How to keep energy up in a good doer
How do you give a horse more energy without making him gain weight? fitness, drinking regimen, bulky feed and cleverly assembled dosage with balancer.
Na jaře a v létě nám často chodí otázka: „Jak koni dodat víc energie, aniž by přibral?“ S přístupem ke kvalitní a energeticky bohaté trávě začne mnoho koní, kteří snadno přibírají, nabírat váhu. Ve spojení s vyššími teplotami jim navíc může energie ubývat. Krmení sportovního koně, který snadno přibírá, je proto křehká rovnováha: chceme podpořit energii, ale nedodat zbytečné kalorie. Často přitom hraje roli víc faktorů než jen jádrové krmivo.
Physical condition (amount of fat)
Optimal amounts of body fat are essential not only for overall health but also for performance and endurance. Horses with excess fat get tired faster. Appropriate fat coverage for a particular horse and its discipline should therefore always take precedence over merely increasing energy intake.
Calories and energy are the same thing, which is why maintaining energy while keeping your weight off is challenging. Count all calories from the feed and bulk feed including pasture, and check with a nutritionist which portions of the feed can be safely adjusted. Regular fitness assessments, a weight tape and photos of the course are excellent ways to capture small changes that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Condition and training
Another key factor is gradual fitness. The horse has to be trained enough for the job you want him to do to work efficiently and endure. For example, preparing a horse for versatility may take 8-10 weeks of structured training depending on the level of competition and previous load. It pays to keep a record of the horse's training and activities.
What appears to be a lack of energy may actually be boredom or mental fatigue. Increased training will help keep the horse and rider motivated. A well-established training plan lays the foundation for improved endurance and energy and promotes long-term performance.
Water intake
Dehydration is one of the biggest risk factors for premature fatigue. The average 500-kg horse needs 2555 litres of water a day, or at least 5 litres for every 100 kg of live weight. For horses in heavy work or in hot and humid weather, the need may increase significantly.
For grazing horses, water intake is difficult to monitor. But you can check for hydration by checking that your gums are moist, and pinching a small area of the skin on your neck – it should come back quickly.
For horses at work or frequent commuters, it may be beneficial to increase their water intake with a sparse, tasty mash such as Re-Covery Mash®. You can offer it after work, while traveling or during stops on long routes to help the horse absorb fluids and fiber. Although Re-Covery Mash® contains a small amount of electrolytes to promote drinking, after prolonged sweating the horse should still be given salt or an electrolyte supplement. For an average 500 kg horse, we recommend about 30 g of table salt per day to cover maintenance needs. We also recommend free access to the salt lily. Good hydration is essential for recovery, endurance and overall performance.
Forage
Knowing how much bulk the horse is getting is key to managing its energy and weight. Each horse should consume at least 1.5% of its body weight in bulk feed (dry) daily. A less bulky diet increases the risk of digestive problems, such as stomach ulcers or an imbalance in the large intestine that impairs health and performance. Horses that gain weight easily may benefit from less energy from later hay or moistened hay, which will help to limit calorie intake. Also, consider analyzing bulk feed to get a better understanding of its nutritional value and whether it is suitable for your horse.
Adjusting hard feed
The core feed is usually the first thing owners want to change. However, changes in the feed dose will only be effective if you have control of the above factors. Since good physical fitness is essential for health and performance, we do not recommend simply eating large amounts of energy-rich foods.
We usually start with a balancer as the base of the feed dose and build on it. Balancers are nutrient-concentrated, so they feed in much smaller amounts than conventional mussels or pellets. This provides the horse with essential vitamins, minerals and high-quality protein without excess calories. Some horses have great natural energy with a regular granular balancer, others need extra support. Therefore, Saracen offers a range of balancers, including variants in the form of muslin or with a slightly higher feed dose, which provide an additional energy level for the sport horse.
Sometimes, though, you just need to add some energy. A two-component system is then proven: a balancer as the basis and a small amount, for example 500 g per day, of energy feed for sport horses. Before races or more strenuous training, you can increase your sports food intake the day before and on the morning of the race to deliver targeted energy without eating large amounts each day. It is important to maintain a low daily intake in order to adapt the digestive tract to digest and absorb these components as energy sources, rather than store them only as fat or eliminate them. This approach is very effective for increasing energy without gaining weight.
Monitor health
If you want to control your weight and energy at the same time, we always recommend discussing your diet with a nutritionist. If you have implemented the above measures and your horse is still low in energy, consult a veterinarian to rule out a medical cause.