Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – ha…
How can I fatten up my ex race horse?
SUPER FIBRE CUBES are a good starting point for any ex-racehorse and are a great way to start increasing the fibre content of the diet. The cubes have a low starch and sugar content and are cereal free, helping to maintain an even temperament as well as supporting good digestive health.
What is the best feed for thoroughbreds?
Thoroughbreds can be a difficult breed when it comes to gaining (or just maintaining) weight. I've found the best combination to be an alfalfa mix (my preference is alfalfa and orchard), as much grazing time as possible, and supplementing with soaked beet pulp (molasses-free) as needed.
What is the best food for a racehorse?
Racehorses should be fed 15-20 lb (7-9 kg) per day of clean grass hay such as timothy or oaten hay. Smaller quantities of alfalfa hay (2-4 lb or 0.9 to 1.8 kg per day) may also be offered. This level of hay intake will meet the racehorse's maintenance DE requirement and help protect against gastric ulcers and colic.
What to feed a skinny thoroughbred?
Grain is a great high-calorie option to help a thin horse or an active working horse gain weight when needed. It can be fed at regular intervals with forage throughout the day to avoid gastric upset.
What is the best grain for a thoroughbred?
Grains for Horses and Their CharacteristicsOats. Oats are the most popular and safest grain to feed to horses. ... Barley. Barley is very similar to oats as a feed except for some characteristics that affect how it is used. ... Corn. ... Wheat. ... Milo (Grain Sorghum) ... Molasses (Dried or Liquid) ... Beet Pulp.
Do race horses need oats?
Racehorses eat oats from our northern states and Canada, blended commercially and sold by a local supplier, also known as the feed man. A daily ration of 12 to 14 quarts a day is typical, and a few horses here and there will need as much as 16 quarts a day.
What's the best hay for racehorses?
Grass Hay for Horses Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass and timothy are all examples of common grasses used for hay. Benefits: Grass hay is lower in protein and energy than legume hay — but it's also higher in fiber, which can make it a good choice for many horses.
When should you feed a racehorse?
There are no established recommendations for feeding horses on race day. Generally, to limit added gut weight by consumption of food, a horse should be given its last grain based feed 6-8 hours before the start of a race.
What is a racehorses diet?
The traditional sources of energy are provided by whole oats, with varying amounts of cracked corn or rolled barley, whole sunflower seeds, and occasionally cracked lupins and beans, depending on availability.
How do I fatten up my thoroughbred?
One of the simplest and cheapest ways to add fat to your horse's diet is vegetable oil from the grocery store, which can be poured over his regular concentrate ration. Corn oil is palatable to most horses, but you can also use canola, peanut or any other vegetable oil your horse likes.
Do oats put weight on horses?
Do oats help horses gain weight? Oats alone don't help horses gain weight. Horses love oats, but you should feed them in combination with other food sources. Whole oats are difficult for horses to digest and can pass through their digestive system without being absorbed by the body.
What can I feed my thoroughbred horse to gain weight?
Maximizing forage intake for weight gain with free-choice, high-quality hay is ideal. The addition of alfalfa-timothy hay pellets, as you have done, is a good idea to contribute more forage to the diet.
How to protect against gastric ulcers?
You can protect against gastric ulcers by reducing the starch and sugar content and increasing the fibre in your horse's new diet. ERS Cubes and Elite Sport Muesli are high in calorie yet low in sugar and starch so could be ideal for ex-racehorses in medium or hard work.
What is digestive support?
Digestive Support = A combined approach digestive supplement containing Yeast, Pre-biotics and Psyllium for the nutritional maintenance of healthy hindgut function and pH. Ideal for horses undergoing dietary change or a change of environment.
How much fiber should a horse eat?
Horses should eat between 2 and 2.5% of their bodyweight in fibre per day. Racehorses often receive a lot less than this which can lead to gastric ulceration or stereotypic behaviours. It is important to gradually increase your horse's fibre intake through hay, haylage or pasture. Feeding a chaff such as Fibergy or Alfalfa with meals is ...
Why do racehorses eat cereal?
Racehorses are typically fed large amounts of cereal-based feeds and due to risk of injury and intense training regimes many will have limited access to pasture. The micro-organisms in their digestive tract will have adapted to a high starch, low fibre diet.
What happens after you retire from racing?
After retiring from racing Thoroughbreds undergo huge changes in their diet and routine. Managing this carefully is very important to keep your ex-racehorse happy and healthy!
What to feed an ex-racehorse?
In relation to the diet, try to establish what the horse’s current diet is as it will give you some idea of the amount of energy it is taking to keep them in the condition they are in. In most cases, it is likely to be necessary to go back to basics starting with ad-lib forage and then gradually introduce new feeds over a week to ten days.
Feeding High Quality Fibre to Your Ex-Racehorse is Key
Not all thoroughbreds or ex-racehorses have hot temperaments, but clearly many do which is why the stereotype exists. For condition without the fizz, the key is to use high quality fibre and oil as energy source such as in Dengie Alfa-A Oil or Dengie Performance Fibre.
Feeding Recommendations If Your Ex-Racehorse has Gastric Ulcers
When high quality fibre is fed alongside oil such as in Alfa-A Oil, it can provide as much energy as a conditioning mix or cube but with much lower levels of starch which is why they are less likely to result in over-excitability. This also means they are more suitable for those with gastric ulcers.
What happens when a horse is placed away from the track?
One factor that might be affecting the horse's health—both physiologically and psychologically—is gastric ulceration.
Can a Thoroughbred horse eat forage?
