Nutrient Requirements for Various Equine Categories

Light Work Horses

• Light work horses such as pleasure riding horses typically work for a few hours each week.
• Their diet should consist of high-quality forage, primarily hay or pasture grass.
• The daily ration should be 1.5% to 2.5% of their body weight divided into smaller, more frequent meals.
• Concentrate feeds like grains should be added to their diet if forage does not meet the energy requirements; however, such feed should be less than half of the total ration.

Moderate to Heavy Work Horses

• These categories encompass performance horses such as eventing, dressage, and racing horses.
• The diet for these horses should contain more concentrated feeds or energy-dense feeds, often up to 50% of the diet or more, split into smaller, frequent meals.
• Regular access to high-quality forage remains crucial.
• Daily ration remains around 1.5% to 2.5% of their body weight but should be adjusted as per the caloric needs which are higher due to increased work.
• Additional electrolyte supplementation may also be required during periods of intense work or in hot climates to replace the salts lost through sweating.

Mares and Foals

• Mares, especially pregnant and lactating mares, and growing foals have specific nutritional requirements too.
• They need a diet that is richer in proteins, vitamins, and minerals especially calcium and phosphorus for the foetus's bone growth and the lactation process.
• For a lactating mare, the diet should be closer to that of a working horse in terms of energy content.
• Weaned foals and growing horses until the age of two also need higher energy and protein levels in their diet, primarily to support their rapid growth phase.
• Specific growth feeds are usually provided to foals and yearlings to meet these dietary requirements.

Aged Horses

• Aged or senior horses (generally 20 years or over) often need a diet adjustment due to changes in metabolism and dentition.
• They benefit from softer, easy-to-chew food consisting of good-quality forage and a senior specific concentrate feed.
• Some may require higher protein levels to maintain bodyweight and condition.
• Dental health should be monitored closely, and adjustments in feed type (such as soaked cubes or pellets) may be necessary