Nutrition and Management
Proper nutrition and management plays a critical role in the success of the endurance horse and can mean the difference between a completion and a metabolic or lameness pull. What works for your horse is most important and your Nutrition and Care program must be personalized to you and the needs of your horse. The suggestions on this page reflect general trends in endurance, but it is up to you to decide what is best for your situation.
Nutrition
Feeding grass hay (mainly roughage) low in sugar is popular amongst endurance riders. Many advocate feeding hay as either free-choice or in a slow feeder so that horses may eat small amounts all day rather than eating large amounts at certain points during the day. A salt lick should be made available to horses in their stall, pen, or pasture. Oftentimes, this is supplemented with a complete feed providing the remainder of the vitamins and minerals needed. The recommended complete feed varies with location and individual horse as it must compliment the feeding program, including local nutrient deficiencies in hay and an individual horse's nutritional needs. For example, some leaner horses may require more fat and calories, while easy-keepers may require weight-management. Sometimes, this is feed in a "mash" form, with the supplements mixed with water. Each rider's preferred mash recipe is as unique as they are. Beet pulp is a popular ingredient in mash as it is an excellent source of fiber and can also improve hydration as it can soak up a significant amount of water (especially in pelleted form). Susan Garlinghouse, D.V.M., is an often-referenced source of research and information regarding the endurance horse's diet. Explore her articles to develop a more complete understanding of the "hows" and "whys" of the endurance horse nutritional program (click here for more of her articles).
Hydration and Electrolytes
Hard-working horses are sweating horses, and sweating horses require special attention to keep them healthy. The main areas of concern when your horse is working and sweating are hydration and electrolytes.
Keeping your horse hydrated is critical to their success and failure to do so can be fatal. This is one of the items listed on AERC vet cards. At a basic level, your horse must learn to drink regularly even in the unusual circumstances present at rides. This can include drinking strange water, drinking with other horses present (including the excitement that can occur with other horses arriving, drinking, and leaving), and drinking from a variety of natural and artificial water sources. Some riders use their mash as an additional source of hydration by soaking it - this works best with pelleted beet pulp, but it must usually be soaked for hours to become fully saturated. For more information, read Dehydration for Distance Horses by Susan Garlinghouse.
Not will can a sweating horse need to stay hydrated, but they also must replace the electrolytes (salts) that they lose through the sweat. Again, this can lead to a number of issues that can range from minor to fatal. A good-quality diet is the first step to replenishing the electrolytes lost through exercise. However, this may fail to be sufficient if your horse is doing rigorous work on a regular basis. Faster speeds and insufficient preparation cause electrolytes to drop more rapidly, so slowing down and choosing events and terrain that your horse is ready for can also protect your horse from becoming critically low in electrolytes. Finally, if the amount supplied in regular feed is not enough, you can replace lost electrolytes by giving them directly as is often done at rides. However, this will not make up for poor management and conditioning. For more details concerning when and how to give electrolytes, read this article. For a list of electrolyte brands popular among endurance riders, click here.
Hoof care
Hoof care can be a hot topic amongst endurance riders, but it again depends on what works best for you and your horse. There are three main options that are currently popular amongst endurance riders, though a fourth (EZ shoe) is being released and has already caught the attention of many riders.
Stabling
The preferred stabling method for endurance horses is turned out in a large pen or pasture with other horses. This enables them to move and play freely 24/7. Horses kept this way can hold their conditioning better and longer, especially when not receiving regular exercise. This type of arrangement may not be available in all areas and will not prevent a horse from being an able-bodied endurance horse, but it is recommended wherever possible. For more information, read Karen Chaton's blog post about a study demonstrating that pasture horses are more fit.
Nutrition
Feeding grass hay (mainly roughage) low in sugar is popular amongst endurance riders. Many advocate feeding hay as either free-choice or in a slow feeder so that horses may eat small amounts all day rather than eating large amounts at certain points during the day. A salt lick should be made available to horses in their stall, pen, or pasture. Oftentimes, this is supplemented with a complete feed providing the remainder of the vitamins and minerals needed. The recommended complete feed varies with location and individual horse as it must compliment the feeding program, including local nutrient deficiencies in hay and an individual horse's nutritional needs. For example, some leaner horses may require more fat and calories, while easy-keepers may require weight-management. Sometimes, this is feed in a "mash" form, with the supplements mixed with water. Each rider's preferred mash recipe is as unique as they are. Beet pulp is a popular ingredient in mash as it is an excellent source of fiber and can also improve hydration as it can soak up a significant amount of water (especially in pelleted form). Susan Garlinghouse, D.V.M., is an often-referenced source of research and information regarding the endurance horse's diet. Explore her articles to develop a more complete understanding of the "hows" and "whys" of the endurance horse nutritional program (click here for more of her articles).
