Fine-tuning a horse’s diet to the specific demands of his work aids optimum results. Ed Busuttil MRCVS outlines the science behind sport horse nutrition in this exclusive feature for H&H subscribers

In the competitive world of horse sport, feeding performance horses for marginal gains can make all the difference. Nutrition and how we feed horses is one of the most influential – and sometimes misunderstood – factors in a horse’s performance and health, often interlinked with managing medical and musculoskeletal conditions.

Whether you’re preparing a dressage horse for precision work, conditioning a showjumper for power or building stamina in an eventer, feeding performance horses correctly can mean the difference between a horse that just about performs at the level expected and one that excels.

This feature explores how workload, energy sources and modern feeding science come together to create a diet that supports fitness, recovery and soundness in the sport horse.

Feeding performance horses is both an art and a science. Two horses doing the same job may metabolise feed very differently, influenced by temperament, genetics and training routine. The goal is always the same: to provide enough of the right kind of energy to support performance without compromising health, temperament or gut function.

Feeding performance horses for workload

A horse in light work – perhaps hacking and schooling a few days a week – will have very different energy requirements to one galloping cross-country or jumping in several classes at a show.

Light work – a horse who does occasional schooling and hacking can usually be maintained on quality forage, perhaps with a low-energy feed balancer or small ration of cubes.

Moderate work – those whose work includes regular jumping, novice-level eventing or mid-level dressage will need more digestible energy and protein for muscle maintenance and recovery.

Heavy work – an animal who competes at an advanced level, or those whose work is polo, Flat racing or endurance, requires higher energy density and careful electrolyte management to support intense exercise and sweat losses.

Intense work – these are the horses who compete in elite endurance and eventing, and jump racing.

Based on the National Research Council guidelines, the energy requirement for horses are:

• light work – 16.7MJ per 100 kg
• moderate work – 19.5MJ per 100 kg
• heavy work – 22.3MJ per 100 kg
• intense work– 28.9MJ per 100 kg

These guidelines do not take into account the age and breed of the horse, which is why consulting with an independent nutritionist to carry out an individualised plan for your horse is essential.

The key is to feed appropriately for the work done. Overfeeding concentrates to a horse in light work can lead to excitability or digestive upset, while underfeeding an athlete in full training will cause weight loss, muscle wastage and reduced performance, increasing the risk of injury as stride length shortens.

How horses burn energy

As a horse exercises, it burns fuel consumed from their diet to produce energy, mainly through the aerobic and anaerobic metabolism systems.

Aerobic metabolism uses oxygen to convert carbohydrates and fats into energy. It’s the horse’s main energy system for longer, steadier exercise, such as dressage training, hacking or endurance training. It is efficient and produces minimal by-products that cause fatigue.

Anaerobic metabolism comes into play when oxygen supply can’t keep up with demand during sprints, jumping rounds or the final centre line. The body relies on stored glycogen (a form of carbohydrate) within the muscles and liver and produces lactic acid when it is used, leading to fatigue if prolonged.

Most equestrian disciplines involve a blend of the two. Eventers, for example, rely on aerobic energy for dressage and stamina across phases, but also need anaerobic bursts for jumping and speed work. Understanding which system predominates helps determine what sort of energy your horse needs from its diet.

For sustained aerobic effort, such as that seen in endurance or extended schooling sessions, slow-release energy from fibre and fats is ideal. For short, explosive efforts, such as showjumping or racing, more rapidly available carbohydrates provide quick power.

Fuelling and feeding performance horses for different sports

Each sport demands a unique nutritional balance to support its predominant energy system.

• Dressage: controlled, rhythmic work mainly utilises aerobic pathways. Diets rich in quality forage and oil-based calories promote calm, sustained energy without excess fizz.
• Showjumping: combines stamina with short anaerobic bursts. Moderate starch levels, balanced with digestible fibre and oils, support both energy systems.
• Eventing: the true all-rounder. A blend of fibre, oil and controlled starch fuels endurance and speed phases alike. Careful feeding before and after event days is key.
• Endurance: almost entirely aerobic. High-fat, high-fibre diets improve fat metabolism and delay fatigue, while electrolytes and hydration strategies are vital.
• Racing: high-intensity sprinting relies on glycogen oxidation to generate energy. Whereas anaerobic metabolism supplies up to 600m or 30% of the energy during a race, aerobic metabolism powers the rest.

It is also important to remember that racehorses are generally still growing and maturing, requiring extra energy. The caveat to this is that excess provision will predispose growing horses of any discipline to increased developmental orthopaedic disease and gastric ulceration risk, which may have welfare implications.

The importance of water

Water is the most essential yet most often underestimated nutrient in the sport horse’s diet. A 500kg horse in light work may drink around 25–30 litres per day, but this can easily double or even triple during hard training or competition, especially in warm weather.

Fluid loss through sweat can be significant. A galloping horse may lose more than 10 litres per hour. Dehydration quickly impairs performance, concentration and recovery, while increasing the risk of impaction colic and tying-up.

Constant access to fresh, clean water is vital, both at home and when travelling. Horses can also receive a salt lick or measured daily salt in feed to encourage adequate drinking and maintain electrolyte balance. Monitoring drinking habits, urine output and skin elasticity offers useful clues to hydration status.

Where horses get energy from

Hydrolysable carbohydrates (starch and sugar)

Broken down in the small intestine into glucose, these fuel high-intensity work. However, when overfed, they can lead to digestive and behavioural problems – particularly equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS).

Diets providing more than 2g of hydrolysable carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight per day markedly increase ulcer risk, as undigested starch ferments in the stomach, producing acid and gas.

The type of carbohydrate matters too, with feeds with a high glycaemic index, such as oats or corn, causing rapid spikes in blood glucose and insulin, which can make sharp horses sharper and may influence muscle metabolism and gastric stability. Note that a kilogram of oats and corn have approximately 600g and 700g of hydrolysable carbohydrates respectively.

Feeds with a lower glycaemic index, like rice bran, provide calories without the sharp sugar rush of cereals. It delivers steady, cool energy while helping maintain condition and topline, particularly valuable for horses prone to ulcers or excitability.

Fermentable carbohydrates (fibre)

Fibre is the cornerstone of every equine diet. Fibre from different types of forage, including hay, haylage, beet pulp and chaff is fermented in the hindgut into volatile fatty acids (VFAs), a slow-release energy source ideal for endurance and general work. Fibre also supports digestive motility and a healthy gut microbiome.

Replenishing the glycogen store after exercise is most efficiently done within the “glycogen window”, within one to two hours of anaerobic work. For every 1g of stored muscular glycogen, 3g of water is also required. Although hydrolysable carbohydrates can be a useful source of glycogen replenishment, fermentable carbohydrates such as soaked beet pulp provide the quickest refuelling without the subsequent energy spikes associated with hydrolysable carbohydrates.

Fats and oils

Fats are highly energy-dense (more than twice the energy of carbohydrates) and produce a calm, long-lasting energy source. Common oil options for horses include linseed, soya and rice bran.

Horses adapt to fat supplementation over several weeks, gradually improving their ability to both digest and use fat as a fuel. This is hugely beneficial for stamina and reducing lactic acid build-up.

The ratio of omega-3 (alpha-linoleic acid) to omega-6 (linoleic acid) is an important consideration, as omega-6 can be pro-inflammatory, as opposed to omega-3, which is anti-inflammatory.

The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is 1:6.5 and 4:1 in soya and linseed oil respectively, indicating that linseed oil is significantly less inflammatory, and soya oil may be pro-inflammatory.

The forage-to-concentrate ratio

Even elite equine athletes are grazing animals at heart. Forage must remain the foundation of the diet, for both digestive health and mental wellbeing.

Horses should receive at least 1.5% of bodyweight in dry matter daily (around 7.5kg for a 500kg horse). Most sport horses thrive on a 70:30 forage-to-concentrate ratio, though top performers with very high calorie needs may require a little more concentrate.

Reducing forage too much increases the risk of gastric ulcers, colic and stereotypical behaviours, such as weaving or crib-biting. High-quality hay or haylage, ideally analysed for nutrient content, ensures consistent energy and protein intake. Soaking and steaming hay may reduce protein content by approximately 30% and 40% respectively.

