A WELL-DEVELOPED topline and healthy muscle tone in young horses will not only have a positive impact in the sales ring, but also on a horse’s soundness and athletic ability.

Research has shown that low-intensity exercise during the first year of a thoroughbred yearling’s life induces muscle adaptations, which positively influences athletic performance in later life.

Topline is the muscle structure, which runs from the poll, down the neck, over the back and into the hindquarters.

Equine muscle contains more than 70% protein so feeding this requirement during this intense period is essential for sound development.

Amino acids, which make up proteins, are the basic building blocks of muscle. Horses must consume all 10 essential amino acids in their diets, and the remainder they can synthesise on their own.

Protein

Protein is not only an important nutrient to develop the horse’s topline, it also plays a part in other key structures such as the skin, hair, hooves, connective tissue, nervous system and skeleton.

A deficient intake of essential amino acids will negatively influence growth, post-exercise recovery, hoof growth and coat health.

Muscle conditioning

Exercise and nutrition work hand-in-hand to achieve a well-defined topline and ensure your yearling is sales-ring ready. Exercise will activate muscle conditioning, while a balanced diet will provide amino acid building blocks to build and repair a healthy muscular system.

Exercising yearlings will have an increased protein requirement, which is unlikely to be met through forage alone.

Connolly’s Red Mills Prep Mix and Premier Yearling Cubes are specifically formulated to provide a source of high quality protein and essential amino acids, to meet the requirements of developing horses.

Weak individuals that are struggling to develop topline will benefit from the addition of a pre-digested protein supplement such as Foran Equine’s Muscle Prep.

The increase in exercise during sales preparation can often result in muscle stiffness and soreness, due to oxidative damage caused by an exercise-induced increase in free radical production.

Antioxidants help to assist in muscle recovery by mopping up excess free radicals.

Foran Equine Muscle Max combines powerful antioxidants vitamin E and selenium with lysine and B-vitamins to help reduce the cellular damage and support the recovery of tired muscles.

Behaviour and temperament

A well-developed and mannerly yearling will show themselves to their best with a flowing walk and workmanlike attitude. A purchaser will not be able to make a thorough assessment of an individual if it is unable to stand to be seen and likewise if it is only able to jog and not walk freely.

While consignors will have their tried and tested feeding protocols in place for their preps, it is not unusual to have one individual that will require special consideration for their nutritional requirements based on their temperament.

When feeding the excitable yearling the first port of call is to reduce their starch and sugar intake.

Enzymes in the small intestine quickly break down starch and sugar into glucose, which is then rapidly absorbed and used as fast release or instant energy source.

Forage

Feeding diets high in starch and sugar may exacerbate undesirable behaviour in nervous or excitable individuals.

In these situations, a low starch concentrate feed such as Connolly’s Red Mills Horse Care 14, which provide controlled energy release from a unique blend of super fibres and cereals, is recommended.

Consideration can also be made when choosing a forage to feed your yearlings in prep.

Having your forage analysed will provide you with an accurate picture on both sugar content and digestible energy.

Knowing whether you have an early or a late cut hay gives valuable information; early cut hay will be higher in digestible energy, protein, starch and sugar in comparison to a later cut hay.

Highly strung

The inclusion of a calmer in the diet may also be warranted for highly strung individuals and those that may find the sales experience a little overwhelming.

While there is an abundance of calmers available on the market, ranging from those containing herbal blends to the more commonly formulated B-vitamin, magnesium and L-Tryptophan combinations, it is an exercise in finding one which works best for the individual in question.

Calming

Foran Equine Nutri-Calm Gel and Syrup contains B-vitamins, which play an important role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, magnesium for muscle relaxation, regulating cardiac rhythm and nerve signalling and L-Tryptophan an essential amino acid and the precursor to serotonin.

Serotonin, a neurotransmitter, is commonly referred to as the ‘happy hormone’.

It is associated with the inhibition of fear or stress and plays a vital role in tempering anxiety and nervous tension.

It is advisable to start supplementation in the weeks coming up to sale.