Diet Description

Proper nutritional management of the breeding stallion is paramount - their feeding programme can greatly impact their overall health and longevity. Breeding stallions are often the most frustrating horses on a farm to maintain at optimal body condition; some become too lean at the height of breeding season, while others remain heavy no matter what. By providing a carefully balanced diet alongside an appropriate exercise plan and monitoring weight regularly, a stallion can be kept trim all year long. For the stallion, the year can be divided into two basic phases, breeding season and the off-season.

From a nutritional standpoint, the act of breeding can loosely be classified as work. Breeding stallions expend nearly the same amount of energy as performance horses in light work. This may be slightly elevated when stallions are bred multiple times a day. Stallions also vary greatly in the amount of exercise they give themselves; some are naturally more sedentary than others. Once an ideal weight has been achieved, every attempt should be made to keep that weight static. Stallions become too light when they expend more calories than they consume - another fairly common reason for this is reduced appetite. The anxiety surrounding the breeding shed may prevent some of them from finishing meals.

More common than underfeeding, however, is overfeeding. Excessively high starch feeds contribute to high blood glucose and insulin resistance, which means the glucose cannot be cleared from the blood and absorbed into tissues that require energy. Obesity can lead to insulin resistance, insulin resistance and obesity are related to increased levels of circulating cortisol, and excessive abdominal fat is highly correlated with cortisol production. Obesity predisposes stallions to laminitis, soundness problems (particularly of the hind legs, which is reflective of the strain placed on them during breeding), and possibly heart attacks, often caused by aortal rupture. Extremely overweight stallions are also thought to have lowered libido.

> A balanced-energy feed with a lower glycemic response may help to moderate blood glucose levels in stallions
> A blend of energy sources including fibre, fat and starch has been shown to reduce reactive behaviour and increase focus, making stallions more manageable

If body weight is a problem, stallions should have restricted access to pasture, especially in the spring, and only enough feed to ensure the stallion's vitamin and mineral requirements are being met. An alternative way to satisfy these requirements is to feed Stamm 30®, a multipurpose vitamin and mineral supplement. During the off-season, stallions can be maintained on Stamm 30®, and high-quality forage alone if they are good doers. If a stallion needs more energy at this stage, feed enough 'Off-Season Mix' to maintain optimal body weight.

As the breeding season approaches, the 'Covering Mix' must be introduced between 60 and 90 days before the season begins. It takes that period of time for the sperm to be manufactured within the male reproductive glands and then become available to fertilize the mare.

The feeds in the Stallion Plan range have been formulated using the most recent research advances in stallion reproduction. They provide breeding stallions with a complex mixture of energy sources including omega balanced fat, highly digestible fibre and soluble carbohydrate. The feeds are fortified with optimal concentrations of supporting vitamins and minerals to promote stallion health and performance during covering, and the off-season. Stamm 30® is included in both formulations for nutrient continuity.

> A powerful antioxidant system is provided by added natural vitamin E, selenium, and DHA. Together these nutrients create an environment ideal for sperm protection and function.
> Vitamin E is one of the most important antioxidants. Natural vitamin E has been shown to be much more effective than the synthetic form used in most feeds. Reproductive organs and sperm are highly susceptible to free radical, or oxidative, damage. Spermatozoa membranes are particularly susceptible to oxidative damage because they contain significant quantities of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The capacity of spermatozoa to fertilize an egg is highly dependent on membrane integrity and motility, so a healthy antioxidant defence must be in place.
> The role of selenium in testicular function is two-fold; firstly, as a component of the antioxidant glutathione peroxidase and secondly, as a required element in the production of testosterone.
> Carnitine is included as research has demonstrated that it increases progressive sperm motility by over 50%. In addition, carnitine improved spermatozoa kinetics and morphological characteristics in subfertile stallions. Motility correlates directly with carnitine content, the higher the carnitine concentration, the greater the motility of the spermatozoa.
> Omega-3 and omega-6 are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) that have many physiological functions, particularly in inflammatory processes. The Stallion Plan diets have a properlybalanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids - this has the potential to affect not only sperm quality but sperm quantity. Studies carried out on supplemented stallions showed a significant boost in the number of normally shaped sperm and a rise in the concentrations of spermatozoa in the semen.
> Supplemental DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is included to boost the quantity of vigorous sperm cells produced. DHA has been shown to increase the ability of semen to tolerate the stresses related to cold shock caused by cooling or freezing.
> Zinc is involved in every aspect of male reproduction; testosterone metabolism, sperm formation and motility are all zinc-dependent. Copper has been shown to have a direct link to libido and semen quality.

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