Feeding

FEEDING THROUGH THE PROGRAMME

Feed throughout the fittening programme is an element that requires constant monitoring and thought. As the work load increases so does the amount of hard feed, however it is advisable to increase the work prior to increasing the feed. In this way you can avoid fatigue, colic, and azoturia as the horse has a requirement for the additional food and their chemical balance can be maintained as they are able to metabolise the food to produce the energy required for the appropriate muscle function. This needs to be applicable not only to the work but also to the horse, how it is coping with the work, how well condition is improving, whether it is a good doer, what type of feed is being fed. Getting the food right is something that takes experience and knowledge of the horse you are working with.

Nutritional value of the grass, hay, haylage being fed can be invaluable to establish, and nowadays companies do offer the testing of forage that you send them. Knowing this allows you to maximise their nutritional content and if needs be make up any shortfall by feeding supplements. A mineral imbalance can affect nutritional absorption and as work increases this will impede performance. It is also worth considering either having hair/blood analysed to establish their levels at the beginning of a programme. Knowing exactly what you are dealing with prevents wasting money on supplements that are unnecessary.

It is a good idea to have a basic feed chart as a guide to work from but flexibility is key. Most feed manufacturers have their own charts specific to their feeds and help lines where trained staff can give advice over the phone.

BASIC FEED CHART CALCULATED BY HEIGHT OF HORSE

HEIGHT OF HORSE	TOTAL DAILY FEED
17 - 18 Hands	34 lbs
16 Hands	30 lbs
15 Hands	26 lbs
14 Hands	22 lbs
13 Hands	18 lbs
12 Hands	14 lbs

WORKLOAD	DESCRIPTION OF WORK	PERCENTAGE OF CONCENTRATE	PERCENTAGE OF BULK
MAINTENANCE	No Work - Very Light Work - Walking some Trotting	0 - 10 %	90 - 100 %
LIGHT WORK	4 - 6 Hours per Week Light Hacking, Schooling	25 %	75%
LIGHT MEDIUM WORK	6 - 12 Hours per Week Hacking, Schooling Some Jumping	30 %	70 %
MEDIUM WORK	6 - 12 Hours per Week Hacking, Schooling Dressage, Jumping	40 %	60 %
HARD MEDIUM WORK	12 - 14 Hours per Week Schooling, Dressage Jumping, Hunting - 2-3 times per week	50 %	50 %
HARD WORK	12 Hours plus per Week Schooling, Dressage Jumping , Endurance Eventing	60 %	40 %

The above is a guide only and the most important thing to remember is to KNOW YOUR HORSE, there are so many variables to consider when feeding, some of which I have already touched on. In order to maximise performance you need to look at the types of energy required for specific events and feed accordingly. Be aware of the balance of protein, carbohydrate, fibre, fats, oils, minerals and vitamins found in different food types.

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