Feeding for performance
Article from RD1's 'Straight from the Horse's Mouth', October 2011.
All horses need to be fed correctly so they can maintain their wellbeing and perform to the level needed, whether they are Grand Prix show jumpers or a pony used for pony club on the weekends. Feeding performance horses encompasses a range of needs, depending on the type of competition and the make-up of the horse.
The diet provides the energy a horse needs to perform and the muscles need energy to contract and work properly. Energy is obtained from starch, sugars, oil and some types of fibre.
Clarke Johnstone, sponsored by Ingham Feeds and Nutrition. Winner of
3 World Cup events
- Sport and Leisure horses need a combination of power and endurance and the ratio of starch, sugar, oil and the types of fibre fed, depends on the discipline and make-up of the horse.
- Ideally, an endurance horse is fed a predominantly oil and fibre ration with a low starch nutrient balancer such as MitaviteŽ Promita.
- Eventers require equivalent amounts of endurance and power and this can be found in Mitavite Economix Active or Mitavite ProSport.
- Pony club horses need a ration to maintain condition, keeping starch and oil at moderate levels.
Protein and amino acids are the 'building blocks' that play a role in building and restoring muscle. Optimal levels of protein and essential amino acids need to be fed during all stages of work for the performance horse. When feeding protein, feed it in a highly digestible form (steam-extruded), at the correct amount (calculate the total amount fed in grams, don't just look at the percentage of the concentrate) and feed the correct level of amino acids.
Mitavite feeds provide the optimal amount of nutrients. Optimum, not maximum or minimum levels of nutrients need to be fed. Providing minerals that are chelated and vitamins in their natural form increases bioavailability and absorption and these are found in Mitavite feeds.
Electrolytes are needed for correct fluid balance in the horse. They are chemically charged and send electrical messages to different parts of the body such as the brain, nervous system and muscles. Not feeding enough electrolytes or feeding too many electrolytes can have severe consequences. Mitavite feeds contain serious levels of electrolytes and are adequate for performance horses under normal conditions.
Good quality forage (pasture, hay, haylage and chaff) needs to be fed with any concentrate. Roughage should be free of mould, does not contain poisonous or harmful weeds or pastures, has a pleasant sweet smell and is free from dust. An ideal mix of roughage is 30-40% legumes and 60-70% grasses or cereal roughage. Remember that roughage needs to make up a good portion of the horses' ration and a minimum of 1-1.5% of their bodyweight should be fed as roughage; this includes the amount the horse eats at pasture.
Mitavite take the guess work out of feeding by meeting the nutritional needs of the performance horse with feeds that meet their changing needs. Knowing the correct nutrients are fed to your horse allows the horse to perform to an expected level; giving you confidence in the product so you can concentrate on training and enjoying your horse.
Mitavite products are available from RD1 - and are part of our Horse Feed Bonus Card programme. Buy 10 bags and get $20 off your next bag! See in store for details.
Disclaimer: Any views and comments expressed in this article are not necessarily the opinions of RD1 Limited nor associated agencies. This content is copyright of RD1 Limited.
