THE FRENCH HORSE FEED EVALUATION SYSTEMS AND RECOMMENDED ALLOWANCES FOR ENERGY AND PROTEIN

New energy and protein systems were conceived and introduced in France by INRA for horse feed evaluation and recommended allowances. The net energy contents of feeds for maintenance are calculated from their me tabolizable energy content, the estimated amounts of digestion end-pro ducts and their respective efficiencies for maintenance. The net energ y value of feeds is related to that of barley and expressed in horse f eed units (UFC). The validity of the system was tested extensively by INRA. The new protein system accounts for the amounts of absorbable am ino acids. The horse digestible crude protein (MADC) content of feeds is calculated from the estimated amounts of amino acids absorbed from the small intestine and absorbed from the large intestine. In these tw o systems, the nutritive value of feeds can be predicted either from s et of tables or from the chemical composition of feeds by using relati onships established by INRA. The recommended allowances have been dete rmined in UFC and MADC either by a factorial method or by feeding expe riments according to the physiological function. With the feeding meth od, the allowances were determined by long term feeding experiments ca rried out by INRA with a high number of animals. Tables of recommended allowances have been set up by INRA for mares, growing or working hor ses of light or heavy breeds.