Changing Nutrition to Suit Workloads
Reviewing the Basics
All horses have a diet centered on forage- they have evolved over the years to be grazers, “trickle-feeders” who take in relatively small amounts of high fiber plants for a large part of each day. Horses spend 10-17 hours grazing daily, and good horse management reflects a similar set up. Horses should have access to forage (hay and grass) for most of the day. All forages, no matter how nice, are going to be deficient in some nutrients. Most are deficient in a couple of essential minerals like copper and zinc, and some are deficient in protein and calories for certain horses, and most hay doesn’t provide enough vitamins A and E. We can account for the missing part of the diet with a supplemental feed or concentrate that will provide the nutrients that are missing in the forage. A forage analysis or hay test will tell you exactly what your specific forage provides, but even without an analysis we can make some general assumptions about what the concentrate portion of the diet needs to provide. For horses who don’t require a lot of calories beyond what their forage is providing, a very concentrated source of nutrition called a ration balancer will usually meet all their needs. These products are designed to be fed at a very low rate- 1-2 lb per day per 1000 lb bodyweight usually- and contain all the essential amino acids, protein, minerals and vitamins that are missing from the forage portion of the diet. Many horses, ponies and donkeys thrive on this simple addition to their diet. For horses (and some ponies) who require more calories than their forage provides, a “regular” feed will provide the amino acids, minerals and vitamins missing from the forage in addition to the energy (calories) they need to maintain their condition. Most commercial feeds have a minimum feeding rate of about 5 lb per day to meet their vitamin and mineral needs. Choosing a feed with the right calorie content for your specific animal will ensure they get enough feed to meet their vitamin and mineral needs without becoming over or underweight.
Increasing Work
When we put a horse or pony into a training or conditioning program, their nutrition needs may increase from what they need when “idle”. The National Research Council (NRC) provides useful information about nutrient needs at all life stages and workloads. Many horses going from idle to light or even moderate work have very little change in their needs. However, all of them are individuals and observing the horse in front of you will help guide you as to whether they require more calories as their workload increases. Understanding body condition scoring (BCS) is very helpful to watch trends over time. The Henneke Body Condition Scoring Guide scores horses and ponies from 1 (poor) to 9 (extremely fat) and works for all body shapes and breeds. As a rule of thumb, most horses should be around a 5 on the scale, and that means you should be able to feel the horse or pony’s ribs but not see them. Seeing ribs puts them at a body condition of 4 or less, and not being able to feel them puts them at a score of 6 or more. The BCS scale is much more comprehensive than that, but just knowing that one piece is extremely helpful. You can also track their actual weight as they increase work using a livestock scale or weigh tape. There can be some limitations to relying on weight alone- it doesn’t account for fat loss vs muscle gain, but it is still helpful to have an accurate weight on your horse or pony to see trends over time, and also to ensure correct medication and dewormer dosage. Some horses will require more calories as their energy expenditure increases and there’s several ways you can meet their new needs. If they’re not already getting free choice forage, you can increase their grass access or hay amount. You can add in a higher quality hay- meaning one that’s higher in calories or more easily digestible, either with regular baled hay or something like hay cubes. You could also increase calories by increasing the amount of concentrate they’re getting or feed them a concentrate that gives more calories per pound. Depending on your management options and budget, there’s a good option for everyone. Working with your county extension agent, equine nutritionist or industry feed specialist can help you navigate options.
Rest Periods
Rest is very important for everyone- you AND your equine athlete! Rest is where the body repairs damage, strengthens tissues and gains fitness. Without the damage of exercise followed by the repair during rest, you would never meet your goals. When you’re planning for rest within your fitness program, nutrition plays a role there too. Most horses are not going to need a change in their daily feeding plan for a regular rest period of less than a week, as long as the original plan met all their requirements. During rest periods, the body is going to be using vitamins, minerals and amino acids to replenish what was lost during training, and also to repair tissues damaged during training. The change in calories needed per day isn’t usually enough to change their amount of daily intake of feed/hay for short rest periods.
Longer Rest Periods
When horses and ponies have a longer rest, whether a scheduled one due to the season or an unscheduled one due to injury, it may be appropriate to change their daily intake. Their calorie needs could decrease if they were in a heavier workload, or they may remain the same if they are a year round easy-keeper. Knowing your individual animal will help guide you, as well as watching their body condition score as they spend time on rest. Choosing a hay that meets their calorie needs without requiring restriction is helpful for avoiding ulcers and vices. I like being able to feed an appropriate hay in slow feed nets for as close to 24/7 access as possible. For some horses, this may mean swapping to a lower calorie hay or one that is less digestible and requires more time to chew. Sometimes just weighing their regular hay and splitting it into multiple meals fed in a net is enough to keep them from getting over conditioned but still getting the benefits of normal grazing behavior. As a general rule, horses need 1.5-2% of their ideal body weight daily in forage. Using a luggage scale or fish scale to weigh your hay nets ensures they are getting the correct amount. For horses on pasture rest, choosing a pasture with the right balance of grass for your specific horse allows them to maintain condition. If the pasture is too lush for your horse, adding a grazing muzzle can allow them to stay on turnout and decrease their intake enough to maintain a healthy body condition. For turnout without enough grass to maintain condition, feeding supplemental hay provides additional calories to avoid weight loss. Enrichment can become a major part of their nutrition management: forced rest can be boring, and planning their forage and feed access can be important for keeping a good quality of life. Grazing hay or grass is good enrichment as well as good for meeting their nutrition needs, time with or near equine friends is important, and there are lots of clever toys and treats to add interest to their day. There are lots of tutorials on training tricks that don’t require a lot of movement, and using a low sugar treat can add to their training response as well as provide a small amount of supplemental nutrition. Rest can easily include bonding and training activities that don’t have a lot of movement but do bring a lot of benefits long term.
Take home messages:
Ensure you’re feeding a forage-based diet that meets your individual horse or pony’s needs.
Changing workloads can mean changing their diet, but not always.
Understanding body condition score can help guide your decisions about calorie intake.
Rest is critical for repairing damage, strengthening tissues and increasing fitness. Providing the right nutrients ensures the body has the building blocks to be able to do that.
There are industry professionals available to help you make plans and decisions about how to feed your individual horse or pony during all phases of exercise and rest.