Characterization of Feeding, Sport Management, and Routine Care of the Chilean Corralero Horse during Rodeo Season

Abstract

Simple SummaryThe Chilean corralero horse holds great cultural importance due to its use in Chilean rodeo, the national sport. However, information regarding this breed is sparse, especially husbandry, feeding, and training recommendations, which could present challenges for their proper care. A survey of horse farms in several regions from central to southern Chile was conducted in order to document current management of the Chilean corralero horses which participated in the 2014–2015 Chilean Rodeo Federation season. In the survey, horse owners and trainers were asked about horse gender and size, daily routine, exercise and competition regimen, and feeding practices. All horses in the study were kept in stalls for at least 12 h daily and spent the rest of the day either tied or loose in pens or paddocks. Horses were in moderate- to high-intensity exercise programs, with workouts six days/week and two rodeos per month. Feeding practices varied greatly among farms but most horses received forage (alfalfa or grass hay) and an energy feed (oats, corn, or concentrate), while protein and lipid supplements were less common. The goal of this characterization of current management of the Chilean corralero horse is to contribute to information available about this breed to improve husbandry practices.AbstractThe aim of this study was to characterize the routine care, training, feeding, and nutritional management of Chilean corralero horses that participated in the rodeos of the Chilean Rodeo Federation. Forty-nine horse farms between the Metropolitan (33°26′16″ south (S) 70°39′01″ west (W)) and Los Lagos Regions (41°28′18″ S 72°56′12″ W), were visited and a survey was conducted on the management and feeding of the Chilean horse. Of the horses which participated in at least one official rodeo in the 2014–2015 season, 275 horses were included in the study. The survey consisted of five questions about general data on the property and the respondent, four questions on the animal characteristics, five questions about where the horses were kept during the day, seven questions to characterize the amount of exercise done by the horse, and 18 questions about feeding practices; additionally, the amount of feed offered was weighed. All horses in this study were in training and kept in their stall for at least 12 h and remained tied or loose for the rest of the day. The intensity of daily exercise of the rodeo Chilean horse could be classified as moderate to heavy and consisted of being worked six days/week and participating in two rodeos/month. Ninety-eight percent of respondents had watering devices in the stables. The diet of the Chilean corralero horse during the training season is based on forages, mainly alfalfa hay, plus oats as an additional energy source. Protein supplements such as oil seed by-products are used less frequently. A wide variation was observed in the diets and quantities of feed offered, which suggests that the feeding management of these individuals is not formulated according to their requirements.

Summer Diet of Horses (Equus ferus caballus Linn.), Guanacos (Lama guanicoe Müller), and European Brown Hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas) in the High Andean Range of the Coquimbo Region, Chile

“…With the above information, it is possible to suggest livestock equivalences between the three species of herbivores studied, considering, in a first approximation, the metabolic weight ratio [ 64 , 65 ] and the degree of dietary overlap between them [ 9 , 10 , 66 ]. Assuming mean liveweights of 384, 96 and 4.2 kg, for horses, guanacos, and European brown hares, respectively [ 67 , 68 , 69 ], as well as the dietary overlap determined in our research, these livestock equivalences can be determined and are presented in Table 4 .…”

Associative Effects between Forages and Concentrates on In Vitro Fermentation of Working Equine Diets

“…Sport horses are often housed for the majority of the day in stalls with limited access to pasture outdoors; instead, they are fed two or three meals per day containing forages and cereal grains or commercial concentrates [ 3 ]. In common equestrian disciplines, such as racing, polo, show jumping, dressage or eventing, their liveweight varies from 350 to 600 kg on average.…”

“…The most common diets in these situations consist of hay in addition to a source of concentrated digestible energy, such as cereal grains or a mixture of concentrate ingredients [ 3 , 5 ]. The most common hay forages fed to horses are grass, grass/legume, or alfalfa hay [ 3 , 6 ], which have 2.04, 2.25, and 2.45 Mcal DE/kg DM [ 4 ], respectively, which means that DE requirements of a hard working horse will not be met with hay only. For this reason, starch-rich feedstuffs are added to the diets of working horses.…”

“…For this reason, starch-rich feedstuffs are added to the diets of working horses. A series of surveys were given to owners of working horses and these showed that horse diets had around a 70% hay forage source and a 30% starch rich ingredient source [ 3 , 5 , 7 ]. Among hays, alfalfa hay, either in hay, cubes, or pellets, is the main source of forage, followed by grass hay.…”

“…Among hays, alfalfa hay, either in hay, cubes, or pellets, is the main source of forage, followed by grass hay. At the same time, oats, maize, barley, wheat, and wheat by-products (wheat middlings and wheat shorts), or a mix of them, with soybean and other micronutrients sources are used [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 8 ].…”