nutrition
Matching your horse’s diet to his workload involves supplying the calories and nutrients he needs to maintain the desired body condition and fuel his work whilst keeping the diet balanced at all times.
Forage first Modern compound feeds are all formulated to be fed at calculated levels, according to work intensity, alongside forage of a recognised “average” nutritional quality, to supply calories and nutrients that are lacking in that forage and so provide a fully balanced diet. The nutritional content of forage will vary according to type and time of year but typically it can be expected to provide calories, from fermentable fibre and soluble carbohydrates, which for some horses will be sufficient for condition and work, plus other nutrients, including some protein, vitamins and minerals, whose levels vary and ideally need supplementing whatever the workload.
Limited appetite A horse has a limited appetite so, in theory, can physically only consume the equivalent of 2 to 2.5% of his bodyweight in food, whether forage or concentrate feed, per day. So, as his energy and nutrient requirements go up, his total diet must be more
energy and nutrient dense to supply ‘more per mouthful’. Choosing more nutritious and digestible forage will help but is not always sufficient so the concentrate feed becomes the focus, with different ones developed to provide different amounts of calories and nutrients per scoop. Once the correct one is chosen to suit the horse’s requirements, it then has to be fed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations to ensure a fully balanced diet.
Maintaining forage levels With a greater amount of calories and nutrients coming from concentrate feed, it is possible that the horse will lose some of his appetite for forage but ideally should still have access to forage ad lib, to satisfy his need to chew and to maintain a healthy digestive system. (Recommended minimum for maintaining overall health and function of the digestive system is not less than the equivalent of 1% of the horse’s bodyweight).
The psychological and physiological benefits of this approach far out weigh any which suggest that forage intake should be limited for horses in intense work in an attempt to minimise bulky fibre sitting in the horse’s digestive system. The only instance when forage intake really requires management is for the specially good-doer or overweight horse, when a calorie-controlled diet is required but not at the expense of fibre intake. Chosen forages should be as low in calories as possible, so stalky, coarser hay over soft, leafy haylage, and may need feeding in small-holed haynets to make a smaller amount last longer.
Essential nutritional support Whatever level of work a horse is doing, he still needs essential quality protein, vitamins and minerals to support general health and well-being, including tissue integrity, muscle tone and healthy hoof growth. Indeed, ensuring a horse receives these nutrients at all times, even when at rest, helps his body lay down reserves (not fat) and repair and rebuild any injured tissue. For this reason balancers are particularly useful as they supply all these essential nutrients with
Matching diet to workload
Event horses, at every level, need careful planning of their diet to ensure energy and nutrient levels correctly match requirements
Equine Page 8
www.theequinesite.co.uk
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