A New Perspective: Our Approach to Feeding the Modern Sport Horse
As the health and wellness space continues to grow, people are beginning to understand that what we put into our bodies comes down to so much more than just calories and macronutrients. Food supplies our bodies with the building blocks and nutrients it needs to either contribute toward health resilience or toward deterioration and dysfunction. It’s the same reason you wouldn’t choose to build the frame of a house with rotting wood or wouldn’t put old, cheap gas in a high-end car. What we choose to fuel our bodies with affects how we think, feel, and perform.
I got a crash course in this a few years ago when, after struggling for years to manage an autoimmune disease, I made the decision to significantly change my diet. As I began to research, I learned how certain foods that we eat can trigger inflammation in the body, and that by removing those foods, many people see a decrease in their autoimmune symptoms. This is because autoimmune diseases are driven by chronic, persistent inflammation, and by removing some of the inflammatory triggers that are in many of the foods we commonly eat as a part of the Standard American Diet (gluten, conventionally raised dairy, refined sugar and oils, soy, corn, etc.), I stopped adding additional fuel to the internal fire.
It took a while, but after a little bit of time, I started to notice that I felt better and better. Not only did my autoimmune disease symptoms get better, but I noticed that my head felt clearer and sharper, my body felt less puffy and sluggish, and that I was able to push myself more both in the saddle and in the gym. This led me down a whole another rabbit hole in which I began to understand how chronic inflammation actually affects cognition and inhibits the recovery and repair process in our bodies, among other things.
Before I continue, it’s important to understand that inflammation isn’t inherently bad. It’s super helpful in an acute phase. Say you slice your finger open. That triggers an inflammatory response where all sorts of immune cells, proteins, and antibodies flood to the area in order to begin the healing process. Your finger might get a little warm, red, and puffy. But (within reason) that’s good news, because it means the body is working to help heal the cut. Inflammation only becomes a problem when it lingers in the body for too long. This can be caused by a combination of a lot of different things – a chronic infection, poor diet, lack of quality sleep, toxicities, chemicals, stress, etc.
Some of these inflammatory triggers, we can address (like diet) and other things (like air quality) are out of our immediate jurisdiction. Which is why it’s important to dial in on the factors over which we do have control. Ongoing chronic, systemic inflammation predisposes us to disease - both chronic and acute. But equally of interest – chronic inflammation also prevents our bodies from being able to heal and repair themselves efficiently. It slows the body down mentally and physically. And when the body is constantly putting out “fires” in the way of chronic inflammation, that leaves it with less time to repair and rebuild itself. Understandably, this all can hinder athletic performance as well as recovery. This is where our feeding philosophy for the horses comes in.
Our feeding program stems from the strong belief that our horses (whether children’s ponies or Grand Prix horses) are athletes and should be treated as such. When it comes to feeding our horses, we have a couple of priorities. Most important, we want to make sure to meet and optimize the nutritional requirements of each animal. We also want to feed in a way that is conducive to the health of the gut and of the gut microbiome. Equally essential, we aim to feed our horses a diet that is as anti-inflammatory as possible, and sometimes incorporate specific nutraceuticals and supplements that help to keep the body functioning optimally while mitigating chronic and systemic inflammation.
These three main objectives are achieved by feeding according to the following principals:
1) Prioritize High Quality Forage
At the forefront of our feeding program is consistent access to high quality hay. This it not only a crucial component when it comes to meeting the nutritional requirements of the horse, but also is one of the most significant things we can do to facilitate gut and gut microbiome health. We feed our horses a mixture of grass and alfalfa hay. Some horse people are concerned about feeding alfalfa, but the reality is that as long as the horse tolerates it well and doesn’t have a history of a metabolic disorder (and even sometimes if they do, depending on the horse) alfalfa is a great, nutrient dense source of forage for horses. Alfalfa hay is also a better source of protein than just straight grass hay, something which is important to both muscle building and recovery in sport horses.
As I mentioned before, a diet consisting primarily of continuous access to good hay is also vital for the health of horse’s digestive system and the gut microbiome. The reason being that horses are grazers by design, meaning their digestive systems are built to be eating and digesting small amounts of food (either grass or hay) the majority of the day. Horses are also hindgut fermenters which means that the bacteria in a horse’s cecum and large intestine are responsible for taking the indigestible part of the fibrous foods a horse grazes on (cellulose) and digesting them. In the process, these bacteria metabolize and synthesize various fatty acids and vitamins.
