The Dangers of Rocket Fuel: Feeding the Performance Thoroughbred

**Disclaimer**

While I am a nutrition nerd, I have no formal training in nutrition or vet science. All statements are based on my own experience and the experiences of friends.

Maintaining a thoroughbred for dressage or another high performance sport can be difficult. Their high-energy personalities, sensitivity to temperature, and high metabolisms can make balancing energy requirements and weight-maintenance difficult.

A large majority of thoroughbreds come from a racetrack background. On the track, horses are often fed in way that supports their unique nutritional needs. Namely, quick bursts of immense energy. This type of energy expenditure requires a large amount of quickly accessible and easily digested carbohydrates(1), a minimal forage load, and an otherwise nutritionally balanced diet. This leads to racehorses often being fed mostly sweet-type, carb-heavy, feeds, with a dose of protein and some fat supplements to keep weight up. Forage is often alfalfa, and usually decreased the day of racing to try to keep weight down. (Ever try running sprints with a full belly? Don't. Even if you don't throw up, you'll be horribly slow.)

Remember, kids. Only small snacks prior to extreme exercise...

In the performance horse, energy requirements are often much the same as in the racehorse. However, the type of energy needed is quite different. Instead of requiring a quick burst of energy, most performance horses need to sustain a high level of energy for a longer period of time. (Aside: Lots of people taking horses off the track don't realize how much feed they still need to pour into their horses. This is why so many OTTBs look absolutely abysmal during their "transition" period. This shouldn't be normal. For god's sake. Feed your ex-racehorse a load of cool calories.) For the dressage horse, specifically, the need for exceptional strength is also required to maintain collection. In addition, an extremely sensitive temperament is usually unsuited to the more concentration-based training of the sport horse.

Putting all of this together, the recommended diet for the sport horse would do best with a high forage and fat based diet, lower in carbs than that of a racehorse, but still with a hefty dose of protein.(2) With easy keeping warmbloods, a mostly forage diet with a ration balancer is often enough. In heavy work, easy keepers often do well with an additional grain/fat supplement to maintain weight and long-lasting energy levels.

Om nom...

For the thoroughbred, I've noticed these recommendations don't always work out. Like all nutrition, feeding is incredibly personal. Each individual's unique body chemistry and fitness level dictates what will work best. For most of the high performance thoroughbred sport horses I've met, a lower carb and higher fat diet can work well. However, the thoroughbred build and propensity for developing lean muscle must be taken into effect. For Guinness, this means the addition of more protein to his diet.

As we've been schooling 3rd level, I've noticed Guinness lacking in the strength department. He's been very slow to develop a topline in response to his workload. His neck remained stubbornly the same, refusing to build muscle over the top. He's was also quick to tire when working in collection.

March 2015

In March, I decided to take action and add a protein supplement to Pig's diet. Though he was already getting a decent amount of protein through his grain/alfalfa diet, I wondered if maybe he didn't need more to support the additional muscle growth dressage required.

I chose to add a 32% protein rational balancer to his diet. The additional vitamin/mineral supplementation appealed to me, as Pig otherwise was not receiving enough through his normal grain ration. While on full turnout, his pasture waned in the winter and his exercise levels remained very high. I felt this meant balanced feed supplementation would be a good idea. Plus, a ration balancer is one of the cheapest ways to add protein to a horse's diet.

Since moving to Maryland, Guinness has been receiving two pounds of the ration balancer, on top of two pounds of 14% senior grain and his full pasture. His weight is still fantastic (not increasing or decreasing), but I have noticed other differences with the increased protein supplementation.

He's been growing topline. Like crazy...

As in, inches of topline...

 He's starting to look like "real" dressage horse. And, he's finally starting to be able to maintain collection for a longer period of time. He is much more willing and able to lift through the withers, and step under with a loose and strong back. Some of this development is definitely due to training and conditioning, but as our training hasn't changed too much I feel the additional protein in his diet is finally hitting the optimal levels.

That said, extra protein in the diet does have some pitfalls. Like what? Like ... bringing out the crazy.

I would say Guinness is about 30% hotter and spookier than he has ever been. Two days ago he tried to "save" us both from a feral and dangerous golf cart by bolting towards the road. The day before that he spooked so hard at another horse in a pasture, I actually thought he might have unseated me. Yesterday he decided the sound of the farrier grinding shoes was actually the sound of his pasture-mate being ground into bits. Walking from our pasture to the ring has made me contemplate horse-exorcism, and wearing an air vest. He's completely lost his mind.

Once he's in the ring and settled down to work, however, Guinness has been a perfect gentleman. The extra muscle has helped him feel more prepared for the work, so we have fewer "I can't even" meltdowns. His hotness is just about even with my capabilities, making him a very fun and responsive Ferrari ride. Honestly, I'm enjoying the shenanigans. Hot horses, they are kind of my thing.

The whole thing makes me wonder, though. What kind of balance is there in feeding your horse for optimal performance and keeping him a willing and mindful partner? It seems to be harder for thoroughbreds.

**Thanks to Jodi from Racing to Ride for more detailed info on the feeding of racehorses.