Feed sensitivities

Feed allergies, intolerances and sensitivities can affect performance. Signs include dull coat, poor condition, recurring skin irritation or digestive upset.

Blood tests and skin testing can now detect immune reactions to specific ingredients such as soy, molasses, linseed or alfalfa. While these tests can be informative, a controlled elimination diet may still be required.

• For unlimited access to expert advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Performance and energy supplements for horses can have a wide variety of purposes. A common aim is the support of energy production and metabolism, which means it will help your horse use the energy available to him in the most efficient way so that he can produce his best possible performance.

Some of the best energy supplements come in an paste form to use for a short-term boost – much like the best instant calmers – while others are designed to be fed daily and used over a longer-period of time. Here is a selection of the best energy supplements for horses that are currently available…

Best energy supplements for horses: what are your options?

NB: Cost per day/use has been calculated using the maintenance measure for a 500kg horse in medium work (where there was variation) and the RRP of the smallest available volume. Some products require you to feed more in certain situations, which will increase the cost per daily measure, while buying a larger volume will likely decrease it – these costs per day are a guide only.

‘Instant’ energy boosters for horses

NAF EnerG Shot

Form: Syringe paste

Sizes: 3 x 30ml

RRP: £26.99

Single measure: 30ml

Cost per use: £8.99

This is a concentrated nutritional blend of essential amino acids that supports fast release energy metabolism to support the increased need for energy at times of peak performance. EnerG Shot is designed for use when needed, so is ideal for competition or training and should be fed 1½–2 hours before required.

Equine America Xtra Boost Paste

Form: Syringe paste

Sizes: 30ml

RRP: £15.99

Single measure: 10ml

Cost per use: £5.33

This paste is formulated to support energy levels. It should be fed on the day of the event and the two days prior at a maximum of 10ml per day.

Science Supplements EnerGex Syringe

Form: Syringe paste

Sizes: 60g

RRP: £9.99

Single measure: 60g

Cost per use: £9.99

This safe source of carbohydrate can be used before, during and following exercise to support energy delivery, or as an energy booster in lethargic horses. If used prior to exercise it should be administered 15 mins before the start.

Cavalor An Energy Boost

Form: Syringe paste

Sizes: 50g

RRP: £14.16

Single measure: 50g

Cost per use: £14.16

This oral paste is a mix of high quality electrolytes, vitamins, amino acids, sugars and salt, which has been developed to give an extra energy boost before and during intense work and to aid speedy recovery. It should be administered 1–2 hours prior to exercise.

Foran Equine Pre-Fuel Gel

Form: Syringe paste

Sizes: 60ml, 3 x 60ml

RRP: £14.95

Single measure: 60ml

Cost per use: £14.95

This rapid energy paste contains essential BCAA’s (branched-chain amino acids) to maximise athletic performance, but is also available as a liquid for long-term use. It should be administered 1-2 hours prior to exercise and can also be used the day after for horses that need to recover and perform again within a short time frame.

Premier Performance Energy Cookies

Form: Cookie

Sizes: 5, 10, 15, 30, 240 or 600 cookies

RRP: £8.40 for 5

Daily measure: 1-2 cookies

Cost per day: £1.68 – £3.36

These convenient cookies are used to encourage a more energetic and active performance, and to support increased stamina, strength and recovery without causing short term fizz. They can be fed before (30mins prior), during and after competition, and two cookies can be fed for intense exercise. Also available as a powder.

Daily energy supplements

NAF EnerG

Form: Liquid

Sizes: 2l, 5l

RRP: £29.99 for 2l

Daily measure: 30ml

Cost per day: £0.45

Fortified with vitamins and trace elements, this fast-acting formula provides controlled levels of iron, copper and zinc, which helps to optimise energy metabolism.

Spillers Instant Energy

Form: Pellets

Sizes: 3kg

RRP: £46.99

Daily measure: 100g

Cost per day: £1.57

A unique formula containing rapid and moderately available carbohydrate sources and ginseng which is known as a ‘feel good’ herb, to encourage a focused and energetic performance.

Science Supplements EnerGex

Form: Powder

Sizes: 2kg

RRP: £39.99

Daily measure: 60–80g

Cost per day: From £1.20

This can be used before, during and after exercise to support energy delivery. It can also be used as an energy booster in lethargic horses and to maintain blood glucose levels in situations where food intake is decreased, such as during travelling or when appetite is reduced. It is low-glycaemic, which means it leads to a slower rate of glucose entry into the blood, avoiding high peaks and sudden drops in blood glucose levels, which leads to a more balanced and prolonged energy supply.

Equine America Xtra Boost Hemogen

Form: Liquid

Sizes: 1l

RRP: £42.99

Daily measure: 30ml

Cost per day: £1.29

A complementary feed supplement that supports healthy red blood production for horses in hard work. It contains a specialist and highly absorbable form of iron, which is supported by B vitamins and accompanied by active water soluble vitamins and minerals to maximise energy and stamina.

Global Herbs Restore

Form: Liquid

Sizes: 500ml, 1l, 5l

RRP: £27.95 for 500ml

Daily measure: 10ml

Cost per day: £0.56

This quick-acting formula helps to maintain peak condition, support efficient digestion and bring out natural shine. It contains specific liver tonic herbs that target metabolism. Also available as a powder.

Maxavita Maxapower

Form: Powder

Sizes: 900g

RRP: £29.85

Daily measure: 25g

Cost per day: £0.83

This muscle and energy supplement is full of essential amino acids to encourage muscle growth and strength, in addition to supporting stamina and recovery. It is designed to support and maintain healthy circulation and promote optimal muscle function in hard-working horses.

Equitop Myoplast

Form: Pellets

Sizes: 1.5kg

RRP: £87.83

Daily measure: 50g

Cost per day: £2.93

A unique amino acid supplement specifically designed to support lean muscle growth, which helps horses to respond and cope with the demands of training.

Synovium Red & Gold

Form: Liquid

Sizes: 1l, 5l

RRP: £22.50 for 1l

Daily measure: 60ml

Cost per day: £1.35

This helps provide lasting performance when it is most needed – suitable for use at competitions or when extra performance is required.

Rowen Barbary Power

Form: Powder

Sizes: 1kg, 2kg, 5kg, 10kg

RRP: £14.55 for 1kg

Daily measure: 50g

Cost per day: £0.73

Targeted energy-boosting powder for performance horses in moderate to hard work, or those with low energy or appetite. It optimises stamina, recovery, and immune health with vitamins, essential amino acids, and high antioxidants.

How to choose the best energy supplements for horses

The best energy supplement for your horse all depends on what you’re trying to achieve. Some supplements are formulated to give an instant, one-off energy boost – these are usually in syringe paste form – while others, however, are designed to provide a daily boost. Other performance supplements don’t target energy production specifically, but instead they provide nutritional support for horses with increased energy requirements. They are formulated to optimise energy efficiency, support cellular functions, and promote muscle growth and repair.

If you compete with your horse then it is important you make sure any supplements you use do not contain any prohibited substances. It’s also wise to trial using an energy supplement at home, rather than giving it a go for the first time at a competition, so that you know how your horse is likely to react.

If you are looking at feeding an energy supplement to your horse, it’s important to acknowledge that while it can help the horse to function and perform at his best, it’s not going to turn him into a world-beater overnight or solve any underlying veterinary problems.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Don’t you wish you could reproduce your best performance in training in the ring? But for so many riders, competitions do not bring out the best in us. We grapple with competition nerves, we doubt ourselves, we don’t really know what we’re aiming for –and the movements that felt so soft and easy back home feel alien and awkward under pressure.

Performance coach Charlie Unwin works across sport, business, and the military to help riders optimise their performance from the inside out in training and competition. The proof is in the pudding – his clients won four gold medals in Tokyo last summer, as well as three silvers and one bronze.

Here, he outlines three principles to help riders cope with pressure and bring out their best when it matters.

Manage your inner game

Charlie works with riders on the concept of reproducing their peak performance, and calls it “managing your inner game”.

“Take your best-ever performance and think about it hard – you know you can ride that well because you’ve done it before,” he says. “But what if you could repeat it every single time?

