Pratiques alimentaires dans les écuries de course en France - enquête

A survey has been conducted in Thoroughbred (TH) and Standardbred (ST) training stables in France between may and july 2006, in order to get a representative picture of the feeding practices used by racehorse trainers, by visiting 30 stables of each breed and questioning of the trainer. The first results are presented. The regimen is mainly based on the experience of the trainer, secondary with the advice from food companies, veterinarian, rarely a nutritionist. A majority of stables (26/30 TH and 20/30 ST) distribute 1 roughage, the others add alfalfa or mountain hay. The hay distribution is twice a day in all TH stables and 50% of ST ones, ad libitum in 14/30 ST stables. Concentrates are generally delivered within 3 meals a day. Cereals are distributed in 29/30 TH and 27/30 ST stables, with oat in every TH, and additional barley and/or corn in 4/30 TH and 23/30 ST stables. The regimen made of cereals+ready-mixed feed (15/30 ST and 4/30 TH), and the same with mineral-vitamin supplements (22/30 TH and 7/30 ST) seem related with a higher frequency of pathology than cereals+mineralvitamin supplement or only ready-mixed feed, may be in relation with minerals, vitamins and protein imbalance or overload...