Understanding how a horse’s digestive system works and feeding accordingly is key for a few reasons. One, because allowing horses to eat small amounts of hay (or pasture grass) throughout the day helps to reduce the risk of colic by stimulating peristalsis (the involuntary contraction of muscles that helps to move food along the digestive tract). Two, this also helps keep stomach ulcers at bay because the food in the stomach (especially alfalfa hay which is richer in calcium) serves as a natural buffer for acid. And, three, it reduces the need for excessive vitamin supplementation and huge amounts of grain concentrates (more on this below), because high-quality hay is a good source of most essential nutrients. This also provides the bacteria in the large intestine with the raw materials they need to synthesize other vitamins and fatty acids. This all might seem like basic horsemanship and not specific to performance horses. And that might be true. But I would argue that in order for an equine athlete to perform at his best, his overall health and well-being must first be addressed and dialed in. And simply put, feeding a good quality hay throughout the day is one of the key things we can do nutritionally to optimize the health of the horses in our care.
2) Top Off With a Minimally Processed Grain
This is a point of contention for many horse people. Some can’t fathom not including a concentrated feed in their horses’ diets, and some on the other side will argue that when fed a diet of high-quality hay and pasture, horses don’t need the addition of grain. I agree that grain often makes up a disproportionate percentage of our horses’ diets. And I also agree that many horses don’t need the additional calories and energy that grain provides if they’re getting all the essential nutrients from a good quality mixed hay. For those horses, I would use an alfalfa or an alfalfa/timothy pellet to administer any supplements and also to make it so that they don’t feel “left out” at meal times.
However, I would argue that being athletes, many sport horses benefit from the additional macro and micronutrients that a high quality and minimally processed feed provides. Especially, the additional protein and carbohydrates. But that doesn’t mean I want my horses to get their protein from soybean meal and their carbohydrates from refined grain by-products. (Side note: I recognize that soybean meal is a complete protein and on paper should be an excellent source of this macronutrient. Still, I’m concerned about the fact that soybeans are one of the most commonly genetically modified foods in this country, and that they have a high concentration of phytoestrogens (plant compounds that are similar to the hormone estrogen.) Until research shows me that soy is definitively safe, I choose to stay away from it when possible.)
One of my favorite feeds is Crypto Aero’s Whole Food horse feed. (I’m not sponsored, I just genuinely love their products!) Crypto Aero’s feed is a whole oat-based feed (oats are a great source of fermentable fibers like beta-glucans which contribute toward gut health) and also includes a whole food source of protein, peas, which have a complete amino acid profile that contributes to the building of healthy muscle tissue. This feed also boasts a small but solid list of other beneficial ingredients specifically and intentionally formulated to contribute to health from the inside out. It’s also a concentrate – so that means we feed less than we would with a grain that has lower quality and less nutrient dense ingredients.
Contrary to the common misconception, whole oats won’t actually make a horse any hotter. They’re a good source of resistant starch (which isn’t digested in the small intestine, therefore making them lower on the glycemic index) – meaning they’re not going to spike the horse’s blood sugar in the way that processed wheat, corn, and other common grain ingredients would. They actually provide a more sustainable, longer lasting source of energy for horses without putting them on the blood sugar roller coaster that horse people often attribute to excessive energy, irritability, or spookiness.
Also, contrary to another big myth perpetuated by both the human food industry and the animal feed industry, food doesn’t need to be fortified with synthetic vitamins if you’re feeding an appropriate, nutrient dense diet of real, whole foods. I’m going to say that louder again for the people in the back. A diet filled with quality, nutrient dense, minimally processed foods provides all the necessary nutrients for optimal health and doesn’t need to be fortified with cheap, synthetic vitamins. Do we sometimes need targeted supplementation to optimize a horse’s health or help to address a specific deficiency? Yes, but that’s on a case-by-case basis and tailored according to the individual needs of each horse. Further, what’s super cool is that by reducing inflammatory, processed feeds and feeding in a way that supports gut health, we’re actually reducing inflammation in the digestive tract. This makes for an increased absorption of nutrients, as intestinal inflammation actually hinders nutrient assimilation. Knowing this, one can see how a cycle begins. When we feed high volumes of a grain with nutrient poor, inflammatory ingredients (many of which are just highly processed filler ingredients in the first place) this not only fails to provide the body with adequate nutrients, but also the inflammation it precipitates hinders a horse from absorbing what is being ingested. Which then necessitates increased supplementation or feeding of fortified grain products because the horse isn’t absorbing nutrients properly. And thus continues the cycle… I’ve found for our horses that it’s more efficient and that we have better outcomes when we choose to feed minimally processed and higher quality feeds.
Then we have huge feed companies coming and saying “your horse isn’t going to get adequate nutrients if you’re not feeding a fortified grain…” when in actuality, it’s products like theirs that are contributing to the problem in the first place.
