1.      Electrolytes

a.       Replace what is lost in perspiration.

b.      Are not intended to replace salt. They need to be given to a horse who is already in good sodium balance.

c.       Can be added to the horse’s overall maintenance water supply.

d.      Choices a and b are correct

e.       Choices a, b, and c are correct

"D" is correct since electrolytes are both lost in perspiration and should only be given to horses that are already receiving an adequate amount of salt. But they should never be added to the horse's normal water supply. Horses always much have clean, fresh water available.

2.      A “Mcal” is equivalent to:

a.       100 calories

b.      1000 calories

c.       10,000 calories

d.      100,000 calories

e.       1,000,000 calories

"E" is the correct answer -- MCal stands for "Mega" calorie and "Mega" refers to million.  Kilocalories (kcals) refer to 1,000 calories.

3.      Fat:

a.       Is burned aerobically and has more than twice the calories as carbohydrates.

b.      Is burned anaerobically and has more than twice the calories as carbohydrates.

c.       Is burned aerobically and has fewer calories than carbohydrates.

d.      Is burn anaerobically and has few calories than carbohydrates.

"A" is the correct answer -- Fat requires oxygen (aerobic) to be "burned" for energy and it has 9 kcals per gram, whereas carbohydrates have only 4 kcals per gram.

4.      Which one of the following fat sources has the most omega-3 fatty acids:

a.       Corn oil

b.      Rice bran oil

c.       Flaxseed oil

d.      Soybean oil

e.       Wheat germ oil

"C" is the correct answer -- Flaxseed oil has four times more omega 3 fatty acids than omega 6s.  Rice bran oil has none and is mostly monounsaturated (omega 9); Corn, Soybean, and Wheat germ oils are mostly omega 6 fatty acids, though soybean oil has a small amount (7% omega 3s). 

5.      Which one of the following has the most amount of fat? One cup of:

a.       Flaxseed meal

b.      Rice bran

c.       Chia seeds

d.      Black sunflower seeds

e.       Soybean oil

"E" is the correct answer because it is the only choice that is a pure oil and is therefore, 100% fat. The other items listed contains a large amount of fat, but they also contain protein and carbohydrates.

6.      Which fatty substance is a naturally occurring steroid that has been shown to build muscle mass:

a.       Alpha linolenic acid

b.      Eicosapentaenoic acid

c.       Gamma oryzanol

d.      Docosahexaenoic acid

e.     Cholesterol

"C" is the correct answer -- it is the only substance listed that is both steroidal (cholesterol is also steroidal) and has been shown to boost muscle mass.

7.      Lysine is an essential amino acid. What does the term “essential” mean in this context?

a.      It means that it is important for your horse to have several nutrients in his diet so he can produce lysine.

b.      It means that a horse cannot produce lysine, and it therefore must be in his diet.

"B" is correct -- by definition, something that is "essential" cannot be produced in the body and therefore, must be in the diet. Horses cannot produce lysine.

8.      The protein in an athlete’s diet must be of high quality. What does “high quality” mean?

a.       It means that the protein source contains all of the amino acids that a horse is not capable of producing.

b.      It means that the protein source is highly palatable.

c.       It means that the protein source is free of mold, and is fresh.

d.      It means that the protein source is made from expensive ingredients.

e.       It means that the protein source is made from a mixture of grains.

"A" is correct -- when used in this context, "quality" refers to a protein that contains all of the "essential" amino acids, in their proper proportions -- all of those that the horse cannot produce.

9.      The term “Crude Protein (CP):

a.       Is a measure of nitrogen. It tells you nothing about the protein’s quality.

b.      Is a measure of carbon.  The higher it is, the higher the protein quality.

"A" is the correct answer -- CP refers to nitrogen.

10.  Why does vitamin E need to be increased as a horse’s exercise level increases?

a.       Because exercise inhibits vitamin E absorption from the digestive tract.

b.      Because exercise causes vitamin E to be excreted at a higher rate in the manure.

c.       Because the more muscles are exercised, the more free radicals form, and vitamin E serves as an antioxidant (free-radical scavenger).

d.      Because more vitamin C is produced during exercise and vitamin C destroys vitamin E.

e.     Because vitamin E builds muscle mass. 

"C" is correct because vitamin E's purpose is entirely as an antioxidant. An antioxidant's role is to neutralize free radicals and prevent them from doing tissue damage.

11.  Which one of the following minerals has a narrow range of safety, and therefore should be carefully evaluated in the entire diet:

a.       Iron

b.      Magnesium

c.       Calcium

d.      Selenium

e.       Copper

"D" is the correct answer. While all of the others are potentially harmful at very high levels, selenium has a very narrow range of safety and is toxic at relatively low levels.