Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do to give him more energy?
My 15hh riding club horse is overweight, laid back and lethargic – what can I do to give him more energy? Current ration includes 2kg of hay and 1kg of high fibre nuts.
It is not healthy for your horse to remain overweight and will increase the risk of conditions developing such as laminitis and Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Therefore, it is essential to reduce your horse’s current calorie intake, to encourage a steady weight loss and achieve a more healthy body condition. Often during the winter horses will be working less and utilising less calories due to limited turn out, darker evenings and flooded ménages, which can lead to weight gain if the ration is not altered appropriately.
Although your horse is overweight it is still essential to provide adequate quantities of fibre to maintain a healthy digestive tract, to ensure he is kept chewing for the majority of his day and avoid issues with boredom and gastric ulcers. I suggest feeding a minimum of 2% ideal body weight of hay, which for a 500kg horse would be 10kg of hay per day in the field and when stabled. To ensure this quantity of fibre can be provided without increasing your horse’s calorie intake I suggest soaking the hay for 12-24 hours to leach out the majority of nutrients. Adequate fibre intake will also ensure your horse is producing the necessary levels of B vitamins that are responsible for energy utilisation. Limited quantities of B vitamins can also contribute to lethargy.
Based on your horse’s current ration (1kg high fibre nuts) I am concerned he is not being provided with adequate vitamins and minerals, which could also be contributing to his lack of energy. To meet his nutrient requirements, and reduce his calorie intake, I suggest replacing the fibre nuts with a double handful of low energy chaff, such as Fibergy, along with a powdered broad spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement, such as Daily Vits & Mins.
Horses that are overweight have to work harder during exercise to carry their additional pounds around, this can cause them to feel sluggish and tire at a faster rate. Therefore, you may find that as your gelding begins to lose weight his energy levels will improve. It is vital to remember that energy for work and calories for weight gain are exactly the same thing. If at this time we increased his energy intake for work he is likely to simply put on more weight and become more lethargic.
Slow and steady exercise (walk, trot, hill work) keeping the heart rate below 150 beats per minute will predominantly utilise fat to fuel muscular activity. This type of ‘fat burning’ exercise, performed on a regular basis, will help to encourage a steady weight loss and healthy condition overtime. It is essential to continue to consistently monitor your horse’s weight every 2 weeks using a weigh tape and condition score card.
