Question
My 10-year-old Warmblood gelding adequately does the work asked of him for upper-level dressage, but as the demands increase, he tends to tire rather quickly. He is worked four or five days a week for about an hour each day, not including walking before and after exercise for warmup and cooldown. He’s a big horse, 17 hands (172 cm) and 1,400 lb (640 kg), with a body condition score of 6. In addition to hay, he’s fed 1 lb (0.45 kg) of ration balancer, sugar-free beet pulp, peas, and a handful of soaked alfalfa cubes. What diet changes can I make to improve performance but maintain weight?
Answer
For many horses, adjusting energy sources in the diet can have a positive impact on behavior and energy levels. to improve stamina, I recommend adding a calorie-dense feedstuff like stabilized rice bran or plain oats to your gelding’s diet, as both provide a source of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC). Depending on your gelding’s response to these higher-NSC feeds, you may find that only 0.5-1 lb (0.23-0.45 kg) of oats or stabilized rice bran is needed.
In looking at your gelding’s current diet, more of the ration balancer is needed to meet his nutrient requirements based on his size and exercise level. A diet including 2 lb (0.9 kg) of ration balancer with 1 lb (0.45) of oats split into two meals would be more appropriate. You can continue using the alfalfa cubes and beet pulp if you find they help with his energy. You didn’t mention what type of hay he consumes, so I assumed you offered grass hay to meet his forage requirement.
Another thing to consider adding to his diet is the multipurpose supplement Total Wellness, developed by Kentucky Equine Research. This easy-to-feed pelleted supplement is designed to target the most important needs of the performance horse, including optimal support of the musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal tracts. Specifically, Total Wellness contains effective levels of glucosamine chondroitin and MSM to minimize wear and tear on joints and cartilage.
Total Wellness also includes 1,000 IU of natural-source vitamin E, which is an important addition to your gelding’s diet since he doesn’t have access to fresh grass. Because hay rapidly loses vitamin E after harvest, feed is left as the only source of this nutrient. Although included in feed, vitamin E requirements for working horses can exceed that amount and require additional supplementation.
Biotin to maintain healthy hoof growth and a yeast blend to help digestive efficiency rounds out the multiple benefits of Total Wellness.
Last, performance horses should have access to salt to satisfy their natural appetite for salt. This is commonly offered in the form of a salt block or loose salt added to feed. Horses in work and in hot climates require additional electrolyte supplementation to replenish what is lost in sweat.
KER offers a slow-release electrolyte called Restore SR that provides a time-released source of sodium for sustained replenishment. Classic electrolyte therapy spikes blood electrolyte levels and stimulates increased excretion, meaning the horse excretes most of the electrolytes prior to absorption in the large intestine. The slow-release mechanism in Restore SR doesn’t spike electrolyte levels, thereby ensuring prolonged absorption in the hindgut.
Horse owners in Australia should look for research-proven Restore to meet the electrolyte needs of performance horses.
