Lifestages & Workload

There’s no doubt that horses at different stages of their lives will have different dietary needs. For example, the lactating broodmare’s energy requirements could be nearly double that of a horse at maintenance – this is because her body needs more support to produce enough milk for her growing foal. The requirements of foals and youngstock will also change as they mature. When they’re very young, most of their nutrition will come from the mare’s milk, but as they get older, they will develop the capability to digest more fibre and other nutrients from forage. Their age and rate of growth will also influence their nutritional needs, so this should be taken into account when putting together a feeding plan for the foal or young horse.

When it comes to the adult horse, the level of exercise being performed will have a bearing on the nutrient requirements of the individual. Horses in very light levels of work may not need much adaptation to the ration compared to a horse at rest, but for those higher levels of work or performance horses, requirements for certain nutrients such as quality protein, antioxidants and electrolytes will be increased. Choosing a feed or balancer that is targeted at horses in higher workloads can be a good place to start, but it’s important to monitor your horse’s weight and condition using body condition scoring to determine whether they are receiving sufficient energy (calories) from their diet. More information on supplying energy in the diet can be found in the Leisure Horse and Performance Horse articles.

Feeding programmes for the senior horse or pony will really depend to an extent on the level of exercise they are undertaking, as well as whether they have any health concerns, such as PPID (formerly known as Cushing’s disease). Additionally, for those with dental problems, it may be worth considering whether it’s time to introduce a forage replacement feed that is easier for them to chew as an alternative to their hay or haylage.

The following articles will provide more information on the impact of different life stages and levels of exercise on the horse’s dietary requirements. Remember that all horses are individuals though, so for more detailed advice our feedline team can be contacted on 01621 841 188 or via our online feed advice form.