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.

Minerals required in minute amounts by horses are specified as microminerals. These nutrients play an important role in a wide range of biochemical systems which affect virtually every metabolic function in the horse. With the exception of selenium, little attention has been given to microminerals in horse nutrition until shortly before the publication of the current NRC Nutrient Requirements of Horses in 1989.

Little is known about voluntary salt intake in horses. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to
measure the voluntary intake of loose versus block salt over time and evaluate how salt intake affects water consumption.

Mineral requirements for horses are usually calculated using information about
the horse’s body weight, age, weight gain, physiological status (pregnancy, lactation,
etc.) and level of activity.This paper will review some of the most important factors affecting the
digestibility of minerals in horses and will use data from a series of digestion trials
conducted by Kentucky Equine Research to illustrate how relevant nutrient interactions
are in typical horse rations.

After water the major constituent of the horse’s body is protein. Eighty percent of the horse’s fat free, moisture free body composition is protein.

Carbohydrates are an extremely important part of a horse’s diet since about 75% of all plant matter is comprised of carbohydrates.

Horses have evolved over millions of years as grazers, with specialized digestive tracts to digest and utilize diets containing high levels of plant fiber.

Pagan, J.D. 1998. The incidence of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) on a Kentucky Thoroughbred farm. In: J.D. Pagan (Ed.) Advances in Equine Nutrition. pp. 469-475. Nottingham University Press. Nottingham, United Kingdom. The incidence of developmental orthopedic disease on a commercial Thoroughbred farm was studied over a four-year period. A total of 271 foals were monitored. […]

Over a 3 year period a total of 350 thoroughbred colts and 350 thoroughbred fillies were weighed monthly on a portable electronic scale through 18 months of age.