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Feeding Race Prospects and Racehorse in Training

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Feeding Race Prospects and Racehorse in Training E-533 12-02 eeding Race Prospects F Racehorses & inTraining P. G. Gibbs, G. D. Potter and B. D. Scott eeding F Race Prospects & Racehorses in Training P. G. Gibbs, G. D. Potter and B. D. Scott* n recent years, significant research attention be closely related to that horse’s fitness and diet. has been directed toward the equine athlete, If the horse has the available energy and the Iparticularly racehorses and young horses des- nutrients to use that energy, it can voluntarily run tined for the track. New information is becoming faster and perform at a higher level than horses available and new concepts are being formed with insufficient fuel and other nutrients to per- about the physiology and nutrition of racehorses. form these tasks. One reason for this attention is that over the To ensure that racehorses can perform at opti- past 50 years, the physical performance of race- mum levels, trainers need to pay close attention horses has improved very little. Although racing to nutrition, providing the appropriate amounts times over common distances have improved and forms of energy, protein, vitamins and miner- some, the magnitude of improvement has been als for young prospects as well as for racehorses relatively small compared to that of human ath- in training. If the nutritional requirements are met letes. This is in spite of efforts to breed horses accurately and feeding management is conducted with greater racing ability. Further, too many properly, racehorses’ performances will be horses continue to succumb to crippling injuries improved over those horses fed imbalanced diets brought on by acute fatigue and a compromised in irregular amounts at inappropriate times. skeletal integrity. Conversely, the performance of humans improves yearly, monthly and in some cases even Race-bred prospects daily during certain athletic competitions. This To produce and maintain a successful race- phenomenon is explained by the dramatic horse, you must begin with proper feeding and improvements in the diet and training regimens early development of a young prospect. This being developed continually for human athletes. process begins soon after a foal is delivered. Two Horses also can be expected to perform better vital goals are to promote early growth and sound if they are properly conditioned and fed a bal- skeletal formation. If these goals are to be anced diet containing the fuel (energy) and other achieved, weanlings cannot be fed the same nutrients needed to do the work. A horse that is rations as yearlings, and long yearlings in training “dead fit” and fed a good ration will run as fast must be given nutrient mixes that are different as genetically possible if that horse has any from those fed to yearlings not being exercised.16 “heart.” The term “heart” in a horse may in fact A field study was conducted on the manage- *Professor and Extension Horse Specialist; Professor and Equine Science Section Leader, Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University; Assistant Professor and Extension Horse Specialist; The Texas A&M University System 1 ment practices of 58 Texas farms raising almost more lysine, calcium and phosphorus to ensure Once training or forced exercise begins, the training must have adequate energy, protein, vita- 2,000 thoroughbred and quarter horse race-bred that they have the proper nutrient-to-calorie ratio. feeding program should be evaluated even more mins and minerals, and overall feeding must be prospects.5 Most of the owners/managers of those The mineral-to-calorie ratio is more critical than carefully. managed well. farms identified nutrition, exercise and genetics as the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, which also mer- three major factors contributing to problems such its some consideration. Energy as contracted tendons, epiphysitis or osteochon- A well-formulated balanced feed will most Horses in race training Racehorses often require twice as much ener- drosis. Contracted tendons were reported more likely provide the minimum acceptable amounts Researchers have recently found that the fuel gy (measured in calories) as do nonworking hors- often in foals; most epiphysitis problems were of amino acids and minerals as well as trace min- supply available in the muscles of a horse and the es. You must ensure that the racehorses’ diet pro- observed in weanlings; and osteochondrosis erals and vitamins. Such a feed almost always horse’s ability to use that fuel may be altered by vides enough energy to complete the assigned appeared to be most prevalent in yearlings. eliminates the need for any supplements because including different ingredients in the diet and by work (Table 2). the nutrient mix is balanced. using appropriate feeding management and train- A significant challenge in feeding a racehorse Recommendations for