“Managing our ‘inner game’ is about consistently recreating our internal conditions to make our external performance the best it can be. The inner game can be a curious concept to equestrians because, in this sport, the animal forms the focal point and that can draw attention away from what is going on in our heads. However, the horse largely performs as a function of how you perform and what goes on inside our heads affects our outside performance.”

Charlie breaks this down into two aspects: thinking and feeling.

“‘Thinking’ involves training ourselves to focus on the simple things that count – like rhythm, straightness, accuracy,” he says. “It sounds easy, but in the high stakes of competition, there are distractions that pull our attention away from what we focus on in training.

“‘Feeling’ is both the emotional and physiological side – managing both so we can perform at our best. Nerves are a factor, but also how our body responds to stressful thoughts, in the form of tension in the muscles, which means suddenly our body doesn’t respond in the way it normally does. We are stiff or robotic, and the horse responds differently.”

If you’re riding at grassroots, perhaps aiming for your riding club team debut and think this all sounds a bit high-brow, it applies to you, too! Most of us who have ever competed know the feeling of tension and nerves.

“This is as important for someone competing in their first event as at the Olympics,” Charlie confirms. “The way you think and feel affects how you perform on your horse.”

Set effective goals

Charlie calls goal-setting one of the “most profound tools in sports psychology”.

“Athletes who are able to set real effective goals are able to manage their attention and direct their efforts towards what they want to achieve,” he explains. “Most of us don’t think about our goals that much. We have an idea in the back of our heads, but we don’t spend time working out what it will take to get us there and what it will feel like along the way.

Charlie says goals should be “specific, measurable and achievable”.

“No single goal will solve our problems,” he says. “For example, say we want to compete at Badminton or get our jockeys’ licence – a heck of a lot has to happen for us to get there, so it doesn’t play a role in our day-to-day behaviours.

“Conversely, if we set tiny little goals, we need to know they are moving us towards a bigger goal, which will motivate us. So goal-setting is a dynamic process; a blueprint that gives us a focus every day and all our actions should be connected to the process that gets results.

“I’d urge you to put pen to paper, breaking down your goals into as small chunks as you can. For instance, say your goal is to go clear at a particular level – certain components will always be true, like maintaining a rhythm, accuracy, using the corners and sitting up after the fence. Use these smaller goals in training as well as competition.”

Charlie cautions that the brain cannot focus on multiple thing at once.

“When you make goals for competitions, set really deliberate, controllable goals about one or two things on which you will be able to maintain your attention from beginning to end.”

Develop a winning mindset

All competitors know they need a winning mindset, but how do you develop and shape this? Charlie calls this an “inside-out” mindset – enabling riders to focus on the things that they can control and achieve their big goals.

“My starting point is to get riders thinking back to when you were a beginner,” he suggests. “The first time you rode, your only concern was to stay on and just doing that was a success. As you learnt about balance and started getting a tune out of the horse, you started jumping and before long you’re competing. At the first competition, you’re excited to be there, a bit nervous but you have nothing to lose and you end up doing well. It’s called beginners’ luck, but actually beginners have a very powerful mindset because they are focused wholeheartedly on the things that count, the things they can control, with no expectation of the outcome.”

Conversely, an outside-in mindset focuses on the outcome – clear rounds, results – and when it doesn’t go to plan, there’s nowhere to go, because the mind has not been trained to focus on the ingredients of the performance.

“Inside-out focuses on the inner game and allows the outcome to take care of itself,” Charlie explains. “It becomes more challenging the better the results, because your brain connects the reward system (dopamine) with the outcome, and you become vague about the process.”

Charlie urges riders to write down the little things that make a difference – whether that’s from lessons or any positive experiences.

“Before long you will have a ‘good news bible’ full of golden nuggets to fill you with confidence and remind you of the little things that enable you to get results,” he says.

So, take it step by step, work from the inside out, and get ready to bring you best into the ring – every time.

• For more tips and details on psychology and coaching courses, visit centre10.com

Charlie’s book, Inside Out: Train your Mind and your Nerve like a Champion, is available on Amazon.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Many vets are seeing more fat horses and ponies than usual this year, and not just laminitics. H&H looks into the host of other negative effects excess equine weight can have

EXCESS equine weight can cause a host of performance-related and soundness issues as well as risk of dangerous illness, riders are reminded, as the number of fat horses seen by vets is on the up.

This summer’s combination of high rainfall and warm temperatures has meant an “explosion” of grass, and many horses and ponies are showing the effects.

And while H&H has frequently reported on the dangers of obesity-related illnesses, carrying excess pounds can have many more impacts.

“We talk so much about laminitis, maybe we get distracted and don’t think about the other issues,” British Equine Veterinary Association president Lucy Grieve told H&H. “I have had a lot of owners saying a horse has never had laminitis; maybe he’s one of the lucky ones but it doesn’t mean being overweight is OK. There are so many other reasons.”

Ms Grieve said that on a basic level, extra weight will put more strain on everything, from organs to joints. Overweight horses may be lethargic and less willing to work at their usual level.

“As someone put it, you wouldn’t strap a 50kg bag of feed to your horse before you rode it,” she said. “That’s massively detrimental, then to ask it to go cross-country or showjump; that’s pretty harsh, isn’t it?”

Ms Grieve mentioned the small size of horses’ legs and feet compared to their bodies; if these are then taking the extra pressure from more weight, it will mean more strain on bones, soft tissue and the hooves themselves. Foot conformation can also be affected; they can be encouraged to spread by the extra pressure but respond better to remedial farriery when the horse loses weight.

“I’ve seen a few horses where their abdomens are so big, and I get the impression their hind legs can’t move normally because of the sheer volume in front, and when they lose weight, they seem to trot normally. Hind leg action could be impeded by a distended abdomen,” she added.

Excess weight can affect saddle fit; Ms Grieve said she often sees poor fit and saddle movement on “roly-poly” horses as the fat changes where the saddle should go, or displacement of the girth, all of which can affect equine comfort, movement and performance. Excess weight will put more pressure on arthritic joints, causing pain and making them deteriorate more quickly, and also affect respiration so even horses in full work will be out of breath more easily.

“Carrying extra weight means the spine will sag, so things like kissing spine, or even horses with close spinal processes, will be more likely to develop pain and pathology,” she said, adding that being overweight can also affect horses’ mentality and willingness to work.

“And youngsters; I came across a two-year-old warmblood recently who was very fat and had been struggling with OCD [osteochondritis dissecans]; excessive calorie intake in growing horses increases the risk of OCD, which can cause quite severe joint pathology that can prevent an athletic career or mean they have to be put to sleep. Being a fit and healthy bodyweight early in life will set up for a much healthier future.”

Vet and chiropractor Laura Tollitt agreed there are “a lot of fat horses” about, often not laminitic but “starting to get a bit pottery”.

“It definitely affects them; they get more shuffly,” she told H&H. “Excess weight won’t do the joints any good, and it will change saddle fit.

“I’m desperately trying to lose weight myself and I hadn’t realised how much I was struggling, almost waddling round. Now I’ve lost a stone and a half the difference is amazing, and it’s the same for horses.

“If they’ve got extra fat pockets round the shoulders, for example, it will restrict how they move, and how the scapula moves; if you’re asking for extended trot, the extra fat pockets will make it a lot more difficult physically to extend and flex the leg.”

H&H vet Karen Coumbe said she has been seeing more overweight horses than normal; many are presented as lethargic, a bit short-striding or “pottery”, but this is a result of the excess weight.

“You can understand why,” she said. “If you’re suddenly a size 16 when you were a 12, it will be the same.”

Ms Grieve added though that although she is seeing more fat horses, she believes awareness of the issue is also on the up, which is key to tackling it.

“I, and other vets, are definitely getting more owners saying, ‘I know what you’re going to say, he’s overweight’; the awareness is getting there, which is really refreshing,” she said.

“Feedback from BEVA members recently has been the same; thanks to H&H and other publications, the issue is hitting headlines; what we’ve done so far has been really successful in bringing it into people’s minds, which is really good.”

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

At the highest level, showjumping performance depends on many factors and requires a highly skilled and sympathetic rider with a top-class horse who is fit, healthy and appropriately trained. The successful showjumping horse must combine power, suppleness, agility and accuracy.

