Feeding Hacks, Dressage and Show Horses

Show hacks and dressage horses are traditionally well cared for in terms of general health, feed and grooming standards. Show horses must not only be highly trained to exhibit faultless manners and movement, but be presented in a robust, well conditioned appearance with a shiny hair coat.

Whilst performance demand in terms of speed is not required, adequate nutrition must be provided to allow daily training sessions of up to sixty minutes or more, and to maintain optimum body and coat condition.

Home mixed rations vs. pre-mixed feeds

Often, feeding has to be individually modified to minimise excitable behaviour and help ensure a calm, well-mannered horse on the arena. Where horses are also travelled extensively to compete, they must maintain their appetite, and avoid risk of dehydration during travelling.

A well formulated home mixed ration provides the flexibility to meet each individual horse’s equestrian activity, temperament, likes and dislikes and appetite level. Pre-mixed and 'sweet' feeds may not cater for an individual horse’s changing needs.

Energy - feeding of grain

Energy level in the ration must be adequate to maintain a ‘fleshy’ robust body condition, without making a horse 'fizzy' and 'above the bit'. Adjustment to the type of energy feed used, must be considered on an individual basis.

Generally dressage horses are taller and heavier than show hacks, and are exercised from 30-60 minutes per day. They require a higher energy ration to maintain condition and exercise willingness, and in most cases, benefit from extra grain or oil to meet their increased workload demand.

Some horses have a reputation of reacting to grain with increased 'fizziness' and difficulty in handling. In some cases, this is due to excessive grain in comparison with the amount of work given to the horse. If a horse is not being worked regularly, then the very little grain is needed in the ration. Many owners feed pollard as a conditioning food in place of grain, but this can have a 'heating' effect as well.

Often horses maintain better appetite when a small amount of grain is added to their diet. When grain is completely withdrawn from the ration to avoid the horse becoming 'fizzy', the appetite declines. Therefore, it is considered that in most horses working daily for 30-60mins up to 1-2kg of grain mixed into the hard feed is beneficial in helping to encourage the appetite.

Oats

Oats is the traditional grain fed to horses, and most horses find it palatable. It is a 'safe' grain that is unlikely to cause digestive upset even when 'gorged'. However oats have an effect of making some horses 'fizzy' and nervy when fed more than 1½-2kg daily.

Do not feed grain or pollard on the morning of a show or event - feed only dampened hay and chaff with 2-3 cups of sunflower seeds, moistened with molasses water. The addition of 'cool' feeds, or fats to the diet can help minimise 'fizzy' behaviour.

Barley

Whole barley is not very palatable due to sharp awns on the grain. Steam rolled barley is more palatable and has a less 'fizzy' effect than oats or corn, although it has an energy content between that of oats and corn. Boiling barley softens and increases the digestibility of the carbohydrate in the small bowel, so it is less 'heating' in nervy horses.

Boiled barley mixed into the ration is ideal for horses 'off their feed' after a hard workout when a palatable, easily digested feed is beneficial. Usually about 1.5kg wet weight of boiled barley, mixed into the normal hard feed is adequate in most horses.

Hint: Boiled barley is easily prepared for one horse in a CROCK POT Slow Cooker. Cover the amount of barley with about 3cm of water, and set on 'low' for 6-8 hours.

Sunflower seeds

Whole black sunflower seeds contain 26% oil, which gives them a higher energy content than other grains, but with low 'heating' or 'fizz'. Up to 4 cups daily are suitable as an energy and coat gloss supplement.

Pollard

Pollard is a widely used energy source to put on condition in preparation for competition. It should be dampened prior to feeding, and a maximum of 2-3 litres added per day. If a horse is a 'fizzy' type, restrict the amount of pollard once a suitable body condition is achieved.

Fat

Additional fat is a source of 'cool', 'non heating' energy, and promotes coat condition. Adding polyunsaturated oil (e.g. sunflower, canola or blended cooking oil) at the rate of 15mL/100kg (75-80mL for a show horse) each day will help improve coat condition and skin health. Ideally a 50:50 blend of linseed or canola mixed with cooking oil at the same rate provides extra linoleic acid to improve coat gloss.

Cooking oil, or vegetable oils are a useful 'cool' slow release form of energy for harder work or to help reduce nervy behaviour when substituted in part for grain in the diet.

Hint: 1 cupful oil (250mL) has the same amount of energy as 1.5L (¾ of a 2L ice cream container or 700g) of whole oats; or 1 litre (660g of rolled barley). Fats take more time to digest and release their energy as compared with carbohydrates. Feeding polyunsaturated oil as an energy source can help minimise the risk of 'fizziness'.

When substituting oil for grain in the ration, start with small amounts to ensure it is accepted and digested, gradually building up to the required amount over a period of 10-14 days, removing the grain accordingly. Approximately each 2 tablespoons of oil replaces 1 cup of oats or barley in the ration.

Protein

Protein requirements in hacks and dressage horses are generally less than performance horses, but adequate protein must be provided for work and body development. If the ration contains more than 3kg of lucerne chaff and hay, the amount of protein provided is in excess of that required on a daily basis. It is usually unnecessary to add extra protein meals to the ration of a show hack, unless the horse is down in condition and is being worked hard to build it up.

