79 Investigation of body condition scores, feedstuff, and feed intake in a racing pony population in West Nusa Tenggara

Abstract

A healthy body condition is essential for equine health and performance. Therefore, recognizing equine body condition and adjusting nutritional management are required for the best output. This study aimed to determine: 1) general feeding practice and desired body condition scores (BCS) by the owners, 3) body condition scores and morphometric measurements, and 2) feedstuffs used and estimated nutritional intake, of racing ponies in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. An online initial survey form was sent to the farmers via Whatsapp and Facebook groups. The form also included a list of pictures of ponies with different BCS. Owners were asked if the ponies in the pictures were ideal for racing purposes. Fifty-two pony owners filled in the survey and 21 owners of 54 ponies that actively raced signed up for the next part of the study. The ponies’ age was 3.6 ± 3.6 years. Meanwhile, the breeds consisted of 37% (20/54) Sumbawa ponies, 25.9% (14/54) Sandalwood-cross ponies, 20.4% (11/54) Sandalwood ponies, 11.1% (6/54) Flores ponies, and 3.7% (2/54) Lombok ponies. Ponies were accessed, BCS and cresty neck scores (CNS) were assessed, and morphometric parameters were measured. These were also used to estimatebodyweight. Feeds were weighed, identified and sent for nutritional analysis. Owners’ answers indicated that they were aware of the importance of nutrition and proper body conditions for their ponies. Moreover, the highest agreement on how ideal a pony for racing was on a pony with BCS 5.5. Furthermore, mean BCS of ponies signed up for this study was 5.16 ± 0.5 (out of 9). The most commonly fed forage species were Cynodon dactylon, Leersia hexandra, and Eulalia aurera, with rice bran as the main concentrate. Mean DE intake was ∼1 Mcal above NRC recommendation. Mean protein intake was 19% higher than NRC recommendation. Calcium intake was below NRC recommendation with phosphorus intake above NRC recommendation. The calcium: phosphorus ratio was concerning as phosphorus intake was 5 times calcium intake. Finally, owners’ answers (21/21) indicated that they would need educational materials about equine nutrition, particularly on feeding balanced diets for the animals.