This study aims to evaluate diets for military horses in moderate activity. This experiment was conducted at Cavalry School of Brazilian Army where diets for horses of Ceremonial Squadron was evaluated. Diets were composed by commercial concentrate, Coast-cross grass hay and hydroponic oat. An performance trial in an randomized block design with three blocks (age of animals) and three treatments (experimental diets) were used. Diet I, fifteen horses fed diets composed by commercial concentrate with alfalfa hay into the pellets; Diet II, fifteen animals fed diets composed by commercial concentrate pellets; Diet III, fourteen animals fed diets composed by commercial concentrate pellets plus 3.0 kg hydroponic oat. Three kilograms of Coast-cross grass hay were added in all diets. At the end of this trial, a digestion trial was carried, in a complete randomized design, with three treatments (diets) and four replications (animals) to evaluate digestibility nutrients of diets, according total feces collection method. Values were submitted by variance analysis and means compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. Animals fed experimental diets maintained body weight and corporal score without any change according to nutrients contents in the diets. The coefficients digestibility of nutrients were changed in function of the diets and experimental diet composed by commercial concentrate with alfalfa hay into the pellets were more digestible. Intake of digestible energy and protein were adequate to military horses in moderate activity. Intake of dietetic fiber as NDF and ADF were adequate to minimum recommendations for horses.
diets; digestible energy; digestible protein; horses
