Ingestion and metabolic profile in horses offered lucerne or chalk as a source of calcium

Abstract

When horses are on diets that are predominant in cereals, the combination of low concentrations of calcium in the diet and the binding of calcium by phytates may result in inadequate calcium intake (Rose, 1990). Chalk and dehydrated lucerne are rich in calcium. It has been shown that the voluntary ingestion of lucerne varies with its form (Cuddeford, 1994). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different sources of calcium (chalk vs dehydrated lucerne) and lucerne forms (6 mm diameter pellets, 18 mm diameter pellets and ground lucerne) on the ingestion and on the metabolic profile in horses offered a cereal-based diet.