Brenda Khan
Horses, like humans, require a balanced diet and exercise to stay healthy. While a horse's diet and nutritional requirements differ from that of a human, the principles of a healthy lifestyle remain the same. A horse's diet should be high in fibre and low in energy, with almost all of their nutritional needs met by forage, which includes grass and hay. Horses are constant feeders, so their stomachs should never be empty, and they should always have access to water. Exercise for horses can range from low-intensity activities such as walking and trotting to high-intensity endurance activities such as three-day eventing, show jumping, and competitive riding. The diet of a horse can be adjusted based on their level of activity, with high-calorie grains providing an energy boost for horses in heavy exercise.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Diet | Horses are grazing animals with a digestive system that can process high-fibre, low-energy food called forage. Forage includes grass and hay. |
| Horse's diet should be balanced and include vitamins, minerals, and fibre. | |
| High-calorie grains are good for a boost of energy, especially for horses in heavy exercise. | |
| Senior horses may need a special diet as they have a hard time maintaining their weight. | |
| Obese horses need dietary restrictions along with a low-intensity exercise program. | |
| Exercise | Horses are constant feeders and should always have a full stomach. |
| Feeding a small meal of hay before exercise can stimulate saliva production and protect the stomach from gastric ulcers. | |
| Grain or any feed high in starches or sugars should not be fed within 4 to 5 hours of exercise. | |
| High-intensity exercises can burn a horse's glucose supply very quickly. | |
| In multiday events, feeding for recovery is vital. |
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What You'll Learn
Horses need a balanced diet and plenty of water to stay healthy
Horses require a balanced diet and plenty of water to maintain their health. As grazing animals, their digestive systems are designed to constantly process high-fibre, low-energy forage, such as grass and hay. This natural grazing process can be replicated by using a balancer like Horslyx. Horses should always have a full stomach to prevent gastric issues, and forage is an ideal feed to provide fill and protect the stomach.
When it comes to feeding before exercise, it is recommended to provide long-stem forage like hay, which stimulates saliva production and safeguards the stomach. Alfalfa hay is particularly beneficial for preventing or treating gastric ulcers. However, it is important to avoid feeding large amounts of hay before exercise. Instead, a small meal of chopped fibre or alfalfa can be given, especially if the exercise will be intense. If it has been more than two hours since the horse's last feed, a small meal of hay can be beneficial before exercise.
High-calorie grains can provide an energy boost for horses that engage in regular exercise, but these should be fed strategically. Avoid feeding grain or high-starch and sugar feeds within 4 to 5 hours of exercise, as they trigger an insulin response that interferes with the mobilisation of muscle glycogen and fat stores. Smaller grain meals can be fed during exercise to replenish muscle glycogen and delay fatigue.
After exercise, rehydration is crucial, as horses lose water and electrolytes through sweating. Supplementation with electrolytes and sodium can aid rehydration and support muscle recovery. High-fat, high-fibre diets may result in slower glycogen replenishment, so low-fat, high-carbohydrate grains like oats or barley are recommended post-exercise. Vitamin E is also important for performance horses, as it helps combat muscle damage caused by free radicals during exercise.
Overall, a balanced diet, adequate water intake, and proper feeding strategies before and after exercise are essential for maintaining the health and performance of horses.
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High-fibre, low-energy forage is a horse's staple food
Horses are categorised as hindgut fermenters, meaning that microbial action within the hindgut breaks down the fibres of plant material to be used by the horse for energy and to extract micronutrients or create vitamins. For this reason, high-fibre, low-energy forage is a horse's staple food.
Foraging is a core natural behaviour of horses and, when possible, takes up most of their daily time budget. Insufficient foraging opportunities can result in behavioural issues. Fibre is the second most important component of a horse's diet after water, and its value in providing energy is often underestimated.
High-fibre feed provides slow-release energy to help improve stamina without causing diet-related excitability. It also helps to prevent unwanted weight gain and keeps the horse's digestive system healthy. Horses that are good doers, or have a tendency to put on weight easily, should be fed a high-fibre, low-calorie feed alongside their forage. This will help to keep the horse healthy, both physically and mentally.
It is important to note that the horse's diet should be tailored to suit their individual requirements. For example, performance horses with higher energy requirements due to their workload can also perform well on a high-fibre, low-starch diet. Oils such as linseed oil and rapeseed oil can be added as an additional source of slow-release energy.