It is difficult to find a horse with sufficient ability to cope with modern top-level showjumping courses. It is equally difficult to keep such horses fit and well to continue to perform at the highest level over any length of time.

Compared with thoroughbred racehorses, which have been subject to a great deal of scrutiny, there has been relatively little scientific investigation of factors affecting performance in showjumping horses. At international level, they perform impressive feats of athleticism. Their preparation is crucial to their performance and, more importantly, to their health, welfare and longevity.

In a recent multinational survey of showjumping horses, it was found that 6% of training and competing days were lost for health-related reasons. Seventy eight percent of days lost were a consequence of orthopaedic conditions (those relating to the skeletal system and associated muscles, joints and ligaments), mostly comprising injuries considered by the investigators to be related to overuse.

All disciplines of equestrian sport are associated with their own spectra of likely injuries. A number of anatomical sites are commonly involved in orthopaedic problems in showjumping horses, including the foot, the forelimb flexor tendons, the suspensory ligaments, various limb joints and the back.

Breathing space

Showjumping horses also suffer their fair share of medical diseases. Respiratory disorders, both due to infectious causes and, probably more frequently, to allergic ones such as recurrent airway obstruction, are common.

Frequently, respiratory disease in horses is sub-clinical — that is, not obvious to the casual observer or even on a routine clinical examination. Numerous studies have shown that many horses affected by respiratory disease neither cough nor have a nasal discharge, so the absence of these signs does not preclude the possibility of underlying illness.

Specific diagnostic tests, such as examining tracheal wash samples of respiratory secretions obtained by endoscopy, are necessary to determine the presence or absence of respiratory disease with any certainty.

As well as its direct effects on performance, the presence of respiratory disease, by hastening the development of fatigue, may render an affected horse more liable to injury that may cause lameness.

Gastric ulceration is another medical condition that occurs frequently in showjumpers and all other forms of competition horse. Again, this is a condition that is usually sub-clinical (although it can be associated with a range of clinical signs, including anorexia, colic, dullness and others), but can still cause chronic discomfort. It can certainly be a reason for impaired performance.

Study sheds light

To investigate the physiological stresses of showjumping, a study was conducted recently at a British Equestrian Federation (BEF) World Class Performance training session. The study was led by the members of the BEF scientific advisory group (John McEwen, Pat Harris, Rachel Murray and the author).

Horses jumped a 1.35-1.45m course several times over a three-day period. During this time they were monitored before exercise, during warm-up and jumping, and after exercise was completed.

There were a number of interesting findings from the study, which was sponsored by the BEF’s World Class Programme. For instance, while individual riders were consistent in the way in which they warmed up their horses, there were clear disparities between riders’ techniques.

During warm-up there was a marked difference between the frequency with which horses were worked on each canter lead and the limb that they used to land over fences — the left lead predominating. If this “asymmetry” of warm-up is a common occurrence in showjumping horses, it could have significant implications for the risk of injury.

Blood lactate (lactic acid) concentrations were significantly increased over baseline values 1min after jumping. Horses with higher blood lactate concentrations then had a greater number of jumping faults, decreased jumping technique grade (as assessed by an international showjumping coach) and were more likely to show muscle soreness.

Aerobic vs anaerobic

There has been some discussion as to whether the tremendous effort of jumping requires significant anaerobic effort. This study echoed the results of others in which it has been demonstrated that horses do produce a significant amount of lactate, indicative of anaerobic effort, during jumping.

It is interesting, however, that it was the horses with the lower blood lactate concentrations that performed the best — suggesting that aerobic fitness is important in these animals as well.

Horses with higher heart rates during jumping had higher blood lactate concentrations, an increased number of jumping faults and lower jumping grade scores. They were also more likely to show muscle soreness when examined after exercise.

Horses may, therefore, have relatively higher heart rates during competition in association with jumping inefficiency and muscle pain.

Biomechanical analysis of the horses during jumping provided interesting data concerning the complex limb coordination necessary in showjumping.

This is still under analysis, but it was notable that the subjective assessment of the experienced coach was related to definable kinematic features of the jumping process.

Clearly, there is much work still to be done better to understand the physiological and biomechanical responses that occur during showjumping, the ways in which they affect performance and health and how they may profitably be modified.

It appears, however, that and reduced fatigue over the course of longer competitions.

The showjumping horse needs careful training and monitoring to perform at his best and to minimise the risk of injury.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 29 January 2015

It might be wet, but on the plus side the school isn’t frozen, making these the ideal weeks to consolidate training.

If it does snow, at least the horses will go into a quieter time with enough to think about. Here’s hoping they come out the other side having mastered whatever it was you were working on.

I once heard a rumour that certain showjumpers wouldn’t stay in the Olympic village because they couldn’t smoke in there. Gone now are the days when elite riders didn’t consider themselves athletes and approach their own training — both physical and psychological — with that in mind.

It’s no longer enough to train your horse; you need to train yourself, too.

Spending two days with Carl Hester and a panel of elite experts in this week’s magazine (27 November), reminded me just how much our top riders put into their performance — from diet to fitness — that sets them apart from the rest. For the best, analysis never stops, nor does complacency set in.

Speaking of complacency, I’m feeling particularly smug, having done all my Christmas shopping. It’s prudent to do this in November if you work on a weekly magazine — particularly this weekly magazine, which covers one of the biggest events of the year the week before Christmas as well as going to press on two issues.

Presents purchased included two magazine subscriptions and — yes, I would say this — they really are the gift that keeps on giving.

If you’re considering likewise for an equestrian enthusiast, obviously you need look no further than Horse & Hound — and our sister title Eventing, should this be your leaning.

➤ To get the best deal, visit www.magazinesdirect.com/bug4 or phone 0844 848 0848 and quote the codes BUG4 (H&H) or BTX4 (Eventing).

Ref: Horse & Hound 27 November 2014

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We’ve seen them adorn the faces of top athletes, footballers and rugby players, and now nasal strips are becoming commonplace on the noses of top event horses.

Who uses them?

Mostly eventers in the cross-country phase (they are forbidden in racing under Jockey Club rules). Andrew Hoy’s Badminton-winning ride, Moon Fleet, won the premier event wearing one.

“I started using them two years ago,” says Andrew. “I’d seen them being used on horses and humans and discussed their use with a vet. I had used a human one myself when I had a cold, and it seemed to help. I now use them on my horses at top events to give them every opportunity.”

Eventer Francis Whittington also uses them on his advanced horse Spin Doctor. “I’d tried the human version and noticed the difference,” he says. “I believe it makes it easier for him to breathe so he can last the distance.”

How long have they been around?

The strips were invented in 1987 by a gentleman suffering from allergies. By the early 1990s they were in production for humans, and used for a variety of reasons, including colds, allergies, snoring and athletic performance. They work by restricting the partial collapse of the soft tissues of the nose when it is under pressure because of the vacuum caused by the lungs — during exercise or infection, for example. This natural partial collapse increases the effort needed to fill the lungs.

Two vets, Edward Blach and James Chiapetta, began researching the possibilities that the strips could benefit equine athletes, who also suffer from this partial collapse of nasal soft tissue during intense exercise. As a result they developed the Flair strip.

What does the manufacturer say?

“By getting more oxygen into the lungs, the horse is less likely to get exhausted and less likely to be injured. It’s just as helpful to your cob jumping round a pre-novice course as a four-star eventer.”

Do they work?

Independent scientific research into the effectiveness of the strips shows respiratory turbulence is reduced during exercise, making breathing easier. The respiratory muscles do not have to work as hard reducing the horse’s overall workload.

How do you use them?

They come with fitting instructions and are attached like a plaster — peel off the backing to stick it on, and then peel off. The makers assure it doesn’t hurt the horse.

A single strip costs £6.95 or a pack of six costs £39.95. They are not reusable. Contact Horsefair (tel: 01794 389085)

• Have you used nasal strips on your horse? Did they help? Would you use them again? Send your thoughts to hheditor@ipcmedia.com and your comments may be published here.
• This feature was first published in Horse & Hound (15 June, ’06)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Now is the time to stop and take stock if your horses are not performing as you had anticipated this summer. Both the stomach and the lungs can be affected by poor nutrition, and could chronically affect health and performance.

