Fat has become a popular feed ingredient in performance horse rations. There are
a number of different fat sources available for use in horse feeds, and many of these such
as soybean oil and rendered animal fat have been extensively studied, Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the digestibility of several fat sources and evaluate how well they functioned as energy sources for horses
during exercise.

Performance horses compete in a wide variety of athletic events ranging from high speed racing to 100 mile endurance rides. These types of exercise are known to induce oxidative stress, leading to the generation of free radicals.

There is considerable debate among horsemen about how to feed horses before exercise. Should horses be fed or fasted before work and when should hay be fed relative to grain and/or exercise? Three experiments were conducted to evaluate if feeding hay with and without grain affects glycaemic and haematological responses in Thoroughbred (TB) horses at rest and during a simulated competition exercise test (CET) on a high-speed treadmill.

Staniar, W. B, J. A. Wilson, L. A. Lawrence, W. L. Cooper, D. S. Kronfeld and P. A. Harris. 1999. Growth of Thoroughbreds fed different levels of protein and supplemented with lysine and threonine. In: Proc 16th Equine Nutrition and Physiology Society. Raleigh, NC. pp. 88 – 89. More details…

This study looked at the effect of feeding diets supplemented with either a predominantly saturated or unsaturated vegetable oil over a prolonged period to exercising horses. Eight Thoroughbred horses were assigned to 2 diet treatments and for 10 months were fed Timothy hay and oats, together with a fortified sweet feed supplemented with either a predominantly unsaturated (Un) or a saturated (S) vegetable oil so that approximately 19% DE (Digestible Energy) came from dietary fat and approximately 12% from either the Un or S source (AC). In conclusion, no apparent adverse effects of feeding a diet supplemented with either an unsaturated or saturated vegetable oil for 6 months at approximately 20% DE after 10 months at approximately 12% DE were identified and there were no apparent disadvantages of feeding a saturated vegetable oil supplemented diet compared with an unsaturated one.

Pagan, J.D. 1998. The incidence of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) on a Kentucky Thoroughbred farm. In: J.D. Pagan (Ed.) Advances in Equine Nutrition. pp. 469-475. Nottingham University Press. Nottingham, United Kingdom. The incidence of developmental orthopedic disease on a commercial Thoroughbred farm was studied over a four-year period. A total of 271 foals were monitored. […]

Over a 3 year period a total of 350 thoroughbred colts and 350 thoroughbred fillies were weighed monthly on a portable electronic scale through 18 months of age.

Harris, PA, JD Pagan, KG Crandell. 1998. Effect of feeding Thoroughbreds a high unsaturated or saturated vegetable oil supplemented diet for 6 months following a 10 month fat acclimatization diet. Proc. 5th International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology. Utsunomiya, Japan.

Recent research demonstrated that feeding supplemented fat to Thoroughbred horses altered blood glucose and insulin levels compared to grain based diet and these changes influenced substrate selection during a standardized exercise test. It is unknown whether or not feeding time of the high fat diets would alter blood glucose and insulin response.

Performance horses are often administered large quantities of B-Vitamins before exercise in an attempt to improve performance.