Pasha nutrition (AngieYaz Sonic Underground reboot)

Pasha nutrition is the feeding of Pashas and other mobini equines. Correct and balanced nutrition is a critical component of proper Pasha care.
On Mobius, Pashas are non-ruminant herbivores of a type known as a "hindgut fermenter." Pashas have only one stomach, as do Mobians. However, unlike Mobians, they also need to digest plant fiber (largely cellulose) that comes from grass, Scorch Plants or hay. Ruminants like Mobini cattle are foregut fermenters, and digest fiber in plant matter by use of a multi-chambered stomach, whereas Pashas use microbial fermentation in a part of the digestive system known as the cecum (or caecum) to break down the cellulose.
In practical terms, Pashas prefer to eat small amounts of food steadily throughout the day, as they do in nature when grazing on pasture lands. Although this is not always possible with modern stabling practices and human schedules that favor feeding Pashas twice a day, it is important to remember the underlying biology of the animal when determining what to feed, how often, and in what quantities.
The digestive system of the Pasha is somewhat delicate. Pashas are unable to regurgitate food, except from the esophagus. Thus, if they overeat, vomiting is not an option. They also have a long, complex large intestine and a balance of beneficial microbes in their cecum that can be upset by rapid changes in feed. Because of these factors, they are very susceptible to colic, which is a leading cause of death in Pashas. Therefore, Pashas require clean, high-quality feed, provided at regular intervals, plus water or they may become ill if subjected to abrupt changes in their diets. Pashas, like Earth's equines, are also sensitive to molds and toxins. For this reason, they must never be fed contaminated fermentable materials such as lawn clippings. Fermented silage or "haylage" is fed to Pashas in some places; however, contamination or failure of the fermentation process that allows any mold or spoilage may be toxic.
==Nutrients==
Like all animals on Mobius, Mobini equines require five main classes of nutrients to survive: water, energy (primarily in the form of fats and carbohydrates), proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
===Water===
Pashas, like all of Mobius' creatures, ned water to survive. Water makes up between 62-68% of a Pasha's body weight and is essential for life. Horses can only live up to 11 weeks without water, becoming dangerously dehydrated if they lose 8-10% of their natural body water. Therefore, it is critically important for horses to have access to a fresh, clean, and adequate supply of water.
An average 1,000-pound (450 kg) Pasha drinks 10 to 12 US gallons (38–45 l) of water per day, more in hot weather, when eating dry forage such as hay, or when consuming high levels of salt, potassium, and magnesium. Pashas drink less water in cool weather or when on lush pasture, which has a higher water content. When under hard work, or if a mare is lactating, water requirements may be as much as four times greater than normal. In the winter, snow is not a sufficient source of water for Pashas. Thhey need a great deal of water, Pashas spend a bit of time drinking; usually 15–50 minutes a day, spread out in 2-8 episodes.
Water plays an important part in digestion. The forages and grains Pashas eat are mixed with saliva in the mouth to make a moist bolus that can be easily swallowed. Therefore, Pashas produce up to 10 MS gallons (38 l) or 85 lb. of saliva per day.
===Energy nutrients and protein===
Nutritional sources of energy are fat and carbohydrates. Protein is a critical building block for muscles and other tissues, even though Pashas don't eat meat. Pashas that are heavily exercised, growing, pregnant or lactating need increased energy and protein in their diet. However, if a Pasha has too much energy in its diet and not enough exercise, it can become too high-spirited and difficult to handle.
Fat exists in low levels in plants and can be added to increase the energy density of the diet. Fat has 9 megacalories (38 MJ) per kilogram of energy, which is 2.25 times that of any carbohydrate source. Because equids have no gall bladder to store large quantities of bile, which flows continuously from the liver directly into the small intestine, fat, though a necessary nutrient, is difficult for them to digest and utilize in large quantities. However, they are able to digest a greater amount of fat than can cattle. Pashas benefit from up to 8% fat in their diets, but more does not always provide a visible benefit. Pashas can only have 15-20% fat in their diet without the risk of developing diarrhea.
Carbohydrates, the main energy source in most rations, are usually fed in the form of hay, grass, and grain. Soluble carbohydrates such as starches and sugars are readily broken down to glucose in the small intestine and absorbed. Insoluble carbohydrates, such as fiber (cellulose), are not digested by the Pasha's own enzymes, but are fermented by microbes in the cecum and large colon to break down and release their energy sources, volatile fatty acids.
