Supporting a sport horse's performance through feeding

Supporting a sport horse's performance through feeding

The impact of feeding on performance can be as much as one third

In addition to meeting basic nutritional needs, the goal of feeding a sport horse is to support overall wellbeing and optimal performance. In sport horses, feeding must take into account special needs related to workload and lifestyle. Fundamentally, the biggest differences between a sport horse’s diet and that of a so-called “ordinary horse” are the amount of energy, the quality of protein, and the balance of required electrolytes. The energy, protein, vitamin, and mineral requirements of sport horses in heavy work can increase to as much as 1.5–2 times maintenance needs. To help your horse perform as well as possible, it is important to consider what kind of nutrition it receives as its fuel.

Feeding a competition horse is based on high-quality forage, supplemented with an amount of concentrate that matches the horse’s energy requirement. In all feeding, it is important to ensure feed hygiene and to ensure that the raw materials in the products used are from the right source and in the right form for the horse, so that optimal nutrient absorption can be ensured. A horse working hard has very high nutritional needs. For example, its energy requirement can be 75–100% higher than maintenance. This feeding category generally includes trotters in pre-competition training and during the competition season, competition riding horses during the season, and competing eventing and endurance horses. Feeding and feed quality matter, because it has been scientifically demonstrated that the effect of correct feeding on performance is about 30%.

Adequate glycogen levels help maintain stamina

For sport horses, the most essential goal is to sufficiently replenish glycogen levels. Glycogen is important not only for adequate energy but also for preventing fatigue. Horses need enough energy in order to succeed athletically. The metabolic pathway used to produce energy varies depending on the intensity and duration of the exercise. Horses obtain most of the energy they need for work from glucose (mostly from carbohydrates) and fats, and partly from amino acids, the building blocks of protein. In digestion, the body converts glucose and amino acids into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used for energy production.

A horse converts feed into fuel in two ways. The first is aerobic metabolism, a process that uses oxygen to break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into glucose. A horse needs fat for aerobic energy production. Adequate fat intake, for example, helps ensure that the body’s glycogen stores last through competitions for a finishing sprint.

The second is anaerobic metabolism, which produces energy by using glucose without oxygen. This is a faster process than aerobic metabolism and provides immediate power. The energy produced in this way is short-term and does not sustain stamina as long as energy produced through aerobic metabolism. The anaerobic metabolic cycle also produces lactic acid, which can accumulate in muscles and cause fatigue and soreness.

The energy content of the diet can be increased, for example, with vegetable oils or molassed beet pulp. If needed, these can replace part of the horse’s concentrate ration. Horses that are prone to muscle problems in particular benefit from reducing dietary starch. However, it is important to remember that horses utilise these so-called “fast” energy sources especially in anaerobic exertion, so starch and sugars should not be removed from the diet entirely. Still, it is good to keep in mind that studies suggest excessive sugar in horses may slow the restoration of fluid balance after performance. For this reason, for post-performance recovery support, it is advisable to use nutrients other than high-sugar products.

Forage is always the foundation

Horses have evolved over the last 55 million years as herbivores, so forage should always be the foundation of their diet. The total amount of feed should be divided into as many regular meals as possible. “For us, the starting point of all feeding is good hay given regularly,” says Taru Holopainen from Ravitalli Holopainen. Forage is also essential for maintaining digestive tract health, because a fibre-rich diet (1.5–2% of the horse’s body weight per day) helps prevent digestive problems such as colic or gastric ulcers. Ulcers are unpleasant and harmful for all horses, but especially for sport horses, because researchers (Nieto et al., 2009) have shown they negatively affect oxygen consumption, which is essential for performance. Owners should therefore pay attention to the quality of sport horses’ forage, because better quality also leads to greater energy production. Even the plant species in hay matter, because some grasses are more nutrient-dense than others. Legume hays are high in energy and protein, and therefore adding alfalfa to a sport horse’s diet can be a beneficial addition.

