A SEASONED hunt horse is capable of covering long distances, tackling challenging jumps over rough terrain. Though you don’t have to be a seasoned “hedge-hopper” to enjoy a day’s hunting, your horse must be fit enough to keep pace but sufficiently disciplined to stand quietly at a check.
Differences in breed, management and workload, including how often they are asked to hunt, affect the nutritional needs of hunters. A common goal of every feeding programme should be to maintain horses in moderate body condition throughout the hunting season.
Body condition score (BCS) is a universally accepted method for assessing the weight and fat coverage of the horse. There are two commonly used body condition scoring systems.
The Carroll and Huntington system (0-5) identifies a horse in moderate condition as a BSC of 3, and the Henneke System (1-9) identifies a horse in moderate condition as a BSC of 5.
DIET MODIFICATIONS
Early-season preparation requires evaluation of a horse’s body weight and condition. At this time, diet modifications should be planned to achieve moderate body condition. Horses returning to work from summer lay-offs may require a weight-loss programme.
Meeting their nutritional needs is best achieved with a ration balancer. A ration balancer is a 20-30% protein concentrate pellet that contains added minerals and vitamins to meet a horse’s nutrient needs when fed at 1-2 kg.
For most native breeds, a ration balancer is all they need to maintain weight and condition year-round when fed in combination with good-quality forage. Look for Bluegrass Stamm 30 to meet the needs of good-doers.
As the hunt season advances and workload increases, a horse’s energy requirements rise. Increasing feed intake or switching to a more calorie-dense feed is often necessary to prevent weight loss and maintain performance. Energy requirements for horses engaged in moderate-intensity, long-duration exercise are best served by a medley of energy sources including fat, fibre and starch.
FATS FOR ENERGY
Dietary fat offers several benefits to the performance horse. As a highly digestible energy source, it provides more than twice the amount of digestible energy as cereal grains on an equal weight basis. After a period of dietary adaptation, high-fat diets may provide a glycogen-sparing effect during lower intensity work, allowing glycogen stores to stay “untapped” until near maximal exertion exercise. This would be especially beneficial for hunters asked to cover long distances with multiple runs.
Modern performance feeds incorporate more fat and fibre compared to traditional grain-based diets. Reducing the amount of starch in performance horse diets can help minimise the risk of digestive disorders such as gastric ulcers, colic and hindgut acidosis.
In conjunction with Kentucky Equine Research (KER), Bluegrass Horse Feed has developed nutritionally advanced feeds including Re-Solve, Hi-Performance Mix and Cool N Condition Cubes. These feeds provide appropriate energy sources for hard-working horses or those needing condition.
Regular assessment of body condition is recommended during intense training periods and when trying to achieve weight loss or gain. Slight changes in body condition score can alert owners that diet adjustments may be needed and allow timely intervention.