Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of increasing the intake of starch on the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses of horses. A cross-over study design was used in which four horses were fed increasing amounts of a compound feed (0.5-3.5 kg) to provide 0.3, 0.6, 0.8, 1.1, 1.4 and 2 starch/kg bodyweight (BW)/meal. The glycaemic response increased with starch intake (P<0.05), while feeding <1.1 g starch/kg BW resulted in a lowered response, compared to when 1.1-2 g starch/ kg BW was fed (P<0.01). The results suggested that insulin responses may be more appropriate to define the effect of feeding different starch levels than glycaemic responses. A starch intake of <1.1g/kg BW/meal produced only moderate glucose and insulin responses, even though highly processed cereals were used. It is therefore recommended that a starch intake of <1.1 g/kg BW/meal or a meal size of 0.3 kg/100 kg BW (starch content of 30-40%) is used for horses.