5 Tips for Feeding the Show Horse

By: Dr Rosie Alcorn BVSc PG Cert VPS Cert AVP MRCVS

This week I was so inspired by the amazing horses and riders at HOYS I thought I might start my own showing career! As a vet and event rider, this is new for me, but thankfully, Keyflow’s in-house showing expert, Vic, shared her top five tips on feeding a show horse for optimal health and happiness. Stay tuned as we explore more insights, including feeding Native show ponies!

1. Invest in nutrition, not products.

At shows, it’s common to see many expensive grooming products, sprays, calmers, and all sorts of other items being used to try and create the perfect show horse. In reality, if we do not start with the correct nutrition, we will be wasting our time and money. Our show horses need a correctly tailored diet just as much as our high-level jumpers and eventers. Our diets should focus on slow-release energy that allows our horses to perform throughout the day and into the evening performances. There is no point in having a show horse that flashes in his first class and then lacks energy and class in the evening performance. Equally, having a horse blow up or explode in their first class is going to result in missing out on any placings. I often see horses being lunged for hours prior to a class – I always ask myself, if we improved that horse’s diet, would we make life easier for all involved?

Products such as Stay Cool and SensiCare provide slow-release calories that will allow horses to work hard and stay on form throughout a long day of showing. Investing the time to speak to a nutritionist and develop a diet plan for your show horse will produce results further down the road.

2. A change of diet will take time to show results.

Preparing show horses requires planning in advance. When changing diets, it takes time to see the results. There is no point in changing a diet the day before a show and expecting the horse to look better overnight. A minimum of four weeks is needed to see noticeable results. Planning ahead will pay off in the long run.

3. Coat shine comes from the inside out.

Often in a show ring, we see many horses lathered in every form of oil and product under the sun to create the illusion of shine. In reality, a show horse’s shine should come from within. A healthy and happy digestive tract will soon show on the outside. Not only will our horses look better, but they will also feel and perform better as well. Adding Key 3 Oil to a diet can provide high-quality omega-3s that help improve and enhance the coat’s shine.

4. A happy gut will lead to a happy show horse.

Some of our show horses are prone to being sharp – lightweights, hacks, and show ponies are the Ferraris of the show world, and I’m often asked for advice when these horses won’t settle in the show ring. We often travel these horses long distances to shows, stand them on a box all day, and ride them for extended periods because they are sharp, which results in a stressed, fit, sharp horse that’s fed a high-calorie diet to try and maintain condition. When helping these horses, I go back to basics: fibre is key, and the hindgut is key.

I start by encouraging owners to keep these horses with a fibre source for as long as possible, right up until they are ridden. If your horse won’t eat at a show, we often find they enjoy a fibre mash such as Pink Mash. We then try to provide slow-release energy in the form of high-oil, low-starch diets such as SensiCare. For horses needing additional condition, we often add KeyPlus to the diet, which provides calories without excess energy. I know our partners in the States have good results with Stay Cool on the hunters. Considering the health of the gut will ultimately lead to happier and better-behaved show horses. It’s the same as the difference between feeding a child sweets versus an apple.

5. Fit, not fat.

As a show judge, there is nothing worse than an overweight, unfit show horse. As a ride judge, these horses often lack sparkle, and I am always left thinking, “What if that horse were fitter – how would it ride then?” Our show horses should have a nice covering across their body and top line; however, true top line comes from work and is supplemented by a correct diet. Over-conditioned horses are unhealthy and will not perform to the best of their ability. We should be encouraging fit, well-covered horses that are suitable for the class description. This can be difficult to achieve with our heavier-weight animals, but I believe we are starting to see a shift in attitudes. If you are struggling with this, it is worth contacting a nutritional advisor for advice.