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Mineral Composition of the Whole Body, Liver and Bone of Young Horses

Equine Research Program and Department of Animal Science, New York State Veterinary College and New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850

The mineral composition of the whole body, liver and bone was studied in 20 young horses of both sexes, 12 and 24 months of age and fed diets containing 0.7% Ca, 0.6% P; 2.8% Ca, 0.6% P; 2.7% Ca, 1.1% P; or 0.7% Ca, 1.4% P to provide data for the determination of the mineral requirements for growth. In addition, the body composition of four young male horses, 4 months old was studied to provide baseline data on the age changes in body composition. The diets had no effect on growth in height or weight, P, K, Na, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu or Mn composition of the whole body or liver and on the Ca and P composition of bone ash. Animals fed the diet containing 2.8% Ca and 0.6% P had a greater Ca content than those fed the 0.7% Ca, 0.6% P or the 0.7% Ca, 1.4% P diets. The Ca, P and Cu composition of the fat-free dry tissue of the whole body decreased with age. The requirement of the growing horse for Ca, P and Mg was calculated from the mineral composition of the growth increment, the obligatory losses of mineral and the efficiency of mineral absorption.

KEY WORDS: • horses • body composition • mineral requirements

¹ Equine Research Program.

² Department of Animal Science.

Manuscript received 20 July 1973.