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Horses should eat before exercise to prevent gastric issues
Horses are constant feeders, so they should always have a full stomach. If a horse is stabled without constant access to forage, or if it has been more than 2 hours since the horse last grazed or fed, you should feed your horse before exercise. This is because gastric acids from the lower part of the stomach can splash around and irritate the upper sections of the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to gastric ulcers.
Forage, such as long-stem hay, is a good option to feed a horse before exercise. Hay requires a lot of chewing and stimulates plenty of saliva production, which provides good buffering protection for the stomach. While any forage that forms part of a horse's everyday diet is acceptable, alfalfa hay has been shown to be helpful in preventing or resolving ulcers. If alfalfa hay is available and is fed as part of your horse's normal diet, this would make a good choice for a pre-ride or exercise feed. However, it is important to not give your horse a very large feed of hay before exercise. Depending on when your horse was last fed, you should feed between 200-400 g/100 kg of body weight, using the larger meal size if your horse hasn't been fed for 2 or more hours.
Grain or any feed high in starches or sugars should not be fed within 4 to 5 hours of exercise. These feeds trigger an insulin response, which stops a horse from mobilising the muscle glycogen and fat stores it needs to fuel its muscles during exercise. This can result in the horse tiring quickly.
Therefore, it is important to feed horses before exercise to prevent gastric issues, but it is also important to consider what to feed them. Forage is a good option, while grain or starch-heavy feeds should be avoided in the hours leading up to exercise.
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High-calorie grains are great for horses in heavy exercise
Horses are monogastric and continuous grazers, so their stomachs should never be empty. A full stomach is important to prevent gastric acids from irritating the gastrointestinal tract and causing gastric ulcers.
High-fat, high-fibre diets can be slow to replenish glycogen, so low-fat, high-carbohydrate grains are recommended post-exercise. Oats or heat-processed barley and corn are good choices. Horses have proven adept at using fat as fuel for athletic endeavours, so oil is another good supplement.
Beet pulp is another super fibre that can be added to a horse's diet. It has an energy level that exceeds that of typical forages and is a valuable source of calories. It can be mixed directly into the feed or soaked beforehand to make it easier for the horse to swallow.
Stabilized rice bran is another high-calorie feedstuff, containing 18-20% fat, which can boost the energy density of a ration without causing high-strung behaviour.
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Senior horses may need a special diet to maintain weight
While there is no definitive answer to when a horse is considered "aged" or a "senior", many nutritional studies on older horses have used 20 years as the threshold. As horses age, they undergo several changes that affect how and what they should be fed. For instance, dental disease or loss of teeth can cause chewing to become difficult, and worn molars can make it hard for horses to swallow and digest hay.
The hindgut of older horses loses some of its ability to ferment fiber, which means they receive fewer nutrients from forage, requiring higher quality forage. The small intestine also loses some function, making it harder for older horses to digest protein. In addition, some older horses with reduced liver and kidney function may find it difficult to excrete waste products associated with overeating protein.
Senior horses benefit more from slow-releasing energy sources such as fats (oils) and fibers (roughage), which provide a steadier energy release without spikes in blood sugar levels. Roughage is crucial for maintaining weight, as well as gastrointestinal health and overall well-being. Sources of roughage include grass mix, compact grass, and lucerne mix. Lucerne, in particular, is rich in protein, which senior horses require in higher amounts as their bodies become less efficient at absorbing it.
Senior horses with severe dental issues may have trouble chewing hay or haylage. In such cases, it is recommended to provide chopped roughage or easily chewable roughage mixes specially developed for older horses. To minimize stress on the digestive system, dietary changes should be introduced gradually, and the diet should be kept as consistent as possible.
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Frequently asked questions
It is beneficial to feed your horse before a ride. You should feed them long fibre such as hay, or a small meal of chopped fibre such as alfalfa. This will stimulate saliva production and provide some fill in the stomach to protect the stomach from gastric ulcers.
After exercise, it is important to focus on rehydration and replenishment of muscle glycogen stores. Horses should consume 10 to 20 gallons or more of water per day. You can add molasses to the water to encourage consumption. High-fat, high-fibre diets can be slow to replenish glycogen, so low-fat, high-carbohydrate grains such as oats or barley and corn should be fed.
Older horses may have a harder time maintaining their weight due to dental problems and metabolic issues. Senior feeds are available that are balanced for all the nutrients they need and are easier for older horses to eat.
Dietary restriction, along with a low-intensity exercise program, can help improve overweight horses' insulin sensitivity. Obese horses can lose weight with a restricted diet alone but may need a low-intensity exercise program to improve their insulin sensitivity.
