As the day lengths are increasing, so is the opportunity for a lot of people to begin working their horses after a winter break.
If you’re dusting off your riding gear, there are few things we want to consider when making feeding choices for horses returning to work. Has the horse been receiving supplementary feed over winter? Is the feed still suitable for their return to work? How is their body condition – do they need to increase or decrease weight?
Like many things with horses, it’s best to make gradual changes. Increase the length and intensity of workouts slowly to avoid muscle soreness and injury, and make any changes to the diet over a period of 1-2 weeks to ensure the gut has adequate time to adjust.
Choosing a feed to suit both the current and desired body condition, temperament and work load is very important. If the horse has come back from the break carrying too much condition, finding a feed that supplies the right amount of minerals without too much extra energy or starch and sugars could be a good fit. If the horse needs to gain condition and muscle, a feed which supplies higher levels of energy and protein might be more appropriate. Remember you may need to continue adjusting the feeding levels to match your horse’s workload as it increases.
For free help choosing a suitable feed for your horse, please email us at [email protected]