Using gastro-endoscopy and bronchiolar lavage, vets can examine the health of the stomach and lungs respectively. The optimum function of these parts of the body are vital for performance. As the season progresses, some horses’ appetites may drop, particularly for forage, leading to a perfect environment for gastric ulcer development.

Whether gastric ulcers are the root cause or stress precipitates their development is a moot point. But, there is a resulting imbalance between continual production of stomach acid and the buffering effects of saliva, which is only produced when the horse eats.

A horse that is off some or all of its feed will therefore have acid accumulation, which in turn erodes unprotected areas of the stomach and small intestine. Eating coarse, stalky roughage might then be uncomfortable, so a vicious circle of poor appetite and gastric ulcers can develop.

Breaking the cycle might require medication, but this is not a long-term option. Dietary management through extending eating times can help.

The same is true for lung health. The lungs work in harmony with the heart and muscles to provide oxygen and remove the waste product carbon dioxide to and from the muscle cells. Impaired lung function can break the chain, and this is more prevalent than we probably think.

Recent studies show that endemic airway inflammation in stabled competition horses can become evident within one week of stabling — as a result of an increased dust and allergenic load from the enclosed environment.

The same proviso also goes for horses that travel frequently in horseboxes. Reducing the dust load by using dust-free forage and bedding can help, and dietary antioxidants have also been proven to improve lung defences against inflammation.

Tips for top performance

• Turning the horse out for part of each day is beneficial for relaxation, to increase the time spent eating and for the horse to be out of the enclosed environment
• Reduce gastric ulcers by extending eating time. Add a low-calorie short-chop, forage replacer to meals and double-net hay or haylage nets
• Reduce dust challenges to the lungs by using haylage or soaked hay, and by storing forage and bedding away from the stables. Avoid using forage that has dried out after soaking or been open for several days
• Ensure good ventilation in the stable and the horsebox

This issue of H&H’s regular feed forum was first published in Horse & Hound (7 July, ’05)

I’ve helped out and worked in some great yards. Over the years, I’ve collected lots of ideas for what I would do if I ever had my own yard — and now I have, we’ve made it compact and user-friendly.

We have five acres and can see the horses from just about anywhere. My arena is washed silica sand and small rubber chips, which seem to give a better footing than large pieces, and I have a little turnout area with bark floor so the horses can go out no matter how wet it is.

We bought a second-hand horsewalker, which is used as well as, not instead of, work. My husband, Richard, made the centre partitions and it stands on rubber playground flooring bought from the local council.

I’m very lucky and can hack to Ely Eventing Centre for lessons with Tina Ure, which is a real essential. The yard’s other “must have” is farrier Tim Murfitt, who has helped keep my horse sound.

Feed

The Simple Systems range works well for my horses, including a 21-year-old in-foal broodmare, her two-year-old and an eight-year-old novice event horse. I feed a basis of lucerne, unmolassed beet and grass nuts — a natural diet that also provides enough fuel for my event horse.

He had a difficult start to his ridden career and the magnesium-based product Nupafeed has really helped to calm him down. He used to be excitable at competitions, but now takes everything in his stride.

All the horses get linseed and brewers yeast and, with the exception of my broodmare, seaweed. They go out every day and have salt licks in their stable.

Tack

Working at a tack shop in Cambridgeshire helps me keep up with the latest products, but I try to keep things simple. I use an Albion Selecta saddle with changeable flaps for show jumping and cross-country and I recently bought a second-hand Jaguar dressage saddle through an advert in Horse & Hound.

For young horses, I like bits with full cheeks to help with steering. Older horses often go well in KK Ultra bradoons with a small angled lozenge. I also like French link and Nathe snaffles.

I’m not a gadget person, but I do use a chambon when lungeing to encourage a horse to work over the back. I also use magnetic boots after hard exercise to help the circulation and I’m very interested in homeopathy. I always use Arnica after a competition and for any knocks.

In competition, I use New Equine Wear boots and for everyday use, Clarendon boots. The horses wear fleece-lined boots from Jumpers Horseline when they’re turned out. Their legs don’t get hot underneath them.

This edition of “On the yard” was first published in Horse & Hound (26 May, 05)

Leg protection

Polo ponies are bandaged all round, with boots on top, when they are playing. They have open-fronted tendon boots with Kevlar strike pads in front, plus overreach boots. On their hindlegs we use long skid boots that reach from hoof to hock.

At home, we always bandage the ponies’ front legs to support the tendons when they start trot and canter work. You have to bandage correctly because we bandage straight on to the legs to give direct support to the tendons.

Feed

We have 24 ponies in training, plus hunters and a 38-year-old 11hh pony. Bailey’s feeds are our mainstay and we couldn’t manage without “our” nutritionist Lorna Jowett, who knows all the ponies and can advise on an individual basis.

The biggest risk for polo ponies is azoturia because logistics mean it’s difficult to warm-up properly and they go almost straight into 7min of hard work. But last season, we didn’t have a single case.

Everything is fed on a base of Topline Conditioning Cubes, which give high energy but low fizz. Anything that comes in needing extra goes on to Ultimate Finish, which is expensive but is brilliant for putting weight on.

Tack

All the tack and equipment is to protect or assist the ponies. For instance, standing martingales are standard. When ponies go from 35mph straight to a stop and turn, it helps their balance.

Good players often have reins like washing lines: 98% of it’s down to balance and the sheer brilliance of the ponies. That’s why the gag snaffles and pelhams that are usually used aren’t severe.

We tend to use loose-ring gags with big rings; the bigger the rings, the lighter the bit. The mouthpieces are copper, to encourage the horse to salivate.

Polo saddles are close-contact, with overgirths: when I win the Lottery, I’m going to design my own. Stirrup leathers are rawhide for extra strength because most of the rider’s weight is on the stirrups. The irons have four bars on the tread instead of two, to give a wider platform.

Rugs

We have to be very careful to look after the ponies’ backs and our osteopath comes every week.

I’m also a great believer in Bioflow magnetic rugs, which I first used after one horse fractured a hock and another was badly cut in a freak accident. The mare with the fracture played high-goal polo nine weeks later and the other was playing high-goal after six weeks. I’m positive the magnetic rugs helped.

I like Horseware Ireland’s walker rugs for roadwork — they’re cut back at the shoulder to use on a horse walker or when riding, so you get warmth without rubs — and Thermatex rugs to keep muscles warm after work or when travelling.

This “on the yard” feature was first published in Horse & Hound (5 May, ’05)

I wouldn’t be without our hot shower for horses. It’s an ordinary household shower rigged up in a wash box — a stable with rubber matting — and it means we can rinse horses off and still keep them comfortable whenever they get muddy or sweaty.

Our hydraulic hay soaker also saves a lot of effort. It’s a big tub on a metal frame with a pole and arm combined with a car jack. Haynets soak in the tub, then are hooked on to the arm and swung round into a wheelbarrow.

We have an industrial washing machine and all boots and numnahs are washed every time they’re used. Our rug drying room, with racks and heaters, means we can dry rugs and other equipment overnight.

All our horses have buckets and corner mangers in matching colours. This means I can leave everything ready and whoever feeds them knows that the feed in, say, the blue bucket goes in the blue manger, so there’s no risk of horses getting the wrong feeds.

Tack tips

I’m paranoid about saddles fitting horses, but they have to fit riders, too. I’m a bit short in the leg and like to have my leg straight and my knee back. I find that Passier and Devoucoux saddles suit me: the Passier puts me in just the right position.

I don’t like girths with elastic inserts and I don’t like girths done up too tight. When they don’t have elastic it’s easier to judge how tight girths are — and if you adjust them too tightly, it affects the horse in carrying out movements such as flying changes.

Most of my girths are Albion leather ones and, like my saddles, they’re about 10 years old. The girths are shaped well and have nice, soft, rounded edges.

I prefer plain cotton numnahs because I like to get as close to the horse as I can. Numnahs with towelling backs are useful because they absorb sweat.

Elevator bridles, which are designed to relieve pressure at the poll, have worked for some clients’ horses. They seem to be good for horses who bear down a bit and try to go too deep.

With double bridles, I’ve found a lot of horses go well in Mors L’Hotte Weymouths. These don’t have a port, but have an arched mouthpiece to give room for the tongue. I’ll often use a Dewsbury link bradoon in Kangaroo metal, which has a copper content, as a bradoon.

