Page 17 - Equine Matters - Summer 2013

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PERFORMANCE HORSE
SUMMER 2013 ISSUE
EQUINE MATTERS
16
You:
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carbohydrates are an excellent source
of fuel. Cutting back on carbs isn't a
good idea for athletes, because it
delays muscle recovery and reduces
glucose for concentration. Good sources
of carbohydrates include fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains. Sugary
carbs e.g. chocolate and fizzy drinks
are just empty calories because they
don't contain any of the other nutrients
you need. Sugary snacks will give you
a quick burst of energy but then you
‘crash’ or run out of energy before the
end of your competition or training.
Your horse:
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horses obtain fibre (a structural
carbohydrate) from more than just
forage; whole grain cereals provide
them with fibre and carbohydrates. All
competition horses probably need some
carbohydrates; the faster the horse
works, the more they need starchy
carbohydrates. Many endurance horses
are unable to maintain the speeds
needed with the conventional diet of
fibre and fat. Your horse needs
carbohydrates to replace the glycogen
he burns in his muscles; feed small
meals (<1.5g starch/kgBW/meal) to
maximise small intestine digestion for
recovery and to stop undigested starch
reaching his hind gut. Feed within 1hr
of finishing exercise, to maximise
glycogen replenishment.
Carb Charge
You:
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research showed sports drinks are no
better for you than water unless you are
exercising for more than 60 to 90
minutes, or in hot weather, when the
additional carbohydrates and
electrolytes may improve performance.
Recent research showed that milk is one
of the best ‘electrolyte/energy’ drinks;
containing protein, carbohydrates
and electrolytes.
Your horse:
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the correct ratio of forage fed with the
recommended levels of a good
competition feed, provides your horse
with his daily electrolyte requirements.
However if he regularly sweats heavily,
add up to a tablespoon of salt to his
feed daily. If he loses more than 10% of
his bodyweight during competitions, he
needs additional electrolytes.
Energising electrolytes
You:
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water is as important as food in
unlocking your riding potential. How
much fluid you need depends on your
age, size, level of physical activity, and
environmental temperature. Mild
dehydration affects physical and mental
performance; 75% of people are
chronically dehydrated; it is the primary
cause of daytime fatigue ...maybe the
difference between first and second
place at a competition
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should drink before, every 15 to 20
minutes during and after exercise. Don't
wait until you feel thirsty, thirst is a sign
that your body has needed liquids for
a while.
Get into the habit of weighing yourself
before you ride (yup with all your gear
on) and again when you finish; for every
1kg you lose, you need to drink one litre
of water. Start now to get your body
trained, not the first day of this season’s
competitions…or you’ll need ‘to go’ half
way down the centre line.
Your horse:
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post-competition weight loss is due to
dehydration in the horse (D Marlin). Our
research at Burghley showed that some
horses lost as much as 23kg after the
dressage test - yes after dressage! Teach
your horse to drink from a bucket as you
start to get them fit; on the lorry and in
the stable. Flavour the water so they
don’t taste the difference at the shows.
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Never give electrolytes to a horse which
is not drinking or dehydrated. A high gut
electrolyte concentration pulls more water
out of the blood increasing the
dehydration of the body.
Diminish dehydration
Ten ways to combat dehydration:
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feeding hay four or five hours before
competitions increases his reservoir
of water;
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if it is hot allow the horse to have small
drinks of water (4-5 litres) and electrolytes
during the competition;
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give electrolytes for two to three days
after a competition if the horse has been
sweating hard;
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use cold water cooling; a horse with
a rectal temperature of 40 o C needs
180 litres of water to effectively cool
their body;
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if it is hot, then ‘warm up’ in the shade;
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use a weigh tape to monitor dehydration
weight changes;
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maintain correct body condition, a fat
horse will dehydrate quicker than a
fit horse;
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travelling can result in dehydration; feed
and water regularly;
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encourage higher water intakes by
making feeds sloppy; add succulents;
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check your dose of the electrolytes
provides adequate salt, potassium,
calcium and magnesium.
Nutritional support and
training must be based on
sports science and considered
together. Feeding the horse is
an intricate balance between
the art of feeding and science.
Some will argue that the horse
with the big heart will always
beat the horse with the talent.
But just think if we could make
more of the science just how
that balance might tip.