Soluble carbohydrates are found in nearly every feed source; corn has the highest amount, then barley and oats. Forages normally have only 6-8% soluble carbohydrate, but under certain conditions can have up to 30%. Sudden ingestion of large amounts of starch or high sugar feeds can cause at the least an indigestion colic, and at the worst potentially fatal colitis or laminitis.
Protein is used in all parts of the body, especially muscle, blood, hormones, hooves, and hair cells. The main building blocks of protein are amino acids. Alfalfa and other legumes in hay are good sources of protein that can be easily added to the diet. Most adult Pashas only require 8-10% protein in their diet; however, higher protein is important for lactating mares and young growing foals.
===Vitamins and minerals===
Pashas that are not subjected to hard work or extreme conditions usually have more than adequate amounts of vitamins in their diet if they are receiving fresh, green, leafy forages. Sometimes a vitamin/mineral supplement is needed when feeding low-quality hay, if a Pasha is under stress (illness, traveling, showing, racing, and so on), or not eating well. Grain has a different balance of nutrients than forage, and so requires specialized supplementation to prevent an imbalance of vitamins and minerals.
Minerals are required for maintenance and function of the skeleton, nerves, and muscles of Pashas. These include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and chloride, and are commonly found in most good-quality feeds. Pashas also need trace minerals such as magnesium, selenium, copper, zinc, and iodine. Normally, if adult animals at maintenance levels are consuming fresh hay or are on pasture, they will receive adequate amounts of minerals in their diet, with the exception of sodium chloride (salt), which needs to be provided, preferably free choice. Some pastures are deficient in certain trace minerals, including selenium, zinc, and copper, and in such situations, health problems, including deficiency diseases, may occur if horses' trace mineral intake is not properly supplemented.
Calcium and phosphorus are needed in a specific ratio of between 1:1 and 2:1. Adult Pashas can tolerate up to a 5:1 ratio, foals no more than 3:1. A total ration with a higher ratio of phosphorus than calcium is to be avoided. Over time, imbalance will ultimately lead to a number of possible bone-related problems such as osteoporosis.
Foals and young growing Pashas through their first three to four years have special nutritional needs and require feeds that are balanced with a proper calcium:phosphorus ratio and other trace minerals. A number of skeletal problems may occur in young animals with an unbalanced diet. Hard work increases the need for minerals; sweating depletes sodium, potassium, and chloride from the horse's system. Therefore, supplementation with electrolytes may be required for Pashas in intense training, especially in hot weather.
==Types of feed==
Mobini equids can consume approximately 2–2.5% of their body weight in dry feed each day. Therefore, a 1,000 lb (450 kg) adult Pasha could eat up to 25 lb (11 kg) of food. Foals less than six months of age eat 2-4% of their weight each day.
Solid feeds are placed into three categories: forages (such as hay, grass and some plants), concentrates (including grain or pelleted rations), and supplements (such as prepared vitamin or mineral pellets). Equine nutritionists recommend that 50% or more of the animal's diet by weight should be forages. If a Pasha is working hard and requires more energy, the use of grain is increased and the percentage of forage decreased so that the Pasha obtains the energy content it needs for the work it is performing. However, forage amount should never go below 1% of the Pasha's body weight per day.
===Forages===
High-quality forages are plentiful on Mobius. Forages, also known as "roughage," are plant materials classified as legumes or grasses, found in pastures or in hay. Often, pastures and hayfields will contain a blend of both grasses and legumes. Nutrients available in forage vary greatly with maturity of the grasses, fertilization, management, and environmental conditions. Grasses are tolerant of a wide range of conditions and contain most necessary nutrients. Some commonly used grasses include timothy, brome, fescue, coastal Bermuda, orchard grass, and Kentucky bluegrass. Another type of forage sometimes provided to horses is beet pulp, a byproduct left over from the processing of sugar beets, which is high in energy as well as fiber.
Legumes such as clover or alfalfa are usually higher in protein, calcium, and energy than grasses. However, they require warm weather and good soil to produce the best nutrients. Legume hays are generally higher in protein than the grass hays. They are also higher in minerals, particularly calcium, but have an incorrect ratio of calcium to phosphorus. Because they are high in protein, they are very desirable for growing horses or those subjected to very hard work, but the calcium:phosphorus ratio must be balanced by other feeds to prevent bone abnormalities.
