Optimizing a horse's performance at competitions involves more than just training and skill—it starts with a consistent and well-balanced diet. The key to success lies in understanding the crucial role of fibre in their nutrition, maintaining consistency, and ensuring you understand what you’re feeding. In this article, we explore the importance of consistency in feeding routines, the significance of knowing what's in your horse's feed, and how Fiber Fresh, with its quality-tested batches, supports your horse's digestive system and performance, throughout competitions and beyond.
The competitive season can be a high-stress period for your horse. To support their overall well-being and performance, maintaining consistency in their diet becomes paramount. Horses aren’t humans, they thrive on consistent, fresh, natural, high-fibre diets, and sticking to a regular feeding regime is essential.
Packing Your Feed and Knowing What’s In Them
To start off on the right foot, horses need high quality fibre to perform. Avoid feeds high in dust, toxins and sugar. Make sure to pack the same feed for your competition as the feed you give your horses at home. Many feeds claim to support specific needs during competitions, but abrupt changes can harm your horse more than help. Horses need diet consistency for their gut microbiome balance, essential for digestion. Any sudden change in feed can upset this balance, potentially leading to issues like diarrhoea and colic.
Knowing what’s in your horse's feed and fibre is crucial for their health and performance. At Fiber Fresh, each batch undergoes rigorous quality testing to ensure consistent nutrients and quality. This guarantees that every serving delivers precisely what your horse needs, supporting their digestive health and overall well-being.
Feeding At the Competition
Transitioning from pasture to a confined yard at shows may impact your horse's fibre intake. Hay, silage, and Fiber Fresh become essential to bridge this gap. Some horses might not reliably eat hay or silage during shows, making Fiber Fresh an excellent alternative. It provides necessary fibre and passive hydration, especially beneficial for horses reluctant to drink water.
Keep the feed menu consistent with what your horse gets at home. Providing adequate fibre and supporting gut health by being consistent are both crucial for success at competitions. Don’t fall for the myth that feeding before riding causes colic; it's specifically grain that may lead to stomach discomfort. Feeding fibre prevents gastric acid splash in the non-protected region of the stomach, helping to prevent ulceration during activity.
Post-Event Recovery
Consistency post-competition is vital. Due to the presence of essential equine amino acids, keeping up their intake of Fiber Fresh will aid in muscle recovery. Ensure they are well hydrated, and have adequate access to fibre. Abrupt changes in feeding during recovery can upset their system, hindering a smooth transition back to their routine and delaying recovery.
Overall, we recommend a consistent feeding routine from home to competition to ensure your horse’s digestive health. Feeding Fiber Fresh at the event ensures adequate fibre and hydration. Avoid any abrupt changes, keep their fibre intake up, and give your horse the best chance to perform at their peak. Consistency is key—know what's in their feed and ensure its quality for optimal performance and well-being, eliminating the need for last-minute adjustments or quick-fix feeds.
Getting it right in the feed bin lays the foundation for your horse to perform as their best self when out competing. Providing quality fibre is the first step towards a happy, healthy horse, and sets you in the right direction for a successful competition. Best of luck out there!