3) Optimize Performance and Health With Naturally-Derived Supplements as Necessary
Supplements can be a super useful tool when it comes to optimizing the equine athlete’s performance. That said – there’s not a one size fits all supplement that works for every horse. In my opinion, the exception to that is free choice access to a mineral salt lick, which is in every one of our horses’ stalls. Some hardly touch theirs, and others go through them more quickly, but it’s important that all horses have the ability to replenish the salt and trace minerals that are lost through daily activities and especially through sweat.
With that exception, supplements should be tailored to the needs of the individual horse, oftentimes in conjunction with your veterinarian. Bloodwork can be a valuable tool, but so can close and careful observation of the horse both in the barn and under saddle. If I have a horse that is a little tight and jumpy after treating for or ruling out ulcers, I’ll consider magnesium supplementation, especially because magnesium[1] isn’t as prevalent in our soil, and therefore, in the horses’ hay these days. If we have a horse struggling with immune issues or going through a stressful time we might consider supplementing with a water-soluble natural form of Vitamin E. A mare that is manageable but gets uncomfortable when she comes into season? A natural hormone support (like Equine Elixir’s Positude) can be really helpful. A horse that comes out a little stiff or who has elevated inflammatory markers on his bloodwork? A curcumin and Boswellia based supplement (which are both natural anti-inflammatories) like CurOST’s EQ Plus Performance can make a huge difference in their comfort levels. What’s beneficial about using naturally derived supplements is that they tend to have a better bioavailability (ability to be absorbed and used by the body) because they are in a form that the body recognizes. Plant and herb-based supplements also have the potential to work synergistically in a way that synthetic ingredients don’t.
Further, when used appropriately, certain supplement and ingredients can also sometimes help to reduce usage and dependency on medications like NSAIDS and PPIs (like omeprazole). Not saying that there’s not a place for things like that, because there absolutely is. But oftentimes, after using specific pharmaceuticals to help treat the acute problem, natural ingredients can be a great way maintain and contribute to health long term without the same side effect profile. For example, let’s compare the use of NSAIDS like bute and banamine with anti-inflammatory herbs I mentioned above, curcumin and Boswellia. NSAIDS work by inhibiting the COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. These enzymes promote the formation of prostaglandins that contribute to pain and inflammation in the body, and they are extremely helpful in the short term. However, they also reduce the prostaglandins that help to protect the digestive tract, which is why excessive NSAID use can contribute to ulcers in horses.
To a lesser degree, curcumin also works to inhibit the COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, but also has been shown to be protective against ulcers. Additionally, curcumin[2] and Boswellia[3] each inhibit additional inflammatory pathways in the body (I won’t bore you with all the details), which means that they work to mitigate inflammation in ways NSAIDS don’t target. Obviously, nutraceuticals like this aren’t meant to replace pharmaceuticals, and they oftentimes don’t have as strong or as immediate effect as medications. But, they excel at providing more long-term benefits, typically with a more benign (or nonexistent) side-effect profile. And that’s what helps to give horses an edge in the ring!
For the purpose of trying not to let this blog post get any longer than it already is, I’m not going to delve into all the specific supplements I use and why. We’ll save that for another day. But I will say that there are more and more companies coming up that are bringing excellent, high quality, naturally derived supplements to the market. Companies like Equine Elixirs, CurOST*, Crypto Aero, and BioStar US* (which is newer to me, but has a great line of products) are doing an excellent job of bringing natural, effective, and research based, to the equine world. Again, I’m not sponsored by any of these companies, but have been impressed by their products, and think it’s important to support companies whose values align with my own and whose products have contributed to the health and success of our equine athletes.
*While all of Equine Elixirs’ products, and as far as I know all of Crypto Aero’s equine products are USEF and FEI legal, CurOST and BioStar US do carry some products that have illegal ingredients, so be sure to read the labels.
So, here we are at over 2,700 words, and if you’re still reading, I applaud you. You might gather that this is something I’m really passionate (and kind of nerdy) about. And while I may have taken a lot of words to get here, in the end, our feeding philosophy is actually pretty simple. Feed the horses according to the way that their bodies were designed to function, try not to add to their inflammatory burden with less than stellar ingredients, and supplement as needed to optimize performance. When we support the horses’ bodies in this way, it not only contributes to their overall health, but also frees the body up to better deal with the inflammation and necessary repair processes that result as a part of everyday life, and as a part of being an athlete. It also decreases the measures we need to take to mitigate inflammation through supplementation, medication, injections, and other channels. So, what might seem like a lot at first actually, truly does simplify things in the end. And any way we can help make things less complicated in this sport helps, am I right?!
I’m sure post is going to create some strong opinions. Questions? Comments? Let me know your thoughts below!
[1] https://horseandrider.com/horse-health-care/vitamins-and-minerals-for-horses
[2] https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-014-0066-3
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19374837/
Nothing in this post constitutes as medical or nutritional advice. As always, be sure to consult with your veterinarian before making changes to your horses feed or supplement program.