While many horses can fare well on forage alone, most Thoroughbreds cannot, especially if they are on a weight gain plan. Hence, a concentrated source of energy must be fed, and this is usually a commercial sweet feed.
Can you own a Thoroughbred off the track?
Owning and riding an off the track Thoroughbred can be a rewarding, and sometimes frustrating, experience. In the following article from Kentucky Equine Research, one of their nutrition experts, Kathleen Crandell, PhD, offers advice on transitioning a healthy Thoroughbred from the track to your barn and another career.
What to feed a horse in a barren run?
If the horse must be stalled or maintained in a barren run or lot for a portion of the day, nutritious dried forage —preferably long-stem hay, though hay cubes are perfectly acceptable provided the horse finds them palatable—should be offered at all times. Expect to use heaps of hay, possibly as much as a bale a day.
What happens if a horse is turned out in a group?
If a horse is to be turned out in a group situation, the owner must be careful that the horse gets enough to eat. Some are so intimidated by other horses that they would rather starve than fight their way up to the hay or feed bucket. On the flip side, some may be overly aggressive or possessive of the feed.”.
How does metabolism affect racehorses?
Metabolism plays a significant role in fattening the retired racehorse. Thoroughbreds are often genetically programmed to inefficiently convert dietary energy to body fat, and therefore have a reputation for being hard keepers. The core of the diet should be high-quality forage, especially young, flush pasture.
What are the factors that affect a horse's health?
One factor that might be affecting the horse’s health—both physiologically and psychologically— is gastric ulceration. “ Ulcers are almost a given in racehorses, so consider having the horse scoped to see if ulceration is present,” advised Crandell. The incidence of ulcers among racehorses is overwhelming.
How do ulcers affect horses?
Ulcers can induce sourness and reluctance to work in horses and may be a precursor of colic and lesser evils such as weight loss and poor hair coat.
What happens when a horse moves to a second career?
When a horse transitions from the racetrack to a second career, its schedule and therefore its life might be upset dramatically. Consequently, one of the most beneficial aspects of care given to a former racehorse is rest, according to Kentucky Equine Research nutritionist Dr. Kathleen Crandell.
Can horses eat rice bran?
Another source of supplemental calories is rice bran. “In many instances rice bran is just the thing for horses that need an extra kick in their diet,” said Crandell.
FORAGE
It is important to introduce pasture very gradually, especially if turnout has not been part of their daily routine
ENERGY & BODY CONDITION SCORING
Condition scoring is a method of assessing your horse's body fat coverage and should form part of your routine management plan. With practice, condition scoring is an accurate way of ensuring that your ex-racehorse does not gain or lose too much body condition and shows results far more quickly than by the eye alone.
WHICH SARACEN FEED FOR WEIGHT GAIN?
When a horse’s workload increases and energy demands are raised, or your ex-racehorse requires more calories to support optimum body condition, the above feeds can be topped up with EQUI-JEWEL®. This can be added to the feed and can be fed up to 1kg per day (2 - 5 Equi-Jewel® measuring cups).
Which Saracen Feed for a Good-Doer?
If your ex-racehorse is carrying too much condition, or your pasture is rich, you may wish to reduce the daily intake of concentrate feed, in which case you will need to ‘top-up’ your horse’s ration with essential nutrients (particularly minerals) with a feed balancer.
Feeding an ex-racehorse with gastric ulcers
RiteTrac is designed to regulate acidity of the digestive system making it ideal for ex-racehorses coming out of training
IMPROVING HOOF QUALITY
Thoroughbreds can often have delicate feet and benefit from supplementary biotin, methionine, zinc and iodine. This combination support new hoof growth and strength. Bio-Bloom PS is a dual-action supplement designed to maintain healthy hooves and skin from the inside out - it is available in 2k g, 4 kg and 10 kg tubs and is fed at 30 g per day.
What to do if you bring a retired horse home?
If you bring a retired racehorse home, you need to make sure you have a safe facility. A reliable facility would be void of barb wire fencing, appropriately sized stalls without hazards, and secure gates for perimeter fencing. Secure fencing is vital for a horse coming directly from a racetrack.
What is the best way to adopt a retired horse?
Private rescue agencies. Private rescue agencies rehabilitate racehorses and are often the most reliable place to adopt your retired racehorse. Many of these agencies are non-profit businesses set up with the sole purpose of saving retired racehorses. The workers are commonly volunteers.
What happens when a horse is accepted?
When a horse is accepted, it is examined for any health problems. If a horse is having issues, they will have a veterinarian check and treat the horse. Once the horse is healthy, these volunteers will start working with the horses.
How much does it cost to adopt a horse?
These agencies commonly spend more on a horse than the price they charge for adopting. You can expect to pay between $800-2,000 dollars for a horse from and horse rescue facility.
Can a quarter horse be a thoroughbred?
An appendix bred quarter horse has thoroughbred bloodlines in its pedigree but can still be registered as a quarter horse. We talked with the owner of the horse and decided to try him under saddle. The horse was a pleasant surprise; he was comfortable to ride and had a calmer temperament than I expected in a racehorse.
Can you get a retired racehorse?
Racehorse owners. Owners often give retired racehorse away. You can obtain a retired racehorse directly from an owner; this is the easiest. It would be best if you had contacts in the horse racing world, but getting to know people in the horse business isn’t difficult.
Do you have to live near a track to find a retired horse?
It’s not necessary to live near a track to find retired racehorses. The internet is an excellent resource for finding horses in need of homes. Here are some common places you can go to find a retired racehorse rescue:
