Initial acceptance of novel flavours in diets offered to stabled horses.

Odour and taste are important factors in food selected and consumed by horses. Published trials in stabled horses using fifteen flavours presented at 1% in standard meals of 100 g cereal by-product showed flavour affected diet acceptance, selection and consumption times in an otherwise identical base diet. The study reported here aimed to investigate the effects of a lower concentration of flavour i.e. 0.5% on initial acceptance in the same base diet. Eight novel flavours were presented to eight Thoroughbred horses (1 mare, 7 geldings) according to a Latin Square design to control for order effects. The flavours were presented at 0.5% in the base diet (i.e. 0.5g by weight in 99.5g) and were fed dry. The meals were presented to the horses in hanging door mangers, with a minimum of 24 hours between trial days. No more than six meals were presented in any 24-hour period and a minimum of one hour was allowed between meals to approximate standard hunger levels. Quantity consumed, partial rejection, complete rejection and consumption times were recorded. Two flavours, agrimony and horehound were universally accepted and completely consumed by all participants. Although acceptance varied between the remaining flavours none were universally rejected. Burdock was rejected by two horses and orange by one individual. Variation in amount consumed was compared for all eight flavours using Kendall’s coefficient of concordance. This showed a significant difference existed between amount consumed (W = 0.456, n = 8, p < 0.001). Mean consumption times were affected by individual variation but were NS for the group overall (p = 0.2). This trial showed flavour concentrations of 0.5% in a standard base diet significantly affected diet selection and acceptance, but not consumption times. These results may have practical implications in diet formulation for the equine feed industry