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Media Room: Info Sheets
Aug 13th, 2009 Feeds and Feeding Quarter HorsesWhat are the 3 Most Important Things a Feeding Program Should Provide Your Quarter Horse?
The ability of a cutting horse to perform at an elite level centres around the amount of available energy the muscles have stored in the form of glycogen. If glycogen stores are depleted during exercise the muscles fatigue and a horse's level of performance is dramatically reduced and the risk of injury is increased. Feeding a combination of energy in the form of oil, fibre and starch prolongs time to fatigue and thus improves performance and reduces the risk of injury. This combination of energy sources increases the amount of muscle glycogen a horse will store and also allows a horse to preferentially burn fatty acids from the oil and fibre during slower aerobic exercise periods such as that experienced during roping. Horses are therefore able to spare muscle glycogen for when it is needed to facilitate the explosive bursts of energy required during cutting. Feeds such as 4C provide energy in a balanced combination of oil, fibre and starch, ensuring performance horses have the stamina they need, when they need it most.
With supreme concentration and rapid reaction time being so important in elite cutting horses', their diet needs to provide them with energy that will maintain both of these important aspects of their performance. Feeds such as cereal grains that rely on supplying energy predominantly in the form of starch can often cause a loss of concentration and unpredictable behaviour in horses. Feeding energy in a balanced combination of oil, fibre and starch ensures horses will maintain a calm composure that facilitates excellent concentration, whilst still having energy in the form of glycogen (from starch) to fuel muscles for rapid reactions. Feeds such as 4C utilise a combination of oil and fibre plus a small component of cereal grain (10%) to provide Quarter Horses with a composed attitude and lightening reactions.
High grain, high starch diets frequently predispose the horse to a variety of metabolic disorders including laminitis/founder, acidosis, tying up and colic. Low starch feeds such as 4C provide your horse with a high performance diet without the risks associated with diets containing large quantities of cereal grain. 4C also provides performance horses with a balanced profile of vitamins and minerals to maintain optimal health.
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