I like Woof Club boots for everyday and posh white ones for competition warm-ups and demonstrations. They’re quick and easy to fit and I have a special brush for keeping the Velcro clean.

This “on the yard” feature was first published in Horse & Hound (31 March, ’05)

Point-to-point trainer and rider David Kemp believes that keeping to a simple routine is the key to his success

Feed

We only feed nuts; all the horses are on Dodson & Horrell Country Cubes or a mixture of those and D&H racehorse cubes. Some horses can’t handle the higher protein in racehorse nuts and race entirely on Country Cubes, including one horse who won four out of five times last season.

All our horses are turned out every day after they’ve been ridden unless they have a problem that prevents this. I’m sure they wouldn’t perform to the same level if they weren’t.

In the winter they get hay in the field and in the stable. It comes from a trusted supplier in Lancashire and is really good quality.

It’s very important to check that the horses are drinking. I use heavy buckets, which are difficult to knock over. They’re cleaned out daily and topped up throughout the day.

Bedding

I use dust-extracted shavings on top of rubber mats and the boxes are fully mucked out each day. The shavings bill is huge, but I like them done well. Rubber mats give a cushioning effect between the bedding and the concrete floor and must be better for horses to lie down on.

Facilities

Every year, we make our own gallops on the farm. We have sandy soil and a couple of main fields where we put the canters. We ridge the field then clear it with special de-stoning equipment, as it used to be a potato field.

Tack

Each horse has its individual bit and bridle, so I know that anyone can tack it up and the fit will be correct. Bits are mainly different sorts of snaffles — I like Magenis snaffles with rollers for horses who tend to lean on you because nothing’s worse than seeing a neck stretched out and a horse not rounding and using itself properly.

One very strong horse goes in a three-ring Dutch gag. He was cutting the corners of his mouth in an ordinary snaffle because he pulled so hard, but in this he’s much better.

We use rubber bit-guards to prevent pinching and rubber-grip reins and running martingales are standard. Most horses have plain cavesson nosebands, though a few who open their mouths too much wear flash nosebands.

They race in the bits they wear at home — you don’t want to bit them too strongly in a race.

At home, they’re ridden in general-purpose saddles with PolyPads underneath for cushioning. A few horses have foam pads, which are also used for racing, and I use racing girth-guards to prevent the horses being pinched.

I ride my horses in races as well as train them, and at home, I’m the only one to use a racing saddle. It’s really a cross between a racing saddle and a hunting one, flat but substantial.

Again, every horse has a saddle that fits it as an individual, though one saddle might fit four or five horses.

This issue of “On the yard” was published in the 17 February 2005 issue of Horse & Hound

A horse’s conformation is determined by the arrangement of underlying muscles, bones and other tissues. Many vets are certain that a relationship exists between faulty conformation and the development of lameness, but firm facts are hard to come by.

A recent Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding seminar in Cheltenham, held in association with the Horserace Betting Levy Board, focussed on conformation and its effect on performance, with the findings of the latest research unveiled by several experts.

Professor Wayne McIlwraith, from Colorado, explained recent research in which his team investigated conformation, its effect on soundness and whether the manipulations currently being performed are justifiable. This study was undertaken in two parts.

In the first, objective measurements of conformation were made in a series of foals, yearlings, two-year-olds and three-year-olds to see how conformation changes with growth. This was performed using skin markers, photography (three views: front, side and back) and computer image analysis. A number of precise measurements, such as wither height, length of the bottom line of the neck and other anatomical analysis, were correlated statistically — providing information as to how Thoroughbreds grow and mature.

As expected, most body parts increased in length from birth to two years. Specific findings included the fact that carpal conformation progressively changed from “back at the knee” (when the knee is deviated backwards or slightly overextended) to “over at the knee” (where the knee is forward of the main vertical strut of the limb and slightly bent) between weanling and three-year-old.

This is an important consideration when evaluating young stock. Foals and yearlings that are already over the knee are liable to get worse, whereas one that is back at the knee should improve.

For the second part of this investigation, a select group of 115 Thoroughbreds were measured in the same meticulous way.

Another study looked at racing Quarter Horses. This was then related statistically to clinical conditions and observations recorded during their two- and/or three-year-old racing careers.

The results showed that:

• Offset knees contributed to fetlock problems. This has always been deemed a bad conformational defect. It is when the knee is offset and the cannon bone is shifted to the side. It is a most obvious defect when you look at a horse from the front
• Long pasterns increased the odds of a fracture in the front limb
• When a horse is knock-kneed, a common consequence is that the lower limb is rotated and the affected animal’s toes point outwards. This increase in the carpal angle as viewed from the front (known as carpal valgus) may serve as a protective mechanism because the chance of a carpal or knee fracture or knee joint swelling was shown to decrease in line with the increase in the carpal angle. Traditionally, knocked knees and turned-out toes have been treated by foot trimming and/or surgical manipulation to achieve a straighter leg. This may actually be counterproductive in changing a desirable conformation for the worse.
• Research based on Quarter Horse work showed that the length of toe is significant: if it is even 1in longer than desirable, the risk of some knee damage increases. It is understood already that long toes are detrimental

The association between durability and performance of flat race Thoroughbreds and yearling musculoskeletal conformation was discussed by Professor Sandy Love from the University of Glasgow, who reported on archived clinical records of conformation of 3,403 Thoroughbred yearlings sold at Doncaster Bloodstock Sales, Tattersalls (UK and Ireland) or Goffs between 1994 and 1999. Each individual animal was assessed in a fixed routine by a single observer (the late Peter Calver BVMS MRCVS). This enormous and unique set of data was subsequently analysed with regard to racing performance.

As expected, it was shown that certain conformational defects were apparently associated with failure to establish a racing career. Yet for those animals who did commence a racing career, there was no link between their durability to race and the presence of specific conformational faults.

This data also indicated that more horses with forelimbs turned out, (equivalent to the carpal valgus stance in the American studies), were recorded in the raced group. This again suggests that this is an optimum design for the young racehorse.

A problem for these studies is that the animals were pre-selected to weed out those with the worst conformation. Very few badly put-together horses go to the Thoroughbred sales, nor do they become racehorses.

The thoroughness of these studies and their aim to put conformation on a clear scientific basis is to be admired, but it can be hard to relate it to horses in general, as these were not random populations. There are many other confounding variables that must be considered, such as track condition, training regimes, breeding and individual ability.

• This veterinary feature was published in full in Horse & Hound (2 December, ’04)

In 600kg of bone, muscle, fat and attendant tissues, there’s a lot to look at when your horse loses his form. Many conditions that can affect performance might not be visible to the eye, and veterinary investigation will be required initially, although the problem may be solved by other interventions such as physiotherapy or good farriery.

You can’t ignore a review of the nutritional supply from the diet when investigating performance, once the obvious suspects – such as tendons, ligaments, heart and infection – have been ruled out.

Nutritional indicators of health are whether or not the horse is drinking normally (easy to see with buckets, less so with automatic drinkers), whether he is eating up, his droppings are normal, his coat is looking good, he is holding condition and behaving normally.

Vets and nutritionists can work together in detecting the inner failings of the diet. It is possible to conduct blood tests to determine muscle enzymes, fractional electrolyte tests to determine hydration status and scoping to detect lung inflammation, among other things.

Many nutrition-related causes of poor performance, though, may not be revealed via such tests, but only after dietary evaluation. The horse which loses its movement may be a subclinical laminitis sufferer. The horse which regularly runs out of steam might benefit from a review of energy sources together with a revised fittening programme, or from an assessment of respiratory challenge.

Undetectable dusts and pollens may cause lung irritation without evident inflammation. An ongoing gastric ulcer problem may affect temper and willingness to work.

Diet checklist

• Water. Has anything happened to the water supply, in terms of quality or quantity?
• Forage. Has it changed in any way recently — a new source or just variable bales? Is it trodden into the bed? Is the horse eating enough? A minimum of 1% of bodyweight as forage is essential for health and performance.
• Hard feed. Is it the right choice for your horse? Are you feeding too much or too little? Is it good quality and free from mould? Does it match up to the declaration on the bag?
• Supplements. Are you using appropriate supplements? Are you overdosing? Excess vitamin A, for example, can affect hoof quality and reduce appetite, and excess selenium is toxic.
• This article first appeared in H&H (24 June, 04)

Horses have the most amazing capacity for athletic effort, none more so than endurance champions, who can complete 100km races at a speed equivalent to canter.

