The Importance of Nutrition for Performance Horses

It is no secret that horses are incredible athletes. While a solid exercise regimen is vital to success, good nutrition is most important to the overall health and performance of the equine athlete.

Horses are grazing animals with a unique digestive system equipped to utilize fiber. Naturally, horses will eat small amounts of roughage often. As a result, the stomach only accounts for about 10% of the equine digestive system.

Water, forage and feed all work together to supply the necessary nutrition to performance horses. Let’s take a closer look at the building blocks of nutrition – including water, energy, vitamins and minerals – and see what role each plays in helping horses stay healthy and keep performing at the highest level.

Water

Equine nutritionists often spend a lot of time talking about the feed aspect of their equine nutrition program, such as protein, energy, fat, fiber, etc. In reality, water is the most essential nutrient for equine athletes.

In fact, a horse can live about a month without food, but within 48 hours can start developing issues like colic, impaction, lethargy or kidney failure. As such, having enough high-quality water available to performance horses should be the first priority.

Protein

Proteins are made up of amino acids and contribute to building the body of the horse. As a major component of all tissues, protein is critical for muscle and bone development. The higher the growth rate, the more protein is required by the horse.

Energy

Energy – primarily fats and carbohydrates – provides the calories that are needed to fuel the horse on a daily basis. Fat provides the most nutrient-dense source of energy while carbohydrates from fermentable fiber or starch are the most common sources. Excess protein can also contribute to energy needs but is a much less efficient source of energy.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are needed to support metabolism, immunity, bone formation, vision and reproduction. Each vitamin plays a critical role in the overall health of a horse.

Minerals, both macro and trace minerals, are vital for many metabolic functions, including:

• Reproduction
• Skeletal development
• Nervous system function
• Immunity
• Skin and hoof integrity
• Energy transfer

Macro minerals, like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium, are required by performance horses in the greatest amounts. These minerals are required for healthy teeth and bones, movement of fluids and nerve and muscle functions.

Trace minerals are required in much smaller amounts than macro minerals, but are essential for hoof integrity, immunity, growth, reproduction and lactation.

However, not all trace minerals are equal in their performance.

Trace Minerals: What’s the Difference? 

Inorganic vs. Organic  

Inorganic and organic trace minerals are structurally different. Put simply, organic trace minerals are those whose metal is chemically bonded to a molecule containing carbon. Inorganic minerals are relatively easy to produce, inexpensive to administer and are fed as a baseline portion of an animal’s diet. But an animal can’t optimally function on inorganics alone because the amount of inorganic minerals an animal is able to absorb is limited.

Organic vs. Zinpro® Performance Minerals® 

While organic trace minerals are bonded to a molecule containing carbon, performance minerals are a complex trace mineral bonded to an essential amino acid — resulting in a mineral that is soluble, stable, absorbable and metabolizable. This directly impacts the animal’s health, well-being and productivity. By feeding Zinpro Performance Minerals, you can ensure that more essential nutrients are being absorbed and used by the animal. This is especially important in today’s animal production environment, where the pressure continues to increase to raise healthy animals with less waste.

Supplying zinc, manganese, copper and cobalt from Zinpro^® 4-Plex^® C provides essential trace minerals to a well-balanced feeding program. Zinpro 4-Plex C delivers a range of health benefits that meet the needs of all horses, especially performance horses. 

Nutrition is Key to Equine Athlete Performance

The natural athletic abilities of horses are astounding, but horses need water, energy, vitamins, macro minerals and trace mineral nutrition to fulfill their bodily functions and complete their exercise regimen.

To learn more about how trace minerals impact overall horse health, visit our equine nutrition section online. For more information about including Zinpro 4-Plex-C in your performance horse nutrition program, contact your Zinpro representative today. 

---