Why Do Horses Need Amino Acids in Their Diets?

Feb 20, 2015

Kristine Urschel, PhD, associate professor of equine science in University of Kentucky’s (UK) animal and food sciences department, gave a talk about horses' amino acid requirements at the 4th Annual UK Equine Showcase, held Jan. 23 in Lexington, Kentucky.

Amino acids are one of the most significant pieces of the puzzle in a horse’s diet, she explained. They benefit all of a horse’s vital processes, as they are used to build all the protein in the body.

Horses require a total of 20 amino acids to build their body’s proteins. The horse's own body can make 11 of those amino acid but does not have the ability to create the remaining nine it needs. Some amino acids can only be made by plants and micro-organisms. These are called the essential amino acids, and a horse must obtain them from food.

“Most mature horses will meet all requirements for their amino acids by being fed a good-quality forage and concentrate and by following the specific feeding instructions for that particular feed,” Urschel said.

Source: TheHorse

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.