried out to determine the student knowledge acquisition on the course topic, together with the ability to solve practical cases
AGR/18 - ANIMAL NUTRITION AND FEEDING - University credits: 6
Practicals: 16 hours
Lessons: 40 hours
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Agazzi Alessandro
Shifts:
Professor:
Agazzi Alessandro
Turno 1 per un gruppo di studenti
Professor:
Agazzi AlessandroTurno 2 per un gruppo di studenti
Professor:
Agazzi AlessandroProfessor(s)
Reception:
11:30-13:00
Lodi