Efficiency of alfalfa granulated feed additive in balanced ration of Ukrainian Riding Horse

Abstract

We established positive influence of granulated alfalfa feed on the growth, development intensity, and sport qualities of the race horses. We registered the increase in live weight of young horses, which consumed the full granulated alfalfa feed by 8.0-9.8%. These animals had a more pronounced constitutional breed type. Thus, at the age of 18 months, they outclassed their peers in main linear dimensions: they had higher values of thoracic development (by 4.6%), higher thoracic diameter (by 4.5%), higher body length (by 5.7%). At the age of 24 months, these advantages were 6.4, 8.2, and 6.0% respectively. We found that the colts and fillies in the experimental group at the age of 12 months outperformed the same year horses from the control group by 1.1% by the index of format. Further, at the age of 18 and 24 months, the animals of the experimental group outperformed their counterparts from the control group by 0.2 and 0.4%, respectively. In terms of breast circumference index, the advantage of the exerimentary group animals at the age of 12 months was 0.1%, at the age of 18 months - 1.7%, at the age of 24 months - 1.8%, respectively. Similar results were recorded for the compactness index, where the advantage at the age of 12 months was 1.2%, at 18 months - 1.9%, at 24 months - 2.3% respectively. The effective use of environmentally friendly feed is confirmed by the results of hematological blood tests. It was found that for the vast majority of indicators they correspond to the physiological norm. This blood composition naturally characterizes changes in horses during the whole period of research. The received hematological profile is the basic characteristic of the state of health of horses in the research enterprise.