Simple feeding is often the best way to achieve optimal well-being for a horse, whether it is a competition horse or a leisure horse. Sport horses may have specific needs due to a heavy workload, but the fundamentals are the same for all horses.
1. Match energy intake to activity and training level
According to The Nutrient Requirements of Horses (NRC), activity and intensity are divided into four categories:
- Light work: 1–3 hours per week, mostly walking and trotting
- Moderate work: 3–5 hours per week, mostly trotting with some walking and cantering, including some demanding work such as jumping or dressage
- Heavy work: 4–5 hours per week of trotting, cantering, galloping, and demanding work
- Very heavy work: 1 hour per week of speed work and/or 6–12 hours of work per week
Generally, only horses that compete regularly (often internationally), endurance horses, racehorses, or eventing horses fall into the “very heavy” category. Most horses fit into the light or moderate work categories.
It is easy to overestimate a horse’s workload. In nature, a horse may travel over 50 kilometers per day searching for food. Feeding a lightly worked horse a diet intended for heavy work increases the risk of overfeeding, which can lead to additional problems.
Horses in light or moderate work usually do not require much more energy than what is needed for maintenance. On the other hand, some sport horses may need up to twice as much energy as a lightly worked horse. This depends on each individual horse’s genetics, age, metabolism, and the intensity and duration of training.
2. Start with hay (and a hay analysis)
Dietary energy primarily comes from carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates are divided into two categories: non-structural and structural.
- Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) come from sugars and starches, mainly from grains. Most sport horses need some carbohydrates, and sugar and starch are not as problematic for them as they can be for leisure horses. However, it is important to limit NSCs to what the horse truly needs based on age and training intensity.
- Structural carbohydrates consist of fiber from forage and are one of the most important factors in maintaining optimal gut function.
The horse’s digestive tract contains billions of beneficial microbes that digest fiber and produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which are used as an energy source. For this reason, hay alone can meet the energy needs of some horses. Fiber helps maintain proper hindgut pH and significantly reduces the risk of colic. Hay is what horses are designed to eat and should always be fed at a minimum of 1–1.5% of body weight per day. Grass consumed at pasture must also be considered in the total diet.
For heavily trained sport horses with high energy expenditure, investing in a hay analysis is recommended. It provides precise nutrient values and helps determine which nutrients need to be supplemented through grains, complete feeds, or supplements. High-quality fat is an easy—and often safer than carbohydrates—way to increase energy intake. A horse’s body uses fat during aerobic exercise, which can help spare glucose from carbohydrates during high-intensity or long-duration work.
3. Remember the importance of water and salt
These nutrients are easily overlooked, even though adequate access to fresh, clean water and salt is critical for all animals—especially heavily sweating sport horses.
In hot, humid conditions, horses can lose 10–15 liters of fluid per hour through sweat. Horse sweat is hypertonic, meaning it contains more electrolytes than the fluids circulating in the body. Human sweat is hypotonic, meaning the body retains a higher electrolyte concentration than the sweat. As a result, giving only water to a sweating horse dilutes the body’s electrolyte levels. This is why electrolytes are essential for maintaining fluid balance and cellular function, which are vital for performance.
Under normal conditions with minimal sweating, plain salt is often sufficient. If weather, exercise, or other stressors (such as long transport) cause prolonged heavy sweating, lost electrolytes should be replaced with an electrolyte supplement containing potassium, sodium, chloride, and possibly magnesium.
4. Moderation in protein intake
Many owners overestimate a horse’s protein requirement. While protein—and more specifically certain amino acids—is needed for growth, muscle development, and bodily maintenance, protein itself is an inefficient energy source.
Horses require essential amino acids, the most important being lysine, methionine, and threonine. Horses in light work usually receive sufficient protein from forage (hay and grass) and any additional feeds. It is more common for leisure horses to receive too much rather than too little protein. Excess protein can lead to weight gain and may strain the kidneys. A strong ammonia smell in the stable often indicates excessive protein intake. Horses in moderate to heavy work have higher protein needs, which can be met with feeds such as alfalfa or grains.
5. Help minimize and manage stress
Daily life for sport horses often includes stress. Stress affects nearly all body systems, from digestion to the musculoskeletal system.
Joint and hoof health: The impact and strain placed on a sport horse’s limbs are significant. Providing joint- and hoof-specific nutrients such as glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, organic zinc, and biotin may help protect joints and hooves from damage.
Antioxidants: Vitamin E and organic selenium are extremely important in the diet of sport horses. They help counteract muscle damage caused by free radicals generated during exercise and metabolism.
Immune function: Organic trace minerals are important for joint and hoof health, but they are also crucial for normal nervous system function and a healthy immune system.
Gut health: Stress from training, transport, and new environments can affect the gut microbiome and cause digestive disturbances. Gut-supporting nutrients such as pro- and prebiotics can help minimize digestive issues and maximize safe feeding, travel, and training days.
The key to feeding sport horses—like all horses—is moderation. No single ingredient or nutrient is beneficial if the fundamentals are lacking.
Source: Alltech
