Finer details of feeding need to be regarded once the work load intensifies. In order to survive the maximum performance levels, it becomes more necessary to look at the losses that the horse is subject to due to the increase in workload. It is still necessary to determine the goals that you wish to accomplish from your feeding programme and aim to see to it the horses requirements are met as expeditiously as possible.
Up to 75% of an adult horse’s body mass is water. Whether or not this is jeopardised it may pose a serious threat to the performance of the horse and a drop of just 2% may reduce performance, (marlin and nankervis 2002. ) water is lost at an high rate in horses due to the permeability of their skin and performance horses will increase this loss for the duration of practice by up to 80%. The amount of water that the horse will need in its diet may be approximated by calculating the moisture content of other dietary substances, the amount of protein and salt in the diet and the energy output of the horse, which may be exercised with the assistance of spreadsheet ration formulation.
(more…)