An adult horse in intense training can require up to double the calories of a horse in maintenance. Combined with an increased requirement for protein and certain vitamins, minerals and electrolytes this means that the nutritional management of competition horses can be very different to horses at rest.
Supplying the Right Amount of Calories
The most important part of your horse’s diet is forage. Horses should consume 1.5% of their bodyweight per day in forage. In the early part of your training plan, forage plus a moderate calorie feed such as Pasture Mix should provide all your horse’s calorie requirements. As your training progresses and your horse’s workload increases, you may need a higher calorie feed such as a Competition Mix or the Dodson & Horrell Staypower Muesli/Cubes.
Your horse needs to have the energy to perform, however overfeeding can have a negative impact – for every additional 10kg of your horse must work 3.3% harder. Feeding excess calories can lead to excess fat, which places more load on tendons and joints, but feeding insufficient calories can leave your horse without the energy reserves they need to compete.
Meet Increased Demand for Protein
Meeting your horse’s protein requirement is crucial for the growth and repair of muscles, in order to develop power, strength, topline and to help prevent injury. Your horse can make around half of the amino acid ‘building blocks’ of protein in their body, but the rest must be supplied in their diet. Key amino acids such as lysine and methionine are important for recovery and can be found in all the Dodson & Horrell performance feeds.
Feed According to Your Horse’s Temperament and Discipline
Some horses are naturally excitable and fizzy, whilst some are laid back and could do with a bit more ‘oomph’. Nutrition cannot change your horse’s natural temperament but can be used to provide extra sparkle or to avoid exacerbating natural excitability.
Starches and sugars from cereals provide fast release energy. Cereal-based feeds such as Competition Mix or Competition Concentrate are a useful source of ‘fast-release’ energy if your horse needs a bit more ‘oomph’ or if you are competing in shorter-duration disciplines such as show-jumping.
Oils and fibre provide ‘slow releasing’ energy that gives stamina and endurance without excitability. Dodson & Horrell Staypower Cubes and Muesli are high in fibre and oil but lower in starch, so are perfect for fizzy horses or those that are eventing or endurance racing.
Interested in buying Dodson & Horrell feed?
RB Equestrian stocks Dodson & Horrell horse feed and supplements. You can explore the range online by clicking here. If you are looking for something we don’t have in stock then please contact us either by phone (01908 365 335) or email at [email protected] and we may be able to place a special order for you.
