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Skip Navigation LinksAll Horse Topics > Nutrition/Supplements > Feeding High-Performance Horses


Articles ( * = TheHorse.com members only )Date Posted
Exercising Horses: Effects of Eating Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue   *
Known to withstand drought and high traffic, tall fescue is common forage in the southeastern United States. However, these resistant properties are partly associated with an endophytic fungus that infects the tall fescue plant. While the endophyte might offer benefits to the plant, it produces compounds that can have negative effects on animals. Cattle ... Read full story
 8/14/2009
TheHorse.com en Español: Alimentando Para Competencia  *
This is one of a series of articles translated as part of our partnership with A Caballo, an equine publication based in Mexico, and Jorge Murga, DVM. Keep an eye on TheHorse.com for more Spanish-language resources coming soon. Read this article in English. Preguntas o comentarios en español puede ser enviado a News@TheHorse.com. Alimentar ... Read full story
 7/15/2009
Hard at Work or Hardly Working? Equine Work Intensity   *
Optimal nutrition of the performance horse hinges foremost on the exercise it performs. Just as the diet of a human bodybuilder is dissimilar to that of a marathon runner, most horses are fed with performance goals in mind. Therefore, accurately assessing the level of work performed by a horse is essential in determining the amount and type of feed ... Read full story
 5/11/2009
Filling a Need? (Supplements)
Do your homework and consider your horse's entire nutritional picture before adding supplements. When was the last time you stepped into a feed room that didn't contain a wide array of buckets, bottles, and tubs of supplements? There might have been a time when horses were fed on hay and oats, but these days we're much more likely to be feeding a ... Read full story
 5/1/2009
Sign Up, Submit Questions for Upcoming Ulcer Webinar  *
Join TheHorse.com for a free Webinar on "Equine Ulcers: Your Horse At Risk," on Thursday, March 26, at 8 p.m. EDT, sponsored by Merial. A horse's stomach showing extensive lesions. You can sign up for this free Webinar now by visiting TheHorse.com/Webinars. Your registration allows you to watch the video presentation and ask questions live ... Read full story
 3/23/2009
AAEP 2008: Tart Cherry Juice Blend Might Reduce Muscle Damage  *
The potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of a tart cherry juice blend given to exercising horses were the topic of a study presented at the 2008 Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) by Norm Ducharme, DVM, MSc, Dipl. ACVS, James Law Professor of Surgery in the Section of Large Animal Surgery at Cornell ... Read full story
 2/8/2009
Survey Finds Eventers Nutritionally Sound, but Oversupplemented   *
In a survey of leading three-day event riders, researchers found that the majority of riders fed their horses based on research-driven recommendations, but the number of supplements used per horse did raise some eyebrows. During the Jersey Fresh 2006 and 2007 Three-Day Events, researchers interviewed 69 riders, asking such questions as where they ... Read full story
 12/28/2008
Excerpt from Revised Understanding Equine Nutrition: Energy and Carbs  *
If forages provide the "maintenance" energy horses need for the workings of everyday life--grazing, sleeping, wandering from pasture to pasture, maintaining internal temperature--then cereal grains are the turbo-charged portion of the diet. Their main function is to provide higher concentrations of energy, in the form of carbohydrates and starches, ... Read full story
 6/4/2008
Fiber in Hay: What's the Magic Number?   *
Horses evolved to eat a lot of fiber, spending up to 17 hours a day grazing various forage plants. But not all fiber is created equal, especially when it comes to hay. Hay carries a few challenges compared to living forages. One, compared to fresh forage, dry hay lacks the moisture needed to move fiber along the digestive tract. Unlimited access ... Read full story
 5/1/2008
Alfalfa Hay Reduces Ulcer Severity  *
If your horse has ulcers, giving him GastroGard (omeprazole) isn't the only thing you can do to help reduce the severity of the problem. At the 2007 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Orlando, Fla., Noah Cohen, VMD, PhD, MPH, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of equine medicine at Texas A&M University, discussed a study ... Read full story
 4/2/2008
Reducing Hindgut Acidosis  *
Acidosis (abnormally high acidity) in the hindgut (the large intestine and colon) can cause a number of problems in horses, including anorexia, colic, laminitis, and stereotypic (continuous, repetitive, and serving no purpose) behaviors such as wood chewing and weaving. Unfortunately, this is often a risk when feeding today's rich concentrate feeds, ... Read full story
