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SPRING 2017 ISSUE
EQUINE MATTERS
8
F I T N E S S
The Sports Horse
Competition horses are often in increasing
levels of work whilst being required to
maintain condition and fitness over a long
competition season. As you start to increase
their workload the plane of nutrition
also needs to increase to provide enough
energy and nutrients to support muscle and
improving fitness. However, it is better to
increase workload prior to increasing the
plane of nutrition. This will avoid undesired
weight gain or excitable behaviour. Again
long fibre should form the bulk of the diet as
this is essential for a healthy digestive tract.
Increased energy requirements can be met
with the addition of concentrate feeds. It may
be simplest to feed compound feeds which
are specifically blended for a certain level of
work. This ensures that undigested starches
do not enter the hindgut where they can
cause colic or laminitis, and that your money
is not wasted as any starches entering the
hindgut are not utilised fully. Feeds containing
oils are great at providing additional calories
without high levels of starch; oils also provide
slow release energy over a number of hours
so can help maintain energy during longer
periods of work.
The Poor Doer
If in moderate or heavy work, the correct diet
is even more important to maintain weight or
encourage weight gain. As well as supplying
enough calories, providing the appropriate
levels of vitamins and minerals for the
workload is also important. If in light work,
a higher energy diet is still required to
encourage weight gain, however higher
levels of vitamins and minerals are not
required. Fibre based feeds which provide
slow release energy are ideal in this situation.
High fibre, highly digestible feeds such as
sugar beet and alfalfa are good options. A
prebiotic can enhance the digestive tract to
get the most out of the fibre being fed.
The Fizzy Horse
Firstly ensure that the fizzy horse is not
fractious for any other reason, such as poorly
fitting tack which may be causing discomfort,
or an underlying ailment, for example gastric
ulcers
(see page 9)
. The fizzy horse often
struggles to maintain condition due to burning
calories via displaying unwanted behaviours,
and cannot usually cope with an increased
workload. The right feed for the right
workload is key, feeding a high energy feed
to a horse only being hacked a couple of
times of week will lead to excess energy
which can lead to fizzy behaviour. A lower
energy feed is often the answer which can
be topped up with a balancer to ensure the
correct levels of vitamins, minerals and
protein. Prebiotics have been found to help
the temperament of some fizzy horses and
can be added to the feed.
In conclusion, regardless of the type of horse,
success lies in matching the diet with the level
of work and fitness required.