Your Horse (UK)

Ask The Baileys’ Expert

Correct nutrition, as well as training, are needed to help build muscle

Q I haven’t had the chance to ride my mare as much as I usually do this summer, and she’s lost a bit of topline. I’ve started training her with my instructor, but what should I feed her to help build her muscle and topline back up for some dressage competitio­ns in the autumn?

Fiona Williams, Dorset

Emma says: A horse in good condition has optimum levels of body fat and is well-muscled for her level of work and fitness. When getting hands-on to assess body condition, fat tends to feel soft and spongy — and can sometimes be found as lumpy deposits — whereas muscle feels smooth. Where that muscle develops is dependent on her work and training, but if her diet is lacking the right nutritiona­l building blocks, her body will never quite achieve the musculatur­e required.

Dietary protein

First and foremost, the diet must supply sufficient protein, the main component of muscle and body tissue, and it may be supplied in only limited amounts by forage (grass, hay, haylage). As workload increases so does the horse’s requiremen­t for protein, to both build more muscle tissue and to repair that which is damaged during work.

The quality of that protein is determined by the amino acid ‘building blocks’ from which it is made. With the right components the horse’s body can manufactur­e most amino acids, but a small number of ‘essential’ ones, such as methionine and lysine, still have to be included in the diet.

Good quality dietary protein sources supply these essential amino acids and include alfalfa, micronised soya and distillers’ grains (a by-product of the brewing industry). Looking out for these ingredient­s on feed labels is particular­ly important if you want to build muscle and topline.

Supporting nutrients

Vitamins, minerals and antioxidan­ts are all included in quality compound feeds or balancers at appropriat­e levels according to the workload the feed is designed to support. Vitamin E and selenium, for example, are antioxidan­ts that help to neutralise free radicals produced at increased levels as the horse’s workload rises.

Minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, are involved in the transmissi­on of nerve impulses and so are essential for correct, sustained muscle contractio­n, while it is important to remember the energy/calorie content of the diet as these are required to fuel all body processes, including work and tissue build and repair. If the diet doesn’t supply sufficient calories, the horse will use body fat as an energy source and, if the situation is ongoing, she may lose muscle.

Balancing the diet

Ensuring that your mare’s diet contains the necessary nutrients for muscle build and function at levels to meet her requiremen­ts doesn’t need to be complicate­d or expensive. One way of doing this is to add a ‘body-building’ supplement to her diet, while another more holistic and maybe more cost-effective approach is to get your horse’s base diet right first.

Check that your chosen feed and/or balancer are formulated for the workload your mare is undertakin­g and then check that you are feeding at recommende­d levels. Cubes and mixes are designed to be fed by the scoopful in order to provide a fully balanced diet alongside forage. Under-feeding — perhaps because you don’t want to feed all those calories — cuts back all the other essential nutrients, too, and so protein, vitamin and mineral levels may be inadequate.

When controllin­g calories, Baileys Performanc­e Balancer (below) can be added to reduced amounts of a mix or cube, or it can be given as the sole concentrat­e, to ensure that levels of quality protein and supporting nutrients are maintained at optimum levels without adding to the waistline. It’s so important not only to choose a balancer formulated for your horse’s workload, but also to ensure that you adjust her feeding rates according to workload to ensure that she isn’t missing out.

If she needs more calories to maintain condition and fuel her work, a good quality conditioni­ng or performanc­e mix or cube will be formulated to supply these, along with the necessary quality protein and supporting nutrients, to build muscle and support performanc­e. Ease & Excel mix or cubes are low-starch options and they supply slow-release energy from fibre and oil, while Top Line Conditioni­ng Mix or Cubes contain carefully micronised cereals for controllab­le energy from a blend of energy sources.