 3/17/2008
Study Suggests Alfalfa Might Buffer Gastric Acid Production, Prevent Ulcers   *
A change in diet can be good for what ails you--even if you are a horse. Research from Texas A&M University showed that feeding alfalfa to horses either prevented or was therapeutic in treating stomach ulcers. "Something in alfalfa hay tends to buffer acid production," said Pete Gibbs, PhD, Extension horse specialist. According to Gibbs, ... Read full story
 12/19/2007
Excerpt from Revised Understanding Equine Nutrition: Fats  *
Feeding Fats If there's a nutritional buzzword for the 21st century, it's fat. We humans still might not understand fully the differences between saturated and unsaturated fats, let alone "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol--but we all know how to count our fat grams! While we struggle to keep our diets as low-fat as possible, fat has a different ... Read full story
 11/20/2007
Managing the Hard Keeper   *
Horses lose weight for a variety of reasons--some medical, some man-made. Learn why your horse might be underweight and what you can do about it. Have your veterinarian perform a complete physical examination to rule-out medical diseases or conditions. There are some common health reasons for horses to lose weight, like parasites, and there are some ... Read full story
 4/29/2007
Challenges of Feeding High-Performance Horses  *
Sometimes the difference between winning and losing is only a fraction of a second. High-performance equine trainers are well aware of this little margin, and as a result, they are always trying to find that one thing that will help their horses increase their speed. But this is not always an easy endeavor. Brian Nielsen, PhD, PAS, Dipl. ACAN, professor ... Read full story
 4/1/2007
Nutrition to Go  *
A group of veterinarians gathered at the Land O' Lakes Purina Mills headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., last fall to participate in discussions on subjects that ranged from Cushing's disease to proper nutrition for horses young and old. Nicholas Frank, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of the University of Tennessee, addressed the issues of Cushing's disease and ... Read full story
 3/1/2007
Pilot Study Shows Bee Pollen Product Increases Appetite  *
Keeping weight on a horse that's in intense training can be difficult; his appetite can fall off just as soon as you think he's reaching his athletic peak. Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) have reported in a pilot study that a bee pollen-based product shows promise in improving athletic horses' feed intake, and it could be applicable ... Read full story
 10/12/2006
Book Excerpt: Supplements of Benefit to the Performance Horse  *
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from Understanding Equine Preventive Medicine by Bradford G. Bentz, VMD. This book is available from www.ExclusivelyEquine.com. An increase in exercise also directly increases the needs for vitamins A, E, B-1, and for folic acid. Vitamin E and selenium supplementation may help decrease oxidative damage from energy ... Read full story
 11/30/2005
High-Octane Diets   *
It probably comes as no surprise that a horse taking on the rigors of a 100-mile endurance race or a three-day event might need a different diet from one that ambles the trails around home or carries a child through the occasional weekend show. The question is, just how should the feeding plan differ for these high-performance equine athletes? Read ... Read full story
 8/1/2005
USEF Names Kentucky Equine Research as Official Equine Nutritionist  *
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to name one of the world's foremost equine nutrition specialists as the Federation's Official Equine Nutritionist. Kentucky Equine Research (KER), based in Versailles, Ky., boasts more than 15 years of innovative research in the field and now brings its vast reservoir of information to the Federation ... Read full story
 3/17/2005
Farnam/Purina Partner on New Feeding Program  *
On March 7, Farnam, known for its wide variety of equine products from equine dewormers to fly sprays to equipment, and Purina, one of the country's most recognized and respected manufacturers of animal feeds, announced they had become partners in the manufacturing and promotion of a new, premium line of horse feeds and supplements. Platform horse ... Read full story
 3/8/2005
AAEP Wrap-Up: Nutrition  *