Endurance racing stretches the equine metabolism to the full, and fluid and electrolyte losses can be high as a result, especially in hot or humid conditions. In extreme cases, horses may exhibit signs of synchronous diaphragmatic flutter, known as SDF or “thumps”.

The characteristic sign of SDF is contraction of one or both flanks coincident with the heartbeat, and this indicates that the horse has reached an unstable metabolic state. This is only likely in horses in very high levels of work, and some are more prone than others.

The important electrolytes in horses are sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and phosphorus. Low blood calcium (hypocalcaemia) is associated with SDF. Calcium is essential for muscle contraction, and SDF occurs when the level in the blood drops below that required for normal function.

A lack of ionised calcium causes the nerve to twitch uncontrollably, thus the beating of the heart stimulates a simultaneous twitching of the nerve supplying the abdominal muscles. That visible contraction is SDF.

It would be easy to conclude that to supplement large amounts of calcium would be an effective preventative, but it seems that the opposite is true. Calcium is of such importance to the horse that it tightly controls its metabolism. If excess calcium is fed, blood levels are high and the horse “turns down” the amount it absorbs from the digestive system.

Then when there is a short-term requirement during intense or prolonged exercise, there is no quick way of reversing this. Keeping levels in the diet above requirements, but not extreme, may allow the system to “stay hungry” for calcium.

Preventing a problem

• Maintain forage levels, preferably above 30% forage to 70% compound in the total diet. This is often overlooked in favour of other electrolyte therapies, but hay and haylage appear to bind water as they pass through the digestive tract, acting as an internal electrolyte bank.
• Take note of the environmental conditions. Heat increases water and electrolyte losses through sweat.
• Adjust electrolyte use to work level and climate – requirements can increase by two or three times in hot or humid conditions.
• Don’t remove water ahead of the competition – it does increase the weight carried, but a good hydration status provides a circulating pool of electrolytes.
• Don’t oversupply calcium in costly supplements – it can be counterproductive.
• This article first appeared in H&H 20th May issue

Scientific studies in the early 1980s established that individual horses compete at their best when they are at their own optimum bodyweight. As a result, most racehorse trainers now have weighbridges on their yards, and only run horses when they are at their optimum performance bodyweight.

Riders cannot usually access weighbridges and have to rely on other methods of weighing their horses. Not knowing the bodyweight of a performance horse can be vital, as the effects of dehydration can be a matter of life and death.

The importance of bodyweight

Initial research carried out on 600 horses and ponies by Julie Ellis, a senior equine lecturer at Warwickshire College, and Teresa Hollands, nutritionist for Dodson & Horrell, showed that visual assessment of bodyweight under-estimated the horse’s weight by between 10% and 20%.

This is not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to formulating diets, as most of us are inclined to overfeed, but it is highly significant when it comes to working out how much electrolytes, wormer, anaesthetic or drugs our horses require.

Following four years of research, Dodson & Horrell has developed a two-sided weightape which, if used correctly, is the most accurate recording of horse’s weight when compared to weighbridge weight. The horse tape gives an accuracy of 98.6%, the pony tape 100.5%.

Weight loss and dehydration

Water is only second in importance to oxygen. It aids sight, temperature control, digestion, blood flow, and prevents circulatory collapse.

We know that human athletes may lose up to 6-8lbs (2.7-3.6kg) of sweat per hour during strenuous exercise. They are advised that bodyweight should be measured before and after training, and each pound (0.45kg) lost should be replaced with 1pt/474ml of fluid. If an athlete’s weight is not within 1-2lbs (0.45-0.9kg) of the previous day’s pre-exercise weight then additional fluids should be taken before exercise.

Athletes are also told to consume 1-1.5pt/474-592ml fluid two hours before exercise, followed by a similar amount 15-20mins before endurance exercise. In hot, humid environments 4-6oz/118-178ml of plain cool water should be taken every 15mins.

Dr David Marlin used a weighbridge to weigh 11 horses at Burghley Horse Trials in 1993, when the temperature was 13 degrees Celsius, and found that they lost an average of 15kg between Phase A (road and tracks) and Phase D (cross-country). A further 17 horses were weighed in 1994, when the temperature was 20 degrees Celsius, and these lost an average of 16.5kg.

After David’s research it has become commonplace to weigh event and endurance horses before and after performance. It is accepted that 90% of a horse’s weight loss after exercise is due to sweating and hence these weight measurements enable an accurate determination of a horse’s degree of dehydration. As a result, horses can be rehydrated and monitored accordingly to ensure adequate recovery following exercise.

Weighbridge or weightape

Studies that have been undertaken in this area have always used calibrated weighbridges on the assumption that this is the only accurate and sensitive enough method for measuring body weight losses.

However, weighing trials at Burghley in 2001 showed that the weigh tape was accurate enough to pick up the weight changes recorded on the weighbridge with a much bigger group of horses.

The weightape and the weighbridge showed that the average weight loss between the start of the roads and tracks and the finish of the cross-country was 14.5kg. The greatest loss was 26kg and the least 3kg; this variation was picked up by the weightape and was certainly not visible to the eye.

Unsurprisingly, the greatest weight losses were found in the horses whose condition score was the highest as fat is an insulator. Horses with a low condition score lost the least fluids. The USA, New Zealand and Australian horses lost less fluid compared to the British team horses.

Using the weighbridge and the weightape on Sunday morning before the show jumping showed that only one horse had regained the weight that they lost before Phase A. Some horses had lost additional weight since being weighed after the cross country; the others had regained some weight but none had replenished the fluid loss from the day before.

Q. My vet has just diagnosed my horse as being a ‘roarer’. What does this mean and what may have caused it?

Vet Jo Holmes replies: Recurrent Laryngeal Neuropathy (RLN) describes the paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which normally innervates – stimulates – part of the larynx.

Two cartilages within the larynx must move to the sides of the organ each time a horse takes a breath. If they fail to move apart – because the recurrent laryngeal nerve is paralysed – or even if they move across only partially, the airway is compromised and the horse cannot inhale enough oxygen.

In top-level competition horses this results in a loss of performance, although pleasure horses can usually cope at lower levels of work.

You may hear an inspiratory noise when you work your horse hard: this is the sound of turbulent air within the larynx and the horse is thus known as a roarer.

RLN generally seems to affect large, Thoroughbred youngsters up to the age of eight. It is usually the left side of the larynx that is paralysed. This may be due to the fact that the left recurrent laryngeal nerve is longer than the right one, but exactly why the nerve degenerates is not known.

On endoscopic examination, your vet will probably observe that the two cartilages in the larynx move differently as they cover the top of the trachea (this happens during swallowing to prevent food falling down the trachea).

Closure occurs when the larynx is at rest, but it requires innervation to the muscles around the larynx to open. If the left nerve isn’t functioning, the larynx will not open fully.

Varying degrees of paralysis may be observed, which help vets monitor progression of the problem: Grade 1 describes a minimal dysfunction, while Grade 5 defines complete paralysis.

Surgery can help to correct the problem. While it may never provide the maximal oxygen intake required by a racehorse, most other types of competition horse, for example, eventers, can cope thereafter.

The ‘tie back’ operation literally ties the inert cartilage into a position that allows an adequate airway without causing the horse to inhale all its food. Ventricles within the larynx are also removed at the same time to increase air capacity inside the organs.

Unfortunately, recovery from surgery usually takes 4-5 months, so if your vet has recommended this course of action for your horse, be prepared to rest him for some months.

While some horses have extremely laid-back temperaments, there are many factors, including feeding, which may cause a horse to be lazy.

Possible reasons for laziness, which must be considered before you change your horses feed, include:

• Obesity
• Breeding
• Weather
• Disease or illness

Once all otherpossible causes have been eliminated then you should look at your horse’s diet. Ask yourself:

• Are you feeding enough?
• Is your horse eating the food you provide?
• Are you feeding the right type of food?
• Is your horse suffering from stress?

