Feeding the Endurance Horse
There are several key nutrients which will directly influence the performance capability of an endurance horse. These include energy, electrolytes and water.
ENERGY
Energy is the dietary nutrient which will directly influence whether an endurance horse can go the distance. Energy is not a nutrient per se, but rather a measure of the feeds potential to fuel body functions and muscle contraction during exercise. Since horses are not able to eat continuously during a ride, feed must be digested and stored within the body to be used later as fuel during exercise. Stored energy in the form of muscle and liver glycogen (sugar), intramuscular and adipose triglycerides (fat) along with feed taking in during the ride will provide energy for muscle contraction.
STARCH
Starch, a carbohydrate composed of a large number of glucose (sugar) molecules, is the primary component of cereal grains, making up 50 to 70% of the grain's dry matter. Horses break down starch into glucose units in the small intestine, where it is absorbed into the blood. Muscle glycogen is a versatile fuel for energy generation during endurance exercise. In addition, glucose stored in the liver is available for the production and release of glucose into the blood during exercise. Maintaining blood glucose levels during exercise is of prime importance since glucose is the only fuel that is available to the central nervous system. In endurance horses, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) is a result of prolonged exercise and can be a cause of fatigue.
CANOLA OIL
Canola Oil, Corn Oil and Soy bean Oil along with animal fat are the most common sources of fat in the horse's diet. Numerous digestion studies have confirmed that fat is both very palatable and extremely well digested. Often these endurance horses cannot or will not eat enough feed to meet their energy requirements. The result is a steady decrease in body condition. In these instances, adding fat will increase the energy density of the diet so that less feed is required to maintain body weight.
FIBRE
Fibre (hay/pasture) is an energy source that is often overlooked in horse nutrition. Horses have a highly developed hind-gut which houses billions of bacteria capable of fermenting large quantities of plant fibre. An endurance horse's intestinal health is critical to success. Normally, the digestive system of the horse is active, moving feed ingredients through the length of the tract. Inactivity of the digestive system, due to dehydration and/or electrolyte imbalances can cause severe colic and even death. The additional water and electrolytes in the digestive tract of the high fibre animals is probably due to the high water holding capacity of plant fibre. More importantly, the water and electrolyte pool created by a high fibre diet can be used to combat dehydration and electrolyte imbalances which derail so many endurance horses. Another important attribute of a digestive system full of fibre is maintenance of blood flow to the digestive system during exercise.
Fibre in the form of hay/pasture is an excellent energy source for endurance horses. In addition to forage fibre sources, there are so-called "super fibres". These fibres have the same beneficial aspects of forage fibres for maintaining gut health and fluid and electrolyte balance, but contain more energy. These super fibres (e.g. beet pulp, soy bean hulls, almond hulls, oat hulls) contain energy equivalent to oats and barley, but would be safer to feed because they do not produce the symptoms of grain overload.
PROTEIN
Excessive protein intake should be avoided in endurance horses for a number of reasons. First, water requirements increase with increased protein intake. This can be devastating for endurance horses which typically struggle to maintain proper hydration. Second, accumulation of nitrogen end-products (ammonia and urea) in the blood can lead to nerve irritability and disturbances in intestinal function and carbohydrate metabolism
Click here to read more on our Equi-Feeds Enduro Feed 12%
ENERGY
Energy is the dietary nutrient which will directly influence whether an endurance horse can go the distance. Energy is not a nutrient per se, but rather a measure of the feeds potential to fuel body functions and muscle contraction during exercise. Since horses are not able to eat continuously during a ride, feed must be digested and stored within the body to be used later as fuel during exercise. Stored energy in the form of muscle and liver glycogen (sugar), intramuscular and adipose triglycerides (fat) along with feed taking in during the ride will provide energy for muscle contraction.
STARCH
Starch, a carbohydrate composed of a large number of glucose (sugar) molecules, is the primary component of cereal grains, making up 50 to 70% of the grain's dry matter. Horses break down starch into glucose units in the small intestine, where it is absorbed into the blood. Muscle glycogen is a versatile fuel for energy generation during endurance exercise. In addition, glucose stored in the liver is available for the production and release of glucose into the blood during exercise. Maintaining blood glucose levels during exercise is of prime importance since glucose is the only fuel that is available to the central nervous system. In endurance horses, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) is a result of prolonged exercise and can be a cause of fatigue.
CANOLA OIL
Canola Oil, Corn Oil and Soy bean Oil along with animal fat are the most common sources of fat in the horse's diet. Numerous digestion studies have confirmed that fat is both very palatable and extremely well digested. Often these endurance horses cannot or will not eat enough feed to meet their energy requirements. The result is a steady decrease in body condition. In these instances, adding fat will increase the energy density of the diet so that less feed is required to maintain body weight.
FIBRE
Fibre (hay/pasture) is an energy source that is often overlooked in horse nutrition. Horses have a highly developed hind-gut which houses billions of bacteria capable of fermenting large quantities of plant fibre. An endurance horse's intestinal health is critical to success. Normally, the digestive system of the horse is active, moving feed ingredients through the length of the tract. Inactivity of the digestive system, due to dehydration and/or electrolyte imbalances can cause severe colic and even death. The additional water and electrolytes in the digestive tract of the high fibre animals is probably due to the high water holding capacity of plant fibre. More importantly, the water and electrolyte pool created by a high fibre diet can be used to combat dehydration and electrolyte imbalances which derail so many endurance horses. Another important attribute of a digestive system full of fibre is maintenance of blood flow to the digestive system during exercise.
Fibre in the form of hay/pasture is an excellent energy source for endurance horses. In addition to forage fibre sources, there are so-called "super fibres". These fibres have the same beneficial aspects of forage fibres for maintaining gut health and fluid and electrolyte balance, but contain more energy. These super fibres (e.g. beet pulp, soy bean hulls, almond hulls, oat hulls) contain energy equivalent to oats and barley, but would be safer to feed because they do not produce the symptoms of grain overload.
PROTEIN
Excessive protein intake should be avoided in endurance horses for a number of reasons. First, water requirements increase with increased protein intake. This can be devastating for endurance horses which typically struggle to maintain proper hydration. Second, accumulation of nitrogen end-products (ammonia and urea) in the blood can lead to nerve irritability and disturbances in intestinal function and carbohydrate metabolism
Click here to read more on our Equi-Feeds Enduro Feed 12%