Energy supplements

Different grains and other commercially mixed feeds are often an essential part of a sport horse’s diet, because they provide an efficient energy source. The amount of energy available for performance depends on how much of this energy the horse receives. “For competing trotters, it’s important that they get enough energy. We aim to keep feeding fairly simple, but in addition to hay and concentrates, they also receive vitamins and flaxseed oil, among other things,” says Taru Holopainen.

Most of the carbohydrates a horse receives come from sugar and starch. When the body absorbs glucose from carbohydrates into the bloodstream, it can either use it immediately to create and consume ATP as energy, or store it in muscles as glycogen. When the horse needs stored energy later, the body converts it back into glucose. Increasing the amount of high-carbohydrate, high-starch feeds can sometimes feel like a tempting way to raise energy intake, but you must be careful with them. Most horses can process starch relatively well, but in some horses, large amounts of starch predispose them to laminitis, colic, metabolic syndrome, or acidosis—excessive acidification of the body. A good alternative to large starch amounts is oils and fats, which do not cause colic and do not increase laminitis risk. Fats are a fairly safe and effective way to increase energy intake for horses in heavy work. Fat is very calorie-dense and contains 2.25 times more energy per unit of weight than carbohydrates. Fat molecules are converted into fatty acids that the horse’s body can use directly for energy, or they can be stored in adipose tissue. An additional advantage of fat-based feeds compared to starch-heavy feeds is that they do not “go to the head” and make horses overly hot in the way high-starch feeds can.

Good options include various vegetable oils, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, hemp and chia seeds or their oils, and sunflower seeds and their oil. Horses can digest up to 20% fat in their total diet, but fat must always be introduced gradually, because large amounts can reduce palatability and lead to loose or greasy manure. With fat feeding, you must always remember that fats increase the body’s vitamin E requirement. When fats are broken down in digestion, they oxidise. This can lead to the production and release of free radicals, which can cause cellular damage. Vitamin E prevents this by protecting cells from oxidative stress.

Proteins and musculature

Protein supplement feeds are needed in sport horse feeding when the protein content of forage is not sufficient. Protein is needed to build and maintain muscle mass, but also to repair micro-damage in muscles and regenerate muscle cells. In muscle function, important factors include the supply of nutrients and oxygen, metabolic activity, and the accumulation and removal of metabolic waste products. Feed should contain at least 10–12% crude protein, so that, alongside concentrates, it ensures adequate protein intake. However, feeding excess protein should be avoided, because it increases sweating and electrolyte losses, among other things.

Proteins are made up of amino acids, and their quality matters. Those known as essential amino acids are particularly important. For horses, these include lysine, methionine, and threonine. Chia seeds, for example, contain plenty of lysine. However, protein should not exceed requirements, because any excess is excreted in urine as ammonia and can burden the kidneys. A high-protein diet also increases water needs, which can be especially problematic for sport horses that travel and exercise often and are therefore at risk of dehydration. Finally, the breakdown of proteins produces internal body heat.

Demanding muscle work increases the need for vitamins and antioxidants such as selenium and vitamin E. Training and transport stress increases the need for B vitamins. “Our race horses get a more generous multi-vitamin supplement the day before a start,” Holopainen says. Minerals are important for all horses, but the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in particular must be correct, because calcium makes up 35% and phosphorus 16% of bone tissue. Durable bones are vital for a sport horse. In addition, sufficient electrolyte intake must be ensured before and after heavier training or competition, because the horse loses them significantly through sweating. Electrolyte balance is best maintained through regular dosing, not only by giving electrolytes after a hard performance. Electrolyte balance affects, among other things, nervous system function. Electrolyte deficiency can cause muscle tightness and stumbling, which can predispose the horse to various injuries. “Our horses have been eating Chia de Gracia’s sugar-free Electrolyte Up for several years already. It’s easy to mix into feed and it tastes good,” Taru Holopainen concludes.

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