Figuring Out The Fuel Equation
Advice from Cavalor’s equine researcher regarding feeding easy keepers, hard keepers and everything in between.
By David van Doorn, PhD S
ome horse owners are confronted with the challenge of feeding a so-called easy keeper who doesn’t nec- essarily need weight but needs more “energy”—not referring to caloric intake but to a horse that can be
lazy. Others may be challenged to feed a hard keeper—a “hot” horse who needs to gain weight but not get more excit- able during competition. Can nutrition, and especially the type of energy we provide to horses, help manage these is- sues with horses that participate in show jumping, dressage and eventing? In order to answer that, let’s consider
general principles for feeding perfor- mance horses. Then we can examine strategies for feeding both easy and hard keepers.
General Guidelines In simple terms, a horse’s ration should provide the nutrients needed for main- taining his body condition. Thus, the goal is that your horse is fed according to his or her needs for energy, protein, minerals, trace elements and vitamins. Remember that if the forage part of the diet contains low amounts of minerals and trace elements, these items should be provided in other feedstuffs or sup- plements in the diet. A forage analysis in combination with a nutrient analysis of other diet components can provide in- sight regarding the uptake of nutrients and their proportions. Forage is an essential component of a horse’s diet. Feed- ing a minimum of at least two pounds of dry matter of hay per 200 pounds of horse weight per day has been suggested. Generally speaking, one should aim to provide a roughage ration amount in the total ration of about 1.5 percent of the horse’s body weight. With these provisions, access to water is also essential. Horses who sweat a great deal during exercise particularly need to replenish water and electrolyte losses.
52 November/December 2013
Understanding Energy for Performance Horses Horses of various disciplines need different dietary approach- es to optimize their energy utilization. And certainly the best strategy for an individual horse may differ from general ap- plied feeding management principles for the “average” per- formance horse. Feeding practices for easy keepers and poor doers may require a different selection of energy sources. How does all this work? First, we need to understand how the horse derives its
energy from its own body to provide energy for perfor- mance. Carbohydrates and fats are the main energy sources used by the horse’s body for energy provision. Proteins normally contribute less to energy provi- sion. Glucose (belonging to the carbohy- drate family) is available from glycogen (energy storage) in the muscle and liver and also from a small amount of glucose in the blood. Body fat can also be used as an energy source. Energy from fat is released from body fat as fatty acids. Fatty acids are available to the horse for energy delivery or may be available in the blood as a result of fat intake and digestion. The type of energy that the horse’s body uses to fulfill its energy demands during exercise depends on exercise intensity and duration. During short duration, high-intensity exercise, like
Thoroughbred racing, the horse depends more on energy derived from carbohydrate sources available in the body. When horses are subjected to low intensity, long dura- tion exercise, like endurance, they rely more on energy derived from fatty acids. In the disciplines of dressage, jumping and eventing, horses in training are often sub- jected to different types of exercises and subsequently make use of both carbohydrates and fatty acids for their energy supply.
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