What Should I Feed My Performance Horse?

Hay, haylage or grass contains large amounts of nutrients and makes up the bulk of the protein, minerals and vitamins a performance horse eats each day. If the level of forage is cut drastically not only does the fibre content drop and jeopardize digestive health but so do all the nutrients.

What is the best feed for performance horses?

Feeds which are high (above 14%) in protein include alfalfa or clover, soybean meal, brewers’ grains and milk by-products. If a mature performance horse is fed alfalfa or clover hay, it will not need a protein supplement. The important electrolytes are potassium, sodium, chloride and calcium.

How much should I feed my horse performance?

The minimum daily forage intake is 1% of their body weight, but 1.5% is a more acceptable level. For example, a 1,100-lb (500-kg) horse would require 15 pounds (7.5-kg) of hay per day. Balancing high energy needs of hard-working performance horses and providing adequate fiber are important goals.

What to feed horses to make them faster?

Corn has the highest energy content of any grain and can put weight on a horse quickly. It can be fed on the ear, cracked, rolled or shelled. Barley is an intermediate source of energy and protein content.

What do you feed your endurance horse?

Feed diets high in good-quality forage such as pasture, grass hay, or mixed grass/legume hay. These forage sources can be fed free choice to endurance horses. Horses have evolved to survive on forage, so it is the best possible feed for gut health.

Is sweet feed good for performance horses?

Sweet feed is bad for horses—it’s nothing but sugar.”

How can I improve my horse’s performance?

5 ways to help improve your horse’s performance

1. Know your horse’s baseline gait pattern, strength, fitness and symmetry – and improve it if you can!
2. Follow a consistent and progressive training schedule.
3. Get yourself fit and strong.
4. Have your saddle fitted at least once a year.

What is considered a performance horse?

Performance is loosely defined as any form of work or forced physical activity. Work or physical activity can include walking, trotting, cantering, running, jumping and turning. Therefore, a performance horse can include any horse that is actively ridden, trained or that may carry or pull a load.

How much protein does a performance horse need?

Mature horses will most likely do fine on a lower protein percentage (8 to 12 percent), depending on their workload. Horses that are in intense training need more protein than the maintenance horse because they are developing muscle tissue; however, most will still do well on a 12 percent protein feed.

Why do performance horses need protein?

Needs of the Performance Horse
Protein – essential amino acids are important for building and repairing hard working muscle. It’s not just protein quantity, but protein quality that counts. Protein quality is determined by the proportion of essential amino acids.

What gives horses more energy?

Starch is a carbohydrate found in cereal grains such as barley, maize and oats and provides a good source of fast release energy, particularly useful for horses working hard for short periods.

How do I bulk up my horse?

Allowing 24/7 access to pasture or hay (or as much forage as possible). If increased amounts of hay aren’t enough, try offering a higher quality hay such as alfalfa or an immature grass hay. Alfalfa tends to be higher in energy and protein and lower in sugar. Alfalfa can be fed as hay or as cubes/pellets.

What do Olympic horses eat?

Most Olympic horses eat grass hay and the Pacific Northwest produces arguably the best timothy hay in the world. KER has found that second cutting timothy has a desirable nutritional profile (10% protein, 34% ADF, 57% NDF) for performance horses and is extremely palatable.

What should I feed my horse to gain muscle?

Using feeds with protein provided by soybeans, lupins, faba bean or canola meal will give your horse access to good quality sources of protein, which builds muscle. Feeds with one or more of these protein sources are best.

What is the most energy dense feed for horses?

fat
The most dense source of energy is fat (almost three times more than carbohydrates or proteins); however, carbohydrates in the forms of fermentable fiber or starch are the most common source. Horses exercising, growing, pregnant in late gestation or early lactation need increased energy in their diet.

Are oats better for horses than sweet feed?

Even though oats are the grain lowest in sugar and starch, at around 45 to 50% starch they are still far too high in starch for horses on a low sugar and starch diet, eg insulin resistant horses, horses prone to laminitis, those with disorders like Cushings or PSSM etc, as well as many horses who are prone to ulcers,

Is oats or sweet feed better for horses?

Oats are often considered a “perfect” food for horses, in that they have a good amount of calories per unit weight (about 3 mcal of energy per kg of oats), 11% protein, lower starch than other grains (about 40% starch, compared to almost 70% in corn) and good palatability.

Is 12% sweet feed good for horses?

Stock and Stable® 12% Sweet Horse Feed offers basic nutrition for maintenance horses and easy keepers at a great value.

How do I make my horse’s topline faster?

Initially, walking and a slow trot are plenty. Going downhill is just as beneficial as uphill – and both encourage your horse to use their topline in a natural way. As your horse’s balance and strength improves, you can even trot or canter downhill. You can even do this on a lunge line.

How do you upgrade your horses stamina?

You can increase your horse’s stats like its Health and Stamina by equipping it with better Tack (Saddle and Stirrups) – you can buy or find new Tack in towns and around the world. When you fast travel, your main horse will travel with you.

How do you increase horse Valley speed?

When training for speed, you and your horse do barrel races. When you level up from barrel races your horse speed will become faster.