One of the most frequently asked questions regarding feeding the performance horse is when to feed before a competition. Several studies have evaluated how feeding grain before exercise affects plasma concentrations of nutrients.
and hormones and substrate utilization during exercise. A series of
experiments was conducted to first evaluate how feeding forage along with grain
influences plasma variables and water intake and then to determine whether these
changes affect exercise performance.

Every equine practitioner appreciates the delicate nature of the equine gut. Problems related to the
small intestine and large intestine are well understood and routinely treated. What may be surprising to many is how often the stomach is affected.

Most performance horses train and compete under a variety of stressful conditions
that adversely affect health and performance. Feeding management is of critical
importance to reduce many of these problems.

Pagan, J.D. and R.J. Geor. 2001. Advances in Equine Nutrition II. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK. Advances in Equine Nutrition is a compilation of selected papers from past KER nutrition conferences. These papers cover a broad range of topics and contain a wealth of information related to equine nutrition, veterinary medicine, and exercise physiology. Included […]

Feeding practices in Australasia; Huntington PJ. Australian Equine Veterinarian 19(4), 162-168, 2001. This paper describes some of the common horse feeding practices in Australia and New Zealand, particularly where they differ from those used in North America or Europe

All the horses in the barn get the same amount of feed everyday; it makes feeding time much simpler.

All the horses in the barn get the same amount of feed every day; it makes feeding time much simpler

Four horses share a paddock. Three appear to live on air alone while the fourth is a rack of bones.

Four horses share a paddock. Three appear to live on air alone while the fourth is a rack of bones.

One hundred years ago when horses were used for transportation, work and farming very few lived to the golden years.