Meeting the Nutritional Needs of School Horses

Riding academies, lesson barns, and equestrian teams rely on the kindness and worldliness of school horses. These gentle souls endure inexperienced riders commendably, asking only for well-fitting tack, plenty of praise, and groceries to fuel the inevitable laps. When faced with a group of school horses, what’s the best way to suss out their nutritional needs?

From a metabolic angle, school horses often fall into one of two categories: easy keepers or hard keepers. Easy keepers are typically chosen as school horses not only for their docility and job know-how but also because they are inexpensive to manage. What should an easy-keeping school horse be fed? The first important piece of information is body weight. Once body weight has been ascertained either with an electronic scale or a weight-tape, accurate allotment of individual feedstuffs can be calculated quickly. Generally speaking, these horses should be fed:

• Good-quality forage. During the growing season, pasture is the best choice of forage for many school horses, as grazing is a natural behavior of horses, allowing them to move around as they wish, which is often a benefit for well-used horses. If pasture is unavailable, hay is a suitable alternative. Hay that contains any hint of mold should be set aside and disposed of or possibly off-loaded onto a cattle producer, especially when feeding horses with respiratory problems. Because hay forms the foundation of any equine diet, it should be fed at a rate of 1.5-2% of body weight. A 1,300-lb (600-kg) school horse would be fed about 19.5-26 lb (9-12 kg) of hay daily. The amount of hay fed can be increased if he cleans up the hay offered to him.
• Source of minerals and vitamins. If a school horse maintains weight on hay alone, no traditional concentrate should be offered. However, he should be given a ration balancer to provide protein, vitamins, and minerals needed to round out his diet. The feeding rate of most ration balancers is 1-2 lb (0.45-0.9 kg) daily. In lieu of a ration balancer, a horse could be fed a vitamin and mineral supplement.
• School horses should have access to salt for a portion of the day, whether that’s in the stall or in the paddock or pasture. If fed outside, use a feeder or container that lifts the salt block off the ground but does not accumulate rainwater. Drill holes in the bottom of the container, if necessary, to allow for drainage.
• Electrolyte supplement. Depending on the work required of a school horse, an electrolyte supplement might be appropriate. Many owners offer electrolytes in hot, humid weather, when horses sweat most. An electrolyte supplement is appropriate, however, anytime a horse sweats daily or nearly so, even in cold weather.
• Appropriate nutritional add-ons. Supplementation is sometimes key to optimal health. School horses do well with a research-proven all-in-one formula that addresses joint health, antioxidant needs, and hoof and coat quality. If an all-in-one formula isn’t a perfect fit for a particular horse, target individual needs with appropriate nutritional supplements.

The energy demands of one or more lessons every day can be problematic for hard keepers. Mindful feeding strategies can be implemented to keep horses in optimal weight.

• Energy-dense forage. For hard-keeping school horses, the best forage is high-quality pasture. If pasture is unavailable, legume hay, such as alfalfa, or legume-grass blend, such as alfalfa-timothy, should be offered, as early-cut legume has more energy than grasses. If alfalfa hay is hard to come by in a specific location, alfalfa cubes or pellets can be added to the diet. These can usually be purchased in bags at feed stores.
• Fortified concentrates. Choose a feed formulated specifically for performance horses, as these will often feature different energy sources, including starch (in grains such as oats and barley), fat (in vegetable oil and rice bran), and fermentable fiber (in beet pulp and soy hulls). To ensure horses receive the nutrients in the concentrate at the rate intended, it is essential that the feed be fed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, being especially considerate of the minimum feeding rate.
• Additional fat. If a traditional concentrate is chosen, additional fat can be added in the form of vegetable oil (100% fat; choose soy or canola oil) or stabilized rice bran (about 20% fat). Fat increases the energy in a ration. Stabilized rice bran products are generally pelleted for ease of feeding. Horses find oils and rice bran palatable, so they can be top-dressed onto feed.
• Salt. Horses should have access to salt, either in a stall or in a paddock or pasture. Horsemen generally use salt blocks, as they are convenient, but loose salt can be offered to horses. If fed loose, salt must be kept in a covered feeder or placed in a shelter, such as a run-in shed, so it is shielded from precipitation.
• Electrolyte supplement. While sweat is composed primarily of water, it also contains specific minerals known as electrolytes. Well-known electrolytes include sodium, chloride, potassium, and magnesium. A research-proven electrolyte contains a proprietary slow-release mechanism that allows sodium to be released gradually into the gastrointestinal tract for sustained absorption. Proper electrolyte replacement reduces the risk of dehydration and fatigue in school horses, and should be a part of a school horse’s diet anytime work is of sufficient intensity to induce sweating.
• Targeted nutritional supplements. School horses are often beset with specific problems, including weak hooves, due to their work schedule. For horses with poor-quality hooves, choose a hoof supplement that contains biotin and other hoof-building nutrients, such as the amino acid methionine and the minerals zinc and iodine.

Oft considered the unsung heroes of the riding world, school horses perform their work with few objections and without fanfare, offering a safe introduction into the equestrian world. These horses deserve research-based nutrition, just as other horses do.

For more information on how to feed a specific school horse in your string, contact a Kentucky Equine Research nutrition advisor today.