Late winter/early spring is the time of year when those of us with the competitive urge start planning for the upcoming season of competitions. Top of mind is generally conditioning, schedule planning, and diet to ensure our horses are in peak performance shape come spring. But let’s not forget about the importance of addressing our horses from the inside out to make sure that there aren’t underlying issues that are going to rear their ugly head once competition season arrives. As many of you know, Dr. Penttila competes at a high level on her barrel horse so we’re going to share with you some tips and tricks from our veterinary team on how we keeps her horses in top form. In this post, we’re going to dive into the daunting world of nutrition and supplements specific for the athletic horse.
The cardinal rule of feeding a performance horse is making sure that they have free choice access to a good quality hay; we generally recommend a grass/alfalfa mix, unless there is a reason your particular horse needs a different kind of hay. If you happen to have the type of horse that is more of an easy-keeper, feeding frequent, smaller meals throughout the day would be a better strategy.
For many horses in heavy work, their energy demands may be higher than what they can get out of hay. For these horses, we would generally recommend adding in a concentrate of some sort. We try to pick a reputable feed company and then select the feed that is suitable for that particular horse. Purina Canada has a great feed selection tool on their website that can help you decide what would work best for your horse based on energy demands/workload and body type (see here: https://equipurina.ca/en/decision/).
Next, we think about a product that has the ideal formulation of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for horses in work. Our favorite product for this is Platinum Performance. You can always tell when a horse is on this formula as they are well-muscled and have such a shiny, healthy haircoat. We think of this like the “pre-workout” or “protein shake” portion of the diet of many human athletes.
From there, we tend to choose products that are targeted towards the individual concerns of each athlete. Here are a few of our favorites and when we reach for them:
Platinum Balance: This is a prebiotic/probiotic designed to support digestion and hindgut health. It can be helpful for those horses that travel a lot and don’t have a consistent feeding regime, or those that tend to have a sensitive tummy or have trouble maintaining their weight.
4Cyte: This product is a breakthrough joint support formula that helps protect, maintain, and promote healthy joints. It enables your horse to perform at its peak, while safeguarding its joints.
Rite Trac by KER: This supplement is designed to support total digestive tract health by acting as a buffer in both the stomach and the hindgut. It is one of our go to’s for managing horses with ulcers, loose manure, a poor appetite, and/or weight loss.
Aleira by Arenus: This formula helps maintain optimal respiratory function with key ingredients such as omega-3s in the form of algae-based DHA, vitamin C, and antioxidants. We reach for this supplement in horses with asthma and in bleeders.
KER Race Recovery Electrolytes: This product is a must-have for any horse that runs on Lasix. It is specifically formulated to replace the electrolytes lost in these patients at the time of treatment/racing.
Platinum Healthy Weight: This is a flax oil top dressing that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, making it a good choice for horses with allergic skin or respiratory conditions. It is a healthy alternative to corn oil for adding fat to the diet of horses that need to gain weight.
These recommendations are all to give you some food for thought and won’t be appropriate to each and every horse. To dial in the most appropriate feeding plan for your particular horse, we always recommend having a discussion with one of our veterinarians, especially if they have a specific medical concern.
See this section of our webpage for more info about the supplements we stand behind:
https://www.burwashequine.ca/supplements
You can also order many of these supplements directly to your house or for clinic pick up using our online store at the following link: https://burwashequine.clientvantage.ca/supplements