Forty-five Thoroughbred mares used in an 8-mo depletion study were kept for an additional 20 mo on the same three forage diets (15 mares each): 2-yr-old orchardgrass hay and vitamin A-free concentrate on a drylot (HC); pasture, orchardgrass/alfalfa hay, and vitamin A-free concentrate (PHC); or pasture and orchardgrass/alfalfa hay only (PH).

Chromium is essential nutrient in humans and at this time its only known role is that is a component of the glucose tolerant factor (GTF) which potentiates the action of insulin. This paper discusses the study performed to determine the affect of Chromium supplementation on metabolic response in exercised trained thoroughbreds.

Recent research has demonstrated that feeding supplement fat to thoroughbred horses altered blood glucose and insulin levels compared to a grain based diet and these changes influenced substrate selection during a standardized exercise test.

Pagan, J.D., I. Burger and S.G. Jackson. 1998. The long-term effects of feeding fat to two-year-old Thoroughbreds in training. In: J.D. Pagan (Ed.) Advances in Equine Nutrition. pp. 281-288. Nottingham University Press. Nottingham, United Kingdom. The following seven month study was conducted using 12 two year old Thoroughbreds to evaluate the long-term effects of feeding […]

Greiwe-Crandell KM, DS Kronfeld, GA Morrow, W Teigs. 1993. Vitamin A depletion in Thoroughbreds: a comparison of pasture and non-pasture feeding regimes. Proc. 13th Equine Nutr. and Physiol. Symp., Gainesville, FL.

Energy is the factor that should be considered first when evaluating the nutrition of the performance horse, since it is the factor most likely influenced by exercise. A number of studies have evaluated different sources of energy for performance horses. Different levels of fat and protein have been fed to horses in an attempt to alter performance.

Thoroughbred foals raised in the United States typically remain with their dams for four to six months before they are weaned. Some breeders supplement nursing foals with additional feed while others feel it is better not to feed foals separately until they are weaned. If a foal is orphaned early in its life, then it is either raised on an artificial milk replacer or placed with a foster “nurse mare”.

Observations on the mineral status of mares and foals have been made in the course of a study which was concerned primarily with the influence of beta-carotene and vitamin A on reproductive efficiency and growth.

Pagan, J.D. 1988. Exercise physiology research – Its importance to the Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. In: Proc. Florida Horseman’s Seminar. Ocala, Florida. pp. 23-29.