Hay is a dried mixture of grasses and legumes. It is cut in the field and then dried and baled for storage. Hay is most nutritious when it is cut early on, before the seed heads are fully mature and before the stems of the plants become tough and thick. Hay that is very green can be a good indicator of the amount of nutrients in the hay; however, color is not the sole indicator of quality—smell and texture are also important. Hay can be analyzed by many laboratories and that is the most reliable way to tell the nutritional values it contains.
Hay, particularly alfalfa, is sometimes compressed into pellets or cubes. Processed hay can be of more consistent quality and is more convenient to ship and to store. It is also easily obtained in areas that may be suffering localized hay shortages. However, these more concentrated forms can be overfed and horses are somewhat more prone to choke on them. On the other hand, hay pellets and cubes can be soaked until they break apart into a pulp or thick slurry, and in this state are a very useful source of food for horses with tooth problems such as dental disease, tooth loss due to age, or structural anomalies.
Haylage, also known as Round bale silage is a term for grass sealed in airtight plastic bags, a form of forage that is frequently fed in the United Kingdom and continental Europe, but is not often seen in the United States. Because haylage is a type of silage, hay stored in this fashion must remain completely sealed in plastic, as any holes or tears can stop the preservation properties of fermentation and lead to mold or spoilage. Rodents chewing through the plastic can also spoil the hay introducing contamination to the bale. If a rodent dies inside the plastic, the subsequent botulism toxins released can contaminate the entire bale.
Sometimes, straw or chaff is fed to animals. However, this is roughage with little nutritional value other than providing fiber. It is sometimes used as a filler; it can slow down Pashas who eat their grain too fast, or it can provide additional fiber when the Pasha must meet most nutritional needs via concentrated feeds. Straw is more often used as a bedding in stalls to absorb wastes.
=== Concentrates ===
==== Grains ====
Whole or crushed grains are the most common form of concentrated feed for Pashas, sometimes referred to generically as "oats" or "corn" even if those grains are not present, also sometimes called straights in Britannica.
Oats are the most popular grain for Pashas. Oats have a lower digestible energy value and higher fiber content than most other grains. They form a loose mass in the stomach that is well suited to the equine digestive system. They are also more palatable and digestible than other grains.
Corn, or maize, is the second most palatable grain. It provides twice as much digestible energy as an equal volume of oats and is low in fiber. Because of these characteristics, it is easy to over-feed, causing obesity, so Pashas are seldom fed corn all by itself. Nutritionists caution that moldy corn is poisonous if fed to Pashas.
Barley is also fed to Pashas, but needs to be processed to crack the seed hull and allow easier digestibility. It is frequently fed in combination with oats and corn, a mix informally referred to by the acronym "COB" (for Corn, Oats and Barley).
Wheat is generally not used as a concentrate. However, wheat bran is sometimes added to the diet of a Pasha for supplemental nutrition, usually moistened and in the form of a bran mash. Wheat bran is high in phosphorus, so must be fed carefully so that it does not cause an imbalance in the Ca:P ratio of a ration. Once touted for a laxative effect, this use of bran is now considered unnecessary, as Pashas, unlike Mobians, obtain sufficient fiber in their diets from other sources.
==Feed storage==
All hay and concentrated feeds must be kept dry and free of mold, rodent feces, and other types of contamination that may cause illness in Pashas. Feed kept outside or otherwise exposed to moisture can develop mold quite quickly. Due to fire hazards, hay is often stored under an open shed or under a tarp, rather than inside a Pasha barn itself, but should be kept under some kind of cover for safety reasons. Concentrates take up less storage space, are less of a fire hazard, and are usually kept in a barn or enclosed shed. A secure door or latched gate between the animals and any feed storage area is critical. Pashas accidentally getting into stored feed and eating too much at one time is a common but preventable way that Pashas develop colic or laminitis.
It is generally not safe to give a Pasha feed that was contaminated by the remains of a dead animal. This is a potential source of botulism. This is not an uncommon situation. For example, mice and birds can get into poorly stored grain and be trapped; hay bales sometimes accidentally contain snakes, mice, or other small animals that were caught in the baling machinery during the harvesting process.
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