Hint: 2 cups of soyabean, or 3 cups of canola meal, or 5 cups of sunflower seed will help to maintain muscle mass during extended training.

Hay and chaff

Lucerne hay and chaff are good sources of protein, calcium, Vitamin D and fibre for all horses. A mixture of 50:50 lucerne (green chaff) and cereal (white chaff) is a basis for 'bulk' in a hard feed. Lucerne chaff generally is more nutritious than cereal chaff, although cereal chaff helps to improve the general 'sweetness', hindgut water content and acceptance of the ration.

Lucerne chaff can be very dusty, and dusty chaff can lead to 'snorting' when feeding, and respiratory problems. Therefore, dusty chaff should always be dampened prior to feeding. A 50:50 solution of molasses made up of one cup of molasses and one cup of hot water mixed together and poured over the feed and mixed in, will help to reduce dust and prevent sifting out of powdered supplements.

The palatability, nutritional value and general acceptance of lucerne hay can be increased by dampening it prior to feeding, and dampened lucerne hay is an ideal feed to occupy time and attention when hung in a hay net during travelling or whilst waiting prior to competition.

Hint: Dampen and soften stalky, brittle hay by wrapping a biscuit up in a wet chaff bag for 2-3 hours prior to feeding. Do not wrap the hay up for more than 8 hours as it increases the risk of it developing moulds that can cause colic.

Cereal hay is not very well used by horses, and in most cases it is better to chaff it to reduce overall wastage.

Bran

Although bran has become a traditional part of feeding horses, it provides little, if any, laxative effect in the amounts given in dry feeds. However, bran is palatable to most horses, and a couple of double handfuls or cups a day will increase the general acceptance of the ration.

Hint: Although bran mashes are popular, there is no real need to feed bran mashes on a regular basis to hacks and show horses. A damp bran mash at 1 litre bran/100kg body weight, with added molasses and electrolytes (eg 2 scoopfuls of HUMIDIMIX) after a competition on a hot day, or after long distance travel will help to correct dehydration, and provide a palatable, tempting feed. Do not add calcium supplements (eg CAL-PLUS or CAL-PLUS with BIOTIN) to pure bran mashes on a regular daily basis as the calcium will be bound up and not absorbed well.

Minerals and vitamins

An adequate amount of essential minerals and vitamins must be provided, not only to balance deficiencies in the ration, but also to maintain the appetite and general coat and skin condition.

Hint: FERAMO-H, containing an oil seed meal base, with high levels of Vitamin A, iron, zinc, copper and trace minerals will promote a glossy well conditioned, richly coloured coat essential in the show ring. A daily supplement of ½ scoop of FERAMO-H added to the evening meal will provide all the vitamins and minerals necessary for health and vitality. Start off by feeding ¼ scoopful for a few days, building up to ½ scoopful daily.

Note: The trace mineral chromium has been shown to improve muscle development and bulk in human athletes. FERAMO-H with CHROMIUM containing 5mg of chromium in each daily dose is now available for hacks and dressage horses.

Calcium

Adult horses fed at least 3kg of lucerne as chaff or hay with only small amounts of grain or bran, do not need additional calcium other than that contained in the lucerne or clover hay. However in heavily sweating horses, and those receiving cereal based rations (chaff or grain) or grazing on predominantly grass pastures, then additional calcium should be added to the ration.

Hint: A supplement of CAL-PLUS (30g or one scoopful) daily will help to balance the ration and maintain an adequate intake of calcium and essential bone forming minerals. As calcium is lost in sweat, horses that sweat heavily have an elevated requirement for calcium, and this is provided by a daily supplement of 60g of CAL-PLUS, and additional heavy sweat electrolyte (eg 1 scoopful HUMIDIMIX morning and evening) to the diet.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E as in pure WHITE-E helps general stamina and muscle strength in all performance horses.

Vitamin B1 and magnesium

A combination of high doses of Vitamin B1 and magnesium, as in KARMA, will help to settle down nervy horses on higher energy grain based diets.

Hint: Give 1 scoopful of KARMA in evening feed for 4 days, if the horse does not settle down adequately, give 1 scoop morning and evening for 2-3 days to obtain a response, then maintain on one scoopful daily.

Electrolytes

Although 2-3 tablespoons of salt will help palatability of the ration, it is not a complete electrolyte replacer in hard working horses that are worked for more than 30 minutes each day. Supplementation with a range of essential body salts is required during hot weather, when horses are travelling over long distances, or in 'nervy' horses that 'compete before their time'.

In cooler weather, or when horses are not sweating heavily, 1 scoopful of STRESSALYTE morning and evening will meet daily needs. During the warmer months, when horses are travelling regularly, in horses that sweat up when worked, or those with a 'nervous' temperament, then feed 1 scoopful of HUMIDIMIX morning and evening.

Hint: Electrolytes are best added to the feed, giving half daily dose each morning and evening. On the morning of long distance travel, on arrival at the competition, and after hard workouts on a hot day, give 60mL of RECHARGE concentrate over the tongue by syringe and provide access to cool fresh water. Alternatively, once a horse gets used to it, mix 80mL RECHARGE in 2-3 litres water as a drink after hard work.

By Virbac Animal Health - Last updated 16 November 2012