Everything Horses and Livestock® Magazine February 2018 Vol 3 Issue 1

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

carbohydrate. ESC or ethanol soluble carbohydrate are those monosaccharides and

the processing form of the supplemental products have an important effect on the safety. If a feed contains a high level of NSC, WSC or ESC and is not dissolved in the small intestine and enters the cecum or colon, it can be very problematic when these fractions are rapidly fermented. If the feed product is extruded and it dissolves, and these fractions are digested and absorbed in the small intestine, there is very little possibility of a problem. R. Harry Anderson, PhD Total Feeds, Inc. Harry@TotalFeeds.com 620-272-1065

carbohydrate is a part of the NSC and is even more digestible in the small intestine. It is composed of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, which are only slightly more complex that simple sugars or disaccharides. In horse feeds most of the WSC are supplied by very young, tender grass, young alfalfa, grains, many byproducts. The level in horse feed is of concern because of the rapidity that they can be digested and absorbed in the small intestine causing spikes in blood sugar levels. This fraction is a small percentage of the total

disaccharides and compose a very small percent of most horse feed unless the feed contains high levels of certain processed grain of molasses. Why is this of concern? The soluble forms of carbohydrate are of most danger of causing digestive and metabolic problems when fed or consumed at too large of quantities at one time and this can be managed by the owner and not the type of feed. Also,

Help Blue the Steer Find His Feed Bunk

7 Everything Horses and Livestock® | February 2018 | EHALmagazine.com