Workload demystified

Knowing how hard your horse is working is just one part of the jigsaw of formulating his diet. Clare Barfoot RNutr, research and development manager at SPILLERS, explains the different levels

WORKLOAD AND HOW it relates to feeding and nutrition can get owners a little confused, often resulting in overestimating how much work your horse is actually doing and how much feed he needs. Although workload influences the amount of energy your horse requires, it’s not the only factor. Your horse’s body condition is actually far more relevant than workload when it comes to choosing the energy level of his feed. For example, if your horse is eventing at novice level (medium work) and he’s overweight then he’s getting more calories than he’s burning, so there’s no need to feed a higher-calorie feed just because he’s in medium work. On the f lip side, if your horse isn’t in any work but is underweight, then you need to feed more calories in order to build his condition. This is why it’s so important to learn to condition score to get an objective view of how much fat your horse is storing. However, it doesn’t end there. Although there’s not always a direct relationship between workload and dietary energy requirement, higher levels of exercise do increase the need for certain nutrients. Additional sources of protein — particularly essential amino acids, including lysine and methionine — together with vitamins and minerals, can be highly beneficial. If your horse falls into the category of working off ‘fresh air’, it’s advisable to add a balancer to provide extra nutrients to meet the needs of increased exercise but without adding unwanted calories. Here’s a basic guide to help you establish how hard your horse is working. However, the most effective way to decide how much energy your horse needs in his diet is not by focusing on his workload, but by evaluating how much condition he’s carrying.

“Learn to condition score to assess how much fat your horse is storing”