image: Sara Bohadjum
The competition season is approaching, and many horse owners are thinking about their horse’s feeding to achieve the best possible performance level. The right feeding profile is especially important in Finland, where the seasons—and therefore conditions—vary significantly. A horse owner should have a clear goal for the feeding rhythm throughout the year, influenced not only by changing conditions but also, in particular, by the amount and type of exercise the horse gets.
“Competition horse is a broad concept. That’s why I want to emphasize how important it is for us to learn to recognize our own horse’s workload level. It does not necessarily correlate with ‘competition level’ or the discipline itself. It’s worth paying attention especially to the quality and intensity of training. When planning a horse’s feeding, we need a clear understanding of the workload level of training and how it relates to the goal and expectations for the horse. Monitoring workload and the horse’s development is extremely important—using this information, we can fine-tune feeding and support the horse’s success,” says Eira Ney, equine nutrition consultant at Edison’s Equine Nutrition.
For all horses—but especially competition horses—feeding needs to be balanced in terms of nutrients and energy expenditure, and the implementation should be as consistent as possible, matching the horse’s physical needs and the performance expectations placed on it.
Boring but important: forage is the foundation
Regular feeding and high-quality feeds are key factors in a competition horse’s everyday life.
“It may sound boring, but everything starts with high-quality forage fed in sufficient amounts, which a horse should receive at least (1.5–) 2 kg per 100 kg of body weight per day. The role of concentrates and supplementary feeds is to complement the horse’s diet so that it receives enough essential nutrients daily. With supplementary feeds, we can also increase the energy and protein content of the diet. However, it’s good to remember that if we don’t know the nutritional value of the forage, balancing the diet is very challenging,” Eira notes.
“Every product added to the diet should have a justified reason. When the feeding profile is designed correctly, we can target the use of supplementary feeds more optimally and improve, for example, the effect of different specialty products. A balanced feeding plan is very often also more cost-effective for the owner over the course of a year. It’s great to see that the importance of forage in equine feeding has received more attention recently. The amount of high-quality forage in horses’ diets has increased, which has in turn made it possible to reduce the use of concentrates and unprocessed grains, the excessive use of which can even negatively affect the horse’s health.”
A competition horse’s routine can often be fast-paced and hectic, and the daily rhythm irregular. Loss of appetite due to stress is very common. That’s why it’s a good idea to observe and recognize your own horse’s eating behavior in everyday life and to practice applying different feeding models for the competition season and competition days. A competition horse should be able to consume forage and water regardless of circumstances right up to the time of performance. Meticulously fine-tuned feeding plans or expensive supplements are of no use if the horse does not eat or drink.
“That’s why, for example, it’s good to practice eating and drinking in the trailer in advance,” Eira advises.
Energy and how to regulate it
Feeding plays a huge role in the horse’s energy balance, performance, and stamina. In addition to hay, energy-dense supplementary feeds are usually added depending on the horse’s needs and performance level. Feeds and ingredients can be divided into so-called fast energy and slow energy sources. For example, energy from forage is slow (released through microbial fermentation in the hindgut) compared to grains, where energy is based on simple carbohydrates (primarily absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream, making energy available to the horse more quickly). Energy sources must be selected in a tailored way according to the horse’s needs. For some horses, the energy from forage is sufficient, while others require an additional energy source in the diet to have enough power for performance.
“Monitoring the energy content of forage is important. We often think of forage only as a good base for the diet, but we forget that it has a huge impact on the overall feeding profile. If possible, feeding should be optimized whenever a new batch of hay comes in, because the energy content of hay can vary greatly. If hay has a low energy content and the horse is offered a wide range of complete feeds and supplements, the next batch of hay may raise the energy density of the entire diet very high. The energy content of forage can also be lower than usual, causing daily energy intake to drop. This can be a significant change, for example, for a horse in hard training. Conscious decisions in feeding and knowing the diet profile are essential during the training and competition season. Horses are sensitive animals and can react quickly to changes in nutrient concentrations in the diet. It’s unfortunate to see horses that may behave unusually at the competition venue or during warm-up simply because there has recently been a change in the diet—such as an increase or decrease in energy level—when the horse’s ability to concentrate often slips,” Eira advises.