Feed for extra energy

Choose a higher energy feed than your horse is presently eating, such as a performance mix, to help provide extra energy without the horse puttingon weight. Start by feeding small quantities three times a day and slowly increase it as necessary.

You can also try cutting down the quantities of fibre (hay or haylage) which the horse is eating. A horse should eat 1% ofhis bodyweight in forage a day. If your horse is turned out then it can be difficult to estimate how much grass he has consumed.

To get the best performance from your horse you should ride around two to three hours after feeding, as this is when his energy levels will be at their highest. Also avoid riding at the hottest time of the day during summer, as your horse will naturally feel lethargic.

Be aware that lazy horses, which are prone to laminitis, should not be fed high levels of starch or sugar, which are often included in performance mixes. A nutritionist will be able to advise a suitable diet for individual equines.

Your horse may look a picture, eat well and appear fine when hacking or working gently, but when asked for alittle extra effort, be it in dressage, jumping or a stamina event, he does not live up to your realistic expectations, or even to the level of previous performances.

It pays to spend time getting to know your horse and, if you suspect all isnot well, look first at your management.

Poor perfomance: health check

• Is your horse on the right diet for his level of work?
• Is he wormed regularly?
• Is his bedding, hay and stable ventilation adequate?
• Have his teeth been attended to regularly?
• Is he fit enough for what is required of him?
• Is your riding/training adequate?
• Does he have enough variety in his work eg: hacking, schooling, jumping
• Does his tack fit him properly, particularly his saddle?
• Is he too young or too old for what is being asked of him?
• Is he, or has he been, genuinely overfaced?
• Is he having time to relax at grass regularly?

In some situations, you may have to assume that he has lost his enthusiasm for work and competing.A total change of scenery, a summer out at grass or a season’s hunting can transform him into a willing and able horse again.

In other situations, it may be wise to accept that he needs a completely new, or lesser, role in life.

Typical signs

• Acting “out of character” eg sour and grumpy when groomed or tacked up
• Nappiness; bit evasion
• Refusing at jumps
• Loss of jumping technique
• Reduced ability at dressage eg loss of flexibility and shortening of stride
• Lack of stamina eg suddenly appearing tired during a race or cross-country event
• Lack of speed
• Making an abnormal respiratory noise.

Physical causes

• Any form of musculo-skeletal pain, eg subtle lameness; back pain; inadequate foot balance and shoeing; sharp edges and hooks on teeth – particularly where the bit rests
• Anything affecting the upper respiratory tract (which can disrupt oxygen intake – particularly necessary during strenuous exertion) eg paralysis of the vocal cords (roaring); dorsal displacement of the soft palate; swallowing the tongue
• Anything affecting the lower respiratory tract (and so the lung capacity of the horse) eg small airway disease (low-grade inflammation and/or infection of the airways within the lungs); exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (bleeding into the small airways when strenuously worked – although some believe this to be a normal response to extreme exertion)
• Anything affecting the cardiovascular system eg an anatomical heart defect; a pronounced heart murmur; anaemia
• Anything affecting the functioning of internal organseg liver disease; hormonal problems in the mare
• Any sort of illness eg bacterial; viral.

How fast the horse’s heart beats depends on how hard his muscles are working. At low heart rates (less than 140 beats per minute (bpm)) the heart is able to supply the muscles with all the oxygen they need. The muscles are, in turn, able to burn fuel efficiently. Called aerobic exercise, this can be carried out for long periods without fatigue.

In endurance rides, the goal is to keep the horse exercising at this level throughout, allowing the miles to be covered efficiently. Keeping the heart rate within this aerobic zone ensures a rapid heart rate recovery when the exercise stops.

This means that the horse exercises happily for longer and passes through the veterinary checks rapidly. A canny competitor will use a heart rate monitor to keep his horse in the aerobic zone during the ride and make sure he is quickest out of the vetgate.

Measuring the heart rate

At higher heart rates (up to 240 bpm) the heart can no longer supply the muscles with all the oxygen they need.Fuel burning in the muscles is less efficient and a substance called lactate builds up in the blood.

The heart rate at which lactate begins to accumulate is known as the lactate threshold. Once this is attained, any increase in speed or effort results in more lactate entering the blood, so the exercise becomes anaerobic.

High heart rates and the build up of lactate rapidly cause fatigue, so anaerobic exercise cannot be continued for long periods. Galloping, sprinting and hill work all increase heart rate and cause lactate production.

Heart rate recovery following anaerobic exercise is slower. The body is in oxygen debt and the lactate must be disposed of, which takes time. This means a long wait before an endurance horse is released from a vetgate.

During anaerobic exercise, the muscles use more fuel and generate more heat. This is not a problem during a 3min flat race, but in a 100-mile endurance ride, a horse who spends long periods above his lactate threshold will deplete his energy reserves and dehydrate long before he finishes his event.

Because of variations in the ability of muscles to use oxygen and in the heart’s ability to supply oxygen, each horse’s heart rate response to exercise is different. Each horse also has adifferent lactate threshold.

How do monitors work?

Heart rate monitors detect the electrical signals that tell the heart to beat, each signal triggering a physical contraction of the heart.

To pick up this pulse, two conducting electrodes must be placed on the horse’s chest above and below the heart. When the horse exercises, the sweat produced is sufficient to maintain electrical contact between the electrodes and the skin.

The horse wears the electrodes and a small transmitter attached to the saddle and girth; the sensors must be pressed against the skin. Each time the heart beats, the transmitter sends a radio pulse to a watch receiver worn by the rider. The receiver counts the pulses, calculates the heart rate and displays it.

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As the sport benefits from the appliance of science, there will be lessons for all.

But, says Rod Fisher, who has served as British endurance team vet since 1988, both riders and officials can still do more to get the basics right. Rod stresses that more could be done to improve care before, during and after rides.

“I would like to see people monitoring their horses more closely. It is a question of seeing how receptive the horse is, how willing it is to go on and how much it isdrinking.

“Often, riders who know their horses well can spot something is not right before the vets. Some people see a problem and try to pretend it is not there in the hope that it goes away. But if you address difficulties early, they are always easier to treat.”

He also stresses the benefit of using heart monitors during training and for competitions. Riders who train themselves to pick up even slight changes to their horse’s demeanour before rides, he says, stand a better chanceof preventing problems taking their toll in competition.

“If you know a horse is in the right shape to cope with the conditions, you are then in a position to go for it.”

As far as pre-ride fitness is concerned, Rod concedes that it is sometimes difficult to judge until you go out and compete early in the season.

Poor pre-ride preparation takes its toll early on. Rod emphasises the need to warm horses up properly.

“They need to do 20min of walking beforehand and the horse needs to be working rather than just slopping along. People tend not to do this properly, and think that they can warm up on the ride, but if they only get three miles before the horse ties up, then the rest of the ride is irrelevant.

“In the early stages and at the first vetgate, you will get problems with horses tying up. It is after about 60-70 miles that we tend to see an increase in lameness and muscular exhaustion.”

He admits to concern over the increasing use of stony tracks.

“To race, you tend to have to push the horses harder than you should and so you damage them. It is a problem in this country, much more so than, say, in France, where they ride over better going and it’s probably why our horses do notlast as long.

“We must find alternative ways of training our horses in shorter, more productive sessions.”

Breaking up a horse’s rhythm by over-watering on the course can also cause problems.

“Every time you stop them, you upset their rhythm. If you are watering a horse and 75% of the time he isn’t drinking, you are overdoing it.”

After-race care is also of vital importance.

“Following a race they need the most care as well as close scrutiny to watch for signs of exhaustion, colic and dehydration. You need to check pulses and temperatures and see if they are eating, drinking and defecating.”

Travelling horses home too soon after a major ride can also leave animals prone to damage. Increased heart rates and body temperatures, signs of mild coughing, lethargy and lack of interest in eating and drinking are warning signs.

So, what is the biggest favour riders can do their horses? Rod says that too many riders forget that everyone benefits from training.

“A number of riders wouldn’t dream of having riding lessons, but when you are sitting on a horse for hours at a time, you can contribute to muscular soreness and back problems. Poor riding and ill-fitting saddles both have an exaggerated effect in this sport.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now