Whey
Whey protein is a milk extract, obtained by milk coagulation during cheese making process. Lactoserum is produced and extracted after pressing and drying. This dried extract, composed of nearly 100% protein and amino acids is an interesting product for horses.
It is rich in branched amino acids, used by complex organisms as a source of energy.
Valine has a specific role as DNA transcriptional factor that makes it essential for cell development.
The daily requirements of leucine, isoleucine and valine together are estimated at 1,6 g/kg per day and per kg of metabolic weight.
The metabolic weight corresponds to the horse's weight to the power of 0.75: for example a horse weighing 450 kg : 450 0.75 = 98 kg of metabolic weight;
such a horse will need 15.5 g of these 3 branched amino acids per day. A normal ration will usually contain sufficient quantities of these amino acids except in presence of some muscle trouble or during endurance effort.
