subject: Advances In Feeding The Thoroughbred [print this page] Human elite athletes benefit from enhanced diets designed to enable them to get the very most from every bite of food they take in, and now, thoroughbred racing horses can get the most from every morsel they consume as well.
New advances in feeding thoroughbred horses have not only brought the horses greater satisfaction and better health through nutrition, these advances have already begun to improve the sport of horse racing. Horses are stronger, they run better, and thoroughbred racing enthusiasts enjoy a better experience at the track - all thanks to better nutrition. What kind of advances in feeding thoroughbreds have been made?
You may already know that thoroughbred racing horses require careful feeding, as they can be sensitive to many common ingredients found in equine foodstuffs. Avoiding dietary errors can help improve performance and prevent lost training time, whilst improved feeding strategies should aim to increase muscle and blood glucose and slow down heat production.
This being said, race horses require much more energy than a regimen of hay and grain alone can safely provide. The answer? High oil, nutrient dense steam-extruded and micronized feeds are an excellent addition to the thoroughbred's diet because not only do they reduce heat, they reduce gas and acid as they are primarily digested in the small intestine. These feeds are also designed to help thoroughbred racing horses to maintain their body weight, even in intense training. Additional benefits include:
Lowering weight handicaps by reducing the the amount of water-absorptive residue found in the large intestine
Aiding the prevention of horses tying up early on in exercise sessions
Increasing the comfort and performance of horses working and racing in hot weather conditions
Optimal protein balance builds muscle, and high quality protein containing adequate levels of essential amino acids aid in maintaining energy and reducing post-raceday recovery time. Horses enjoy these feeds as they take longer to consume than pellets and raw grains, even though a lower volume of feed is provided to the horse per feeding session.
In addition to adding feedstuffs formulated specifically for racehorses to the thoroughbred's diet, feeding small, frequent meals can aid in performance and health. It is vital to remember that race horses have high energy requirements and that feeding too much bulky food can slow them down. Selecting specially formulated foods meant for racehorses increases performance, allows horses to maintain top speed for longer periods of time, plus these foods help to improve health, maintaining the horse's condition and protecting your investment.