- Alfalfa for Distance Horses
- The Myths and Reality of Beet Pulp
- An Introduction to Equine Microflora and Probiotic
- Anemia in Endurance Horses
- Understanding the Calcium/Phosphorous Ratio
- And just for fun: Beet Pulp Safety Warning (the famous beet pulp squirrel story!)
Hydration and Electrolytes
Hard-working horses are sweating horses, and sweating horses require special attention to keep them healthy. The main areas of concern when your horse is working and sweating are hydration and electrolytes.
Keeping your horse hydrated is critical to their success and failure to do so can be fatal. This is one of the items listed on AERC vet cards. At a basic level, your horse must learn to drink regularly even in the unusual circumstances present at rides. This can include drinking strange water, drinking with other horses present (including the excitement that can occur with other horses arriving, drinking, and leaving), and drinking from a variety of natural and artificial water sources. Some riders use their mash as an additional source of hydration by soaking it - this works best with pelleted beet pulp, but it must usually be soaked for hours to become fully saturated. For more information, read Dehydration for Distance Horses by Susan Garlinghouse.
Not will can a sweating horse need to stay hydrated, but they also must replace the electrolytes (salts) that they lose through the sweat. Again, this can lead to a number of issues that can range from minor to fatal. A good-quality diet is the first step to replenishing the electrolytes lost through exercise. However, this may fail to be sufficient if your horse is doing rigorous work on a regular basis. Faster speeds and insufficient preparation cause electrolytes to drop more rapidly, so slowing down and choosing events and terrain that your horse is ready for can also protect your horse from becoming critically low in electrolytes. Finally, if the amount supplied in regular feed is not enough, you can replace lost electrolytes by giving them directly as is often done at rides. However, this will not make up for poor management and conditioning. For more details concerning when and how to give electrolytes, read this article. For a list of electrolyte brands popular among endurance riders, click here.
Hoof care
Hoof care can be a hot topic amongst endurance riders, but it again depends on what works best for you and your horse. There are three main options that are currently popular amongst endurance riders, though a fourth (EZ shoe) is being released and has already caught the attention of many riders.
- Barefoot - Some horses can stay sound across most terrain completely barefoot. This is not a pasture trim, however, but a naturally balanced barefoot trim done by a specialized barefoot trimmer (knowledgable farriers may also be able to do a proper barefoot trim). Barefoot advocates stress the increased health of the foot when barefoot and claim that many issues traditionally solved by shoes can be better solved by proper trimming and management. They choose not to use shoes as they alter the health of the hoof.
- Booting - Many riders like to keep their horses barefoot at home or on easier rides, but most barefoot horses require some form of protection during conditioning and/or rides, especially with rocky terrain. The increased speed of endurance means less time for horses to pick their way through rocks and other hazards. In addition, many people choose to boot as a precaution on a ride with otherwise good footing. The two brands you will find endurance riders using almost exclusively are EasyBoot and Renegade. There are different models of each: in the EasyBoot camp, you will usually find people using EasyBoot Gloves and Glue-Ons (glue-ons are usually used for multi-days and longer distances), while in Renegade camp uses the "traditional" Renegade boot but the newer Viper model is becoming very popular. Each has its own pros and cons. For information about which styles are popular and rider opinions, click here.
- Shoes - The traditional form of hoof protection, shoes are easy and no-hassle - the main reason many endurance riders use them instead of boots. Some like to add pads for extra protection of the sole.
- EasyShoe - This is the newest product in hoof technology and has yet to be put to the test and reviewed by a wide variety of endurance riders. It is a shoe designed to reduce the impact created by a normal shoe, allow for expansion of the foot, and stimulate the frog while providing protection of the sole. It's advertised has having all the protection and easy of a shoe, but the health benefits of barefoot. There are four models and can either be glued or nailed. For more information about the EasyShoe, click here.
Stabling
The preferred stabling method for endurance horses is turned out in a large pen or pasture with other horses. This enables them to move and play freely 24/7. Horses kept this way can hold their conditioning better and longer, especially when not receiving regular exercise. This type of arrangement may not be available in all areas and will not prevent a horse from being an able-bodied endurance horse, but it is recommended wherever possible. For more information, read Karen Chaton's blog post about a study demonstrating that pasture horses are more fit.