It is not unusual for a competition horse to have separate feeding plans for rest days, light work days, demanding performance days, and recovery days. This makes it possible to adjust, for example, the energy density of the diet, avoiding “energy build-up” on rest days and an “explosion” on the next training day. We can adjust the dosage of different energy supplements or complete feeds according to training, while ensuring that the horse’s daily essential nutrient intake is still met (for example, by adjusting the amount of the mineral supplement used in the diet). A dynamic feeding program that is adjusted according to the day’s needs goes a long way, especially for sensitive horses and, for example, horses that gain weight easily.
Optimizing muscular stamina
If the horse’s diet is balanced to match the amount and type of exercise it does, the horse should be able to maintain muscle condition normally. When talking about protein, it’s good to know what kind of protein is meant. For the horse’s muscle function and development to progress, the diet should contain enough high-quality protein that provides all essential amino acids. For example, if the lysine content of the diet is not sufficient, it is likely that the horse’s musculature will not develop as expected.
“After a performance, the horse should immediately be offered free access to forage and fresh water. It’s also good to offer supplementary feeds that contain high-quality protein, meaning a broad range of amino acids, and after strenuous performance, simple carbohydrates within an hour to replenish glycogen stores. Usually the complete feed in use or cooked grains work well as glucose sources. It is important that the horse does not become dehydrated. So ensure adequate water intake and provide any needed electrolytes. Magnesium and vitamin E are also important for muscle recovery. Supporting the horse’s recovery and muscle metabolism is extremely important and often underestimated. If recovery and muscle metabolism are not supported, it takes away from the horse’s potential and often slows development and the effect of training.”
Using fats for competition horses
Fats are an excellent way to complement the diet of competition horses. An oil supplement provides the horse with energy and also increases the level of important fatty acids in the diet. Oils, oilseed press cakes, and protein-based supplements are gaining ground in modern feeding. Oils pressed from different plant species contain relatively similar amounts of energy compared to one another, but there are huge differences in their fatty acid compositions. When choosing an oil, you should therefore be careful to keep the omega fatty acid ratio in the diet favorable for the horse. Adding oil to the diet should be done gradually, about 0.5 dl per week, to give the horse enough time to adapt. A gradual introduction is important not only for physiological reasons, but also for palatability. Feed palatability can suffer if the amount of oil is increased too quickly.
“For a 500 kg horse, I consider the maximum amount to be 4–5 dl per day. For a horse that reacts easily to grain-based feeds, oil can be added to the diet and the use of sugar- and starch-rich feeds as energy sources can be reduced. However, it’s good to remember that energy from oil is classified as so-called slow energy, while sugar- and starch-based feeds are fast energy. So a horse from whom an explosive performance is expected may not benefit from oil as an energy source in the same way as from starch. Fortunately, we don’t have to choose either-or—we can create solutions where we take advantage of the benefits of different ingredients by using, for example, both grain- and oil-based approaches at the same time.”
How to support stable blood sugar on competition day?
To keep the horse’s blood sugar as stable as possible during performance, only feeds with low levels of simple carbohydrates such as sugars and starch should be offered before the performance. For example, the use of grains or grain-based concentrates should be avoided 4–5 hours before performance. The horse should, however, have free access to water and forage right up until the time of performance to avoid working on an empty stomach. Forage should also be available immediately after the performance.
How to help prevent workload-related injuries through feeding?
Simple: a balanced diet that provides sufficient nutrients! It is known that long-term deficiencies, for example, negatively affect the health and development of the horse’s musculoskeletal system. If the diet itself is lacking essential nutrients, the use of therapeutic or corrective products may not necessarily help. Another factor is optimizing energy and protein in the diet. Adequate energy and protein intake are extremely important so that the horse can concentrate during performance and so that muscle development and maintenance are possible. A lapse in concentration or excess energy are common causes of accidents. Deficiencies in vitamins and trace elements can also negatively affect the horse’s performance and stamina. Feeding matters!
Competition horse product selection:
After Work 3,5kg 45,90€
New CDGE: Natural vitamin E for horses 38,90€
Electrolyte Up 1 kg 21,90€
Rosehip Powder 1 kg 27,90 €
CdG Organic Magnesium 750, 37,50 €
You can find more products suitable for sport horses here!
