By Emma Short BSc (Hons)

Whether turned out 24/7 or for just a few hours of every day, many of us rely on grass, at this time of year, to meet at least part of our horses’ nutritional requirements.  As the summer progresses, however, grass can be getting literally a bit thin on the ground and, while this may not be a problem for the good-doer, for the poorer doer or working horse or pony, supplementary forage, and even extra calories, may be necessary to account for the lack of grass.

Even if your horse is still finding grass to eat, it’s nutritional quality will have declined as both protein content and Digestible Energy (DE) of pasture reduces as grass matures.  Combine this with the exertions of a busy season so far and your horse or pony might begin looking and feeling a bit “jaded” so a timely review of his diet could help see him through and keep him on best form to the end of the season and into the winter.

Additional Fibre

While it’s quite hard to know how much grass a horse is eating, during their time at pasture, when grazing is really bare, you’ll probably need to consider feeding additional hay or haylage to ensure your horse is getting sufficient fibre to keep his digestive system working effectively.  Where grass is still plentiful but of low nutritional value, it will be great for keeping your horse chewing but it may worth feeding an alfalfa chaff alongside, to provide additional digestible fibre and good quality protein.

Since heat is produced during the fermentation of fibre in the hindgut, if the weather’s particularly hot, horses may reduce their own forage intake to help regulate their body temperature.  Dunking or soaking hay in clean water can be a useful, in this scenario, to provide some additional moisture and encourage consumption, while fibre alternatives, like soaked beet pulp, provide digestible fibre and can help with hydration levels.

Balancing Act

Extensive analysis results now show that modern pastures and forages are lacking in key essential minerals and, often, protein so some form of supplementation is required.  Good-doers on little or no hard feed may, therefore, lack muscle and often feel lacklustre because their diet is deficient in vitamins and minerals, which are vital for the extraction of energy from feed.  Since requirements for these nutrients go up with workload, the same may also apply to horses whose feed or balancer is either not formulated for higher workloads or is being fed in insufficient quantities.

Low calorie balancers are great for providing these nutrients, without unwanted calories, and horses and ponies generally “perk up” once their nutrient requirements are being met with a balancer fed correctly for bodyweight and workload.  Balancers are also useful for topping up nutrient (not calorie) levels when a horse is getting reduced quantities of a mix or cube when, for example, just a few additional calories are required and feeding what it says on the bag would provide too many.

Changing Feed

Working horses who require more calories than grass and forage alone can provide, should ideally be eating the recommended quantities of a fully balanced compound feed.  Towards the end of the season, or if grass wanes, the amount may need increasing but meal sizes must be kept manageable so, if your horse needs significantly more calories, it may be time to change his feed to one with a higher Digestible Energy (DE), which can deliver more calories per scoop.

This way the overall energy level of the diet can be raised without significantly adding to the total volume of mix or cubes fed.  There is now a wide variety of energy sources to choose from with blends to suit different temperaments and disciplines.  An emphasis on slower release sources, like fibre and oil, is great for the fizzy types and those looking for sustained performance, whilst quicker release energy sources, like cereals including oats, are great for the more laidback types or those needing quick bursts of power.

Electrolytes

For any horse who sweats, but particularly the working or performance horse, electrolytes should be considered an important addition to the diet.  These, along with water, are lost in sweat and their replenishment is essential to aid recovery and rehydration.  A correctly balanced diet does contain electrolytes (salts), but supplementation will ensure the horse has the opportunity to replace those lost more effectively.

Administering a good quality electrolyte supplement whenever a horse sweats, is good practice and will support rehydration and recovery more effectively than any mash or feed on its own.  The ideal is to give electrolytes in water, as soon as possible after the horse has stopped sweating, and horses can be encouraged to take them by adding a handful of chop or soaked beet to the solution.  Alternatively, they can be given in wet, sloppy feed, with fresh drinking water always available.

Attention to Detail

So, maintaining a correctly balanced diet all year round, even during periods of “down time”, will go a long way to helping your horse maintain performance levels as grazing becomes sparser and the season progresses.  With close monitoring of condition and workload, dietary changes can be made accordingly and, with this attention to detail, your horse should be on great form when it matters.

For advice on feeding your horse for optimum performance all year round contact Baileys Horse Feeds on 01371 850247 or visit www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk.