Some horse owners think that protein is almost a magical ingredient in their feeding programs. But, over emphasis is probably due to a lack of basic nutritional knowledge. Another reason that some owners may focus on protein is that many feed companies promote the sale of their products based on their protein content. Also, the percentage of protein must be stated on the feed tag. This leads some owners to believe that it is more important than non-listed nutrients.
Protein is one of six classes of essential nutrients.
Other than water, no class of nutrients is more or less important than the other. Protein performs critical functions in the body, but is not of greater importance than carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, or water. Proteins are made up of amino acids, which can be simple or complex. With the current interest in genetic engineering, complex proteins are becoming a familiar terms. There are ten amino acids which are considered dietary essential and must be provided in the ration.