Geriatric Nutrition David Pugh, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACT, ACVN, of Auburn University, spoke at the AAEP's Horseman's Day on Geriatric Nutrition. He said a geriatric is a horse over 20 years of age. "Just like us when we age, horses have problems," said Pugh. "Horses' intestines, eyes, and so on wear out. Because of the care people are providing, the ... Read full story
 3/1/2004
AAEP 2003: Nutritional Considerations for Athletic Horses  *
“Few will dispute that nutrition is important for optimizing athletic performance in horses,” began Ray Geor, BVSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, at the AAEP Horseman’s Day. “However, there tends to be less agreement among horsemen, nutritionists, and veterinarians regarding the most important nutritional consideration for athletic horses.” He said the main consideration ... Read full story
 2/17/2004
AAEP 2003: Milne Lecture--The Equine Stomach  *
Every year one of the highlights of the American Association of Equine Practitioners' convention is the Milne Lecture, named for past president and distinguished life member Frank J. Milne. Each year a different speaker is chosen and honored with an award. This year the presenter was Alfred Merritt, DVM, MS, of the University of Florida, who spoke ... Read full story
 1/31/2004
Building Better Athletes Through Nutrition  *
Nutritional strategies for raising and competing sounder Thoroughbreds, many of which can be applied to horses of all breeds, was presented by Laurie Lawrence, PhD, at the Thoroughbred International Exposition and Conference (TIEC). Lawrence, who has done extensive research on equine nutrition at the University of Kentucky, covered nutrition of foals, ... Read full story
 7/1/2003
Antioxidants for Exercising Horses  *
Could feeding antioxidants to your horse help him through a performance problem? Antioxidants, whether found in the diet or supplemented, could potentially help exercising horses experiencing oxidative stress, said Catherine Dunnett, BSc, PhD, a nutritionist at Independent Equine Nutrition Ltd. in Newmarket, United Kingdom. Dunnett discussed the role ... Read full story
 6/25/2003
When to Feed Your Athlete   *
What is the best feeding practice for horses before competition exercise or a hard training session? There is no real consensus on this issue and, similar to the field of human performance nutrition, there are many opinions on what is best. Some trainers will withhold all feed, some will decrease the amount of hay fed, and others will increase the ... Read full story
 4/1/2003
AAEP Convention: Nutrition  *
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN EQUINE NUTRITION A lot has happened in the field of equine nutrition research in the last five years. Ginger Rich, PhD, of Rich Equine Nutritional Consulting in Eads, Tenn.; and Leslie Breuer, PhD, of LH Breuer and Associates, updated veterinarians who attended the Current Concepts in Equine Nutrition in-depth session at ... Read full story
 3/1/2003
AAEP 2002: Recent Developments in Equine Nutrition  *
A lot has happened in the field of equine research in the last five years. Ginger Rich, PhD, of Rich Equine Nutritional Consulting in Eads, Tenn.; and Leslie Breuer, PhD, of LH Breuer and Associates, updated veterinarians and others who attended the Current Concepts in Equine Nutrition in-depth session at the 2002 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ ... Read full story
 2/4/2003
AAEP 2002: Possible Environmental Sources of Drug Positives  *
As post-performance drug testing methods become more sensitive, racehorse and show horse owners, veterinarians, handlers, and trainers have become more aware that positive drug tests could be the result of inadvertent contamination of the horse with chemicals present in the environment. Cynthia Kollias-Baker, DVM, PhD, director of the Racing Laboratory ... Read full story
 1/7/2003
Feeding Management for Stressful Situations   *
"Anytime you ask a horse to be a performance horse (taking him out of his natural environment), you put him in a stressful situation," said Joe Pagan, PhD, owner of Kentucky Equine Research (KER) in Versailles, Ky., during his presentation "Feeding Management of Horses Under Stressful Situations" at the 2002 KER Equine Nutrition Conference. "Feeding ... Read full story
 11/1/2002
Feed for Speed   *
Few dispute that nutrition is important for athletic performance in racehorses. However, I'd wager that there is much less agreement among horse owners, nutritionists, and veterinarians when asked to expound upon the "nitty gritty" of what works (and what doesn't) when feeding a horse in race training. Some focus on the virtues of the latest fad supplement, ... Read full story
 10/1/2002
Feeding for Performance   *
Feeding high-performance horses is a challenge. If nutritional requirements are met appropriately, performance can be improved over those horses which are fed imbalanced diets in irregular amounts. When working with a veterinarian or nutritionist to develop an economical and efficient feeding program, take into consideration energy, protein, vitamins, ... Read full story
 2/1/2002
Matching Diet to Activity Level  *
When it comes to extracting the maximum effort out of your performance horse, there is no doubting the importance of a sound feeding program. He needs a balanced diet to replenish fuel reserves, repair tissue, and provide a foundation for training and competing successfully. All too often there is a tendency for us to focus on the latest and greatest ... Read full story
 12/1/2001
Advances In Equine Nutrition: KER conference 1998  *
The nutrition conference for feed manufacturers presented by Kentucky Equine Research (KER) of Versailles, Ky., attracted more than 200 delegates involved in research and feed manufacturing from the United States, Europe, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and other countries around the world. Several world renowned speakers, plus graduate students from universities ... Read full story
 10/5/2001
A World Apart--Olympic Games 2000  *
Changes in diet, transportation, high-level competition...all are known to take their toll on performance horses. Combine these three and you have the making of a disaster, unless proper preparations are made to combat these stresses. For the Olympic Games in Sydney, nearly every competitor traveled thousands of miles by van and by air to reach the ... Read full story
 9/13/2001
Feeding the Endurance Horse  *
The nutritional needs of the endurance horse are somewhat unique compared to horses used for other athletic disciplines. The metabolic demands of endurance racing (including competitive trail riding and ride and tie events) are high, requiring the horse to draw heavily upon his energy reserves to fuel muscle contraction and other body functions during ... Read full story
 9/1/2001
High-Energy Feeds  *
The importance of nutrition for optimal athletic performance, regardless of the level of competition, cannot be over-emphasized. We should on occasion refresh our understanding of some basic concepts and look at ways to meet the nutritional needs of the athletic horse. The first key concept seems obvious, but nonetheless is critical to understanding ... Read full story
 6/1/2001
Performance Boosters  *
They purport to "Increase power." "Delay fatigue." "Increase stamina." "Build muscle." "Reduce recovery time." "Extensive research has proven..." Doubtless, most of you have seen and read advertisements for nutritional supplements in which the manufacturers make these and other similar claims. In the past decade or so, there has been a tremendous increase ... Read full story
 8/1/2000
Pre-Exercise Feeding  *
When and what should I feed my horse before exercise? This question is very familiar to equine nutritionists, and generally sparks considerable debate about feeding management of horses prior to competition. While it generally is agreed that feeding practices before competition exercise have an important bearing on performance, there is little consensus ... Read full story
 5/1/2000
Body Fuel  *
Regardless of the discipline, attaining peak performance is the number one goal for all involved in the preparation of the equine athlete. This Sports Medicine column aims to provide the reader with a greater understanding of how the horse's body works during exercise. In this first article, the fundamental relationship between nutrition and exercise ... Read full story
 1/1/2000
Feeding Racehorses  *
On several occasions in the past year or two, we’ve discussed in this series the intricacies of feeding young horses for optimum growth. We’ve also walked you through the pertinent points of fueling the high-performance equine athlete, for maximum output with minimum fatigue. But there’s one category of performance horse which combines both of these ... Read full story
 8/1/1999
Feeding the High-Octane Horse  *
The tightly packed field of Thoroughbred racehorses, straining every muscle for a few more inches of gained ground on the final turn...the Arabian endurance horse, with 89 miles of hard, mountainous terrain behind him and 11 more to go before he can rest...the Olympic three-day event horse, summoning up all his courage, agility, and speed to answer ... Read full story
 8/1/1998
Feeding Fat for Energy and Performance  *
If there was a nutritional buzzword that was started in the '90s, it was fat. We fitness-conscious (and frequently overweight) North Americans still might not fully understand the differences between "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol, but we all know how to count our fat grams! While we struggle to keep our diets as low-fat as possible, fat ... Read full story
 7/1/1997




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