Our Feeds for Performance Horses

Yes – but you need to choose the right type of fibre! More digestible sources of fibre include high temperature dried alfalfa, high temperature dried grasses and sugar beet and so it is these types of fibre that should be used for horses in harder work. Straw is a less digestible fibre source, very low energy and compared to a high temperature dried fibre not as clean which is significant for respiratory health. Straw is therefore less appropriate as a fibre source for a horse in hard work.

Dengie Alfa-A Oil at 12.5MJ/kg digestible energy provides as much energy as a competition mix or cube, but without the starch. Dengie Alfa-Beet can be added alongside to provide an additional source of highly digestible fibre and the ration balanced by the addition of performance balancer or supplement to complete the ration. Dengie’s supported riders are proof that a horse in harder work can indeed work on a fibre only ration!

The first step is to help her break down the fibrous part of her diet as efficiently as possible. Using a digestive supplement that contains ingredients such as yeast and prebiotics will help to establish a healthy population of microbes in the gut that the horse relies on to digest fibre. The more energy the horse can obtain from the fibre, the less need there is likely to be to use more concentrated sources of energy such as cereals.

The next step is to feed ad lib forage. Ad lib means that your horse always has forage available – so if you turned up at 3am would there still be some hay or haylage in their stable for them to eat? With regard to the bucket feed, select a feed high in fibre and oil as the main source of energy in the ration. Adding highly digestible fibre sources such as sugar beet (Dengie Alfa-Beet) is also beneficial and studies have shown also helps to improve the digestibility of other fibre sources in the diet. Additional high oil feeds such as micronized linseed can be added to provide more energy and should be used in preference to cereal based feeds.

Yes – providing it is fibre based. The advice is to give a scoop of chopped fibre within 30 minutes prior to exercise. This recommendation is given to make sure that the fibrous mat within the horse’s stomach is maintained to reduce acid splashing about in the stomach. Acid splash in the squamous or non-glandular lining of the horse’s stomach is linked to gastric ulceration. Ideally this chopped fibre should include alfalfa as research has shown that alfalfa particularly is a superior buffer to acidity within the digestive tract.