weanlings Conversely, a diet of straight oats and either ing regimens. is to achieve and maintain ideal body condition alfalfa or grass hay is unsuitable because it: To achieve high performance, racehorses in The study uncovered one common feeding ◗ Fails to provide the requirement for absorbable for training and racing while providing enough practice that is detrimental to weanlings: Farms lysine.6 TABLE 2. are failing to provide the high ratio of concentrate ◗ Provides less than desirable amounts or ratios to hay needed to meet the weanlings’ require- Approximate daily nutrient requirements of race-bred prospects and racehorses in training (1,100 pounds mature weight). of minerals.5, 16 ments in a reasonable amount of daily feed. In ◗ Often jeopardizes skeletal development. fact, 90 percent of the farms are trying to grow Digestible Crude Lysine Calcium Phosphorus Magnesium Vitamin Furthermore, overfeeding hay and feeding weanlings by feeding more hay than concentrate. Energy Protein A unbalanced concentrates will combine to give Furthermore, 22 to 44 percent of these young (Mcals) (pounds) (grams) (grams) (grams) (grams) (IU) foals a “pot-bellied” appearance. Oats can be used horses are receiving a total daily diet that is either as the primary grain source if they are fortified deficient in amino acids or unbalanced in its min- with a good amino acid source as well as the RACE-BRED eral concentration or mineral ratios. In short, mineral concentrations needed to provide the PROSPECTS weanlings and yearlings are being fed almost proper calcium:phosphorus ratio and to meet the identical rations. The feeding programs for year- needs for trace minerals. Although most commer- lings are much more in line with National cial feeds contain some oats, other grains are also Weaning 15.0 1.7 32 29 16 4.0 10,000 Research Council (NRC)16 recommendations than used routinely. (moderate growth) those for weanlings (Table 1). Weaning 17.2 1.9 36 36 20 4.3 10,000 TABLE 1. Recommendations for yearlings (rapid growth) Diet proportions for race-bred prospects of varying ages. If not being conditioned for sale, yearlings can Age/Class % Concentrate % Hay achieve a moderate rate of growth on good-quali- Yearling 18.9 1.9 36 29 16 5.5 15,000 ty, improved pastures. The digestive tract of a (moderate growth) Weanling 70 30 yearling can process more roughage than that of a weanling. Good-quality grazing appears to sup- Yearling 60 40 port acceptable growth and development at this Yearling 21.3 2.1 40 34 20 5.7 15,000 stage.7 (rapid growth) Long-yearling 60 40 However, yearlings being prepared for sale or (in training) being retained for placement into pre-race training have significantly different nutrient requirements RACEHORSES Two-year-old 55 45 when rapid growth and/or forced exercise IN TRAINING (in training) becomes part of the management scheme. For 16 these horses, you must provide a balanced con- Source: National Research Council (1989) Long 26.5 2.6 50 49* 27* 15.5* 18,000 centrate. To develop properly, race-bred weanlings must These horses typically need to be fed a con- yearling be given a concentrate feed that provides at least centrate with at least 14 percent crude protein, 0.7 percent lysine, which is the primary growth- 0.6 percent lysine, 0.6 percent calcium and 0.4 Two-year-old 26.5 2.5 45 46* 26* 17.6* 20,000 limiting amino acid.16 They also need at least 0.7 percent phosphorus in a feed that contains 7 per- percent calcium and 0.5 percent phosphorus in cent or more fiber and not more than 1.4 Mature-intense 32.8 2.9 45 40 29 15.1 22,000 feeds containing no more than 1.4 megacalories megacalories of digestible energy per pound. work of digestible energy per pound. Many companies manufacture horse feeds that Feeds with higher levels of energy need even meet or exceed these minimums. Source: National Research Council (1989) *Based on recent work of Nielsen et al,13 Stephens et al22 and Nolan et al.15 2 3 fuel to support performance at an intense level of very high energy requirements; they often have Note: To achieve maximum performance in TABLE 3. work. Therefore, a primary concern is energy, trouble getting enough energy from conventional racehorses, feed them a fat-supplemented, high- Relationship of crude fiber to expected digestible which allows the horse to maintain optimum diets of hay and other fibrous feedstuffs. They carbohydrate diet…not a high-fat, high-fiber diet. energy in conventional and fat supplemented body condition while performing at a heavy work- must be fed grain-based concentrates. They also When feeding a fat-supplemented diet, consid- grain mixes. load. need a comparatively large amount of highly er several factors: To determine the types of diets to feed and the digestible starch in the diet to meet both aerobic ◗ Horses need time to become adapted to fat in DIGESTIBLE ENERGY (MEGACALORIES PER POUND) energy substrates (carbohydrates and fatty acids) and, particularly, anaerobic energy demands.
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