Williamson A, Rogers C W, Firth E C
Massey Equine, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
N Z Vet J. 2007 Dec;55(6):337-41. doi: 10.1080/00480169.2007.36790.
To identify feeding and management variables associated with variation in faecal pH within a population of intensively managed Thoroughbred racehorses in New Zealand.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted of 16 racehorse trainers in the North Island of New Zealand. Interviews were conducted at the trainers' stables to obtain information on feeding and management of horses, and faecal samples were collected and faecal pH measured.
Ninety-seven percent of the horses surveyed were confined in an area <or=5 x 5 m for >or=12 h/day. Trainer's age, number of years they had trained horses, age and gender of horses, weeks in race training, racing class, frequency of feeding, bedding type, and exercise workload had no effect on mean faecal pH. Acidic faecal pH (pH <or=6.32) was associated with stables with <or=12 horses, and trainers at stables with <or=12 horses offered more concentrate feed than those at stables with >12 horses. Acidic faecal pH was associated with trainers who offered 4 kg of grain as the only form of concentrate fed, or offered <or=2.25 kg hay/day. Horses that displayed stable vices had less acidic faecal pH than horses that did not display stable vices, viz pH 6.70 (standard error of the mean (SEM) 0.135) vs 6.43 (SEM 0.029) (p=0.04).
Racehorse management in New Zealand is similar to that observed in other major racing countries. Trainers with <or=12 horses fed more concentrates and their horses had lower faecal pH than those of trainers with >12 horses. Irrespective of management system, it appears important to provide at least 2.25 kg of hay/day ad libitum, to buffer hindgut acidosis associated with diets high in soluble carbohydrate.
确定与新西兰集约化管理的纯种赛马群体粪便pH值变化相关的饲养和管理变量。
对新西兰北岛的16名赛马训练师进行了横断面调查。在训练师的马厩进行访谈，以获取有关马匹饲养和管理的信息，并收集粪便样本并测量粪便pH值。
97% 的被调查马匹每天有≥12小时被限制在面积≤5×5米的区域内。训练师的年龄、训练马匹的年限、马匹的年龄和性别、比赛训练周数、比赛级别、喂食频率、垫料类型和运动工作量对平均粪便pH值没有影响。酸性粪便pH值（pH≤6.32）与马匹数量≤12匹的马厩有关，且马匹数量≤12匹的马厩的训练师比马匹数量>12匹的马厩的训练师提供更多的精饲料。酸性粪便pH值与提供4千克谷物作为唯一精饲料形式或每天提供≤2.25千克干草的训练师有关。表现出厩内恶癖的马匹的粪便pH值比未表现出厩内恶癖的马匹的粪便pH值酸性弱，即分别为6.70（平均标准误（SEM）0.135）和6.43（SEM 0.029）（p=0.04）。
新西兰的赛马管理与其他主要赛马国家相似。马匹数量≤12匹的训练师喂食更多的精饲料，其马匹的粪便pH值低于马匹数量>12匹的训练师的马匹。无论管理系统如何，每天随意提供至少2.25千克干草似乎很重要，以缓冲与高可溶性碳水化合物饮食相关的后肠酸中毒。
