Boosting Your Horse's Energy Levels: Tips for a Happy and Active Equine Companion
Welcome, fellow equestrians and horse enthusiasts! A lively and energetic horse is a joy to be around, and ensuring your equine companion's well-being involves more than just providing food and shelter. In this blog, we'll explore various tips and practices to boost your horse's energy levels, promoting a happy and active lifestyle for your four-legged friend.
Quality Nutrition:
Horses, as non-ruminant herbivores, are naturally designed to live in herds, roaming freely over open plains, and spending a significant portion of their day grazing on grass, shrubs, and herbs. In the wild, they typically consume forage for 16-20 hours a day. However, domestication has brought about changes in their feeding patterns, introducing uncharacteristic feeds such as starchy cereals, protein concentrates, and dried forages, while also restricting their feeding time.
The modern horse's energy and performance requirements have increased compared to its ancestors, necessitating a higher energy diet. While forage remains a crucial component, it may not always satisfy all the necessary nutrients or energy needs. Concentrates, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins, become essential to meet these requirements efficiently. However, maintaining a balance is crucial to avoid digestive and metabolic issues, emphasizing the importance of providing sufficient fiber in the diet for proper digestion and meeting behavioral needs.
A horse's diet must include over 40 nutrients falling into six categories:
Water: Essential for digestion, temperature regulation, toxin excretion, and maintaining cell and tissue integrity. Clean water should be available at all times.
Carbohydrates: Providing energy for cell processes, basic functions, and muscle contraction. Balancing carbohydrate intake is crucial to prevent obesity or energy deficiency.
Proteins: Required for healthy tissues, cell renewal, and as a source of energy. Essential amino acids must be supplied through the diet as they cannot be synthesized by the horse.
Fats and Oils: Concentrated sources of energy, essential fatty acids, and carriers for fat-soluble vitamins. They are vital for working, performance, lactation, and growth.
Minerals: Macrominerals and microminerals are essential for optimal health and performance, forming the constituents of bones and teeth and playing a role in biochemical reactions.
Vitamins: Fat-soluble (A, D, E, K) and water-soluble (C, B group) vitamins are crucial for metabolic processes and chemical reactions. They must be supplied in the diet, as some cannot be stored in the horse's body.
Energy, derived from carbohydrates, fats, oils, and excess protein, is the horse's primary fuel for nearly all life processes. Without sufficient energy, a horse's normal functioning would be compromised. Therefore, maintaining a well-balanced diet that addresses these nutritional components is essential to keep horses healthy, enable optimal performance, and mimic, as closely as possible, their natural dietary patterns. Regular veterinary oversight and adjustments to the diet based on the horse's individual needs are also important factors in ensuring their overall vitality and well-being.
The question is, is hay providing enough protein?
The protein content in hay can vary depending on the type of hay and its quality. Generally, grass hay, such as timothy or Bermuda grass, tends to have lower protein content compared to legume hays like alfalfa. The best would be to have the hay tested or check the nutritional information provided by the supplier to determine its protein content accurately.
Then you work it out, for a 500kg (1100lb) horse, the protein requirements can vary based on factors such as age, activity level, and overall health. However, a rough estimate is that adult horses in maintenance (not actively growing, pregnant, lactating, or in heavy work) typically need around 8-10% protein in their diet. So look how much protein is in your hay, see how many kilos you are feeding your horse, and check if he is likely to get enough proteins.
If the hay you are providing has sufficient protein content within this range, it may meet the protein needs of a 500kg horse at maintenance. However, if the protein content is lower, you might need to supplement the diet with additional protein sources, such as a concentrate feed or a higher-protein forage like alfalfa hay.
2. Regular Exercise:
Just like humans, horses benefit greatly from regular exercise. Develop a consistent exercise routine that includes a mix of activities such as riding (hacking, school, varied settings), groundwork exercises and play and turnout in a pasture. Exercise not only maintains physical health but also contributes to mental stimulation, preventing boredom and restlessness.
3. Dental Care:
Regular dental check-ups are essential for maintaining good health. Dental problems can affect a horse's ability to chew and digest food properly.
Undiagnosed issues that could generate pain can affect your horse vitality.
4. Parasite Control:
Implement a regular deworming program as advised by your veterinarian. Parasites can negatively impact a horse's vitality and overall well-being. Please note that parasites are not only worms, but also Amoebas (single cell organisms and protozoa). We can also consider moulds and fungi. The overall health of the gut flora of the horse is very relevant to the general health of the horse.
5. Good Feet:
Ensuring your horse has healthy feet is paramount. If your horse is somehow slightly uncomfortable he might be reluctant to move forward. Check for sulcus thrush, collapsed heels, white line disease, general imbalance, etc…
6. Stress Management:
Minimise stressors in your horse's environment. Provide a safe and comfortable living space.Introduce changes gradually to allow your horse to adapt without undue stress.
7. Emotional Trauma:
Past experiences can lead to emotional trauma (whether it was physical or just emotional) which in turn, can leave the horse in a shut down state. Being shut down usually shows as being detached, disconnected, introverted, with little facial expression, and little drive to move forward. Osteopathy and Energy work can help these horses tremendously - message us for more details.
8. Social Interaction:
Horses are social animals, and interaction with other horses is important for their mental well-being. If possible, provide companionship. See the World Horse Welfare article about the 3F of a horse needs: Friends, Forage and Freedom, read here.
9. Regular Veterinary Check-ups:
This is probably stating the obvious but schedule veterinary check-ups to identify and address any health concerns promptly. Illnesses and lameness issues can significantly impact a horse's vitality.
10. Adequate Rest:
Ensure your horse gets enough rest and sleep. Horses, like humans, need adequate time to relax and recover.
If you are giving a very small amount of bedding or using alternatives to straw or deep woodchips, make sure your horse feels comfortable enough to still lay down. Look for evidence on the tail, main, on the ground ( flattened area) or ask other people at the yard if they have seen your horse snoozing. This is vital for the joints of the legs to have a rest!
NB: Avoiding the "Hot" Horse Syndrome: Managing Energy without Losing Control
Some horses have a tendency to become "hot" or overly energetic, making them challenging to handle. To address this, focus on providing a diet that is balanced in energy sources. Opt for forage-based diets, and consider dividing your horse's daily feedings into smaller, more frequent meals. This helps maintain a steady release of energy throughout the day, preventing sudden spikes that can lead to excessive excitement. Forage, such as hay and pasture, should be the foundation of your horse's diet. The fibre content in forage promotes a slow and steady release of energy, preventing rapid increases in blood sugar that can contribute to a "hot" horse. High-fibre forage also supports digestive health, ensuring nutrients are efficiently absorbed. While grains can be a valuable source of energy, they should be used judiciously to avoid overstimulating your horse. Monitor your horse's reaction to grain-based feeds, and adjust the amount accordingly. Consider choosing feeds with controlled starch and sugar levels to maintain a more consistent energy supply.
In conclusion:
By prioritising a holistic approach to your horse's well-being, including nutrition, exercise, rest, and mental stimulation, you can ensure that your equine companion leads a happy, active, and fulfilling life. Remember, every horse is unique, so observe and adapt these tips to suit the individual needs and preferences of your beloved four-legged friend. Here's to many more energetic and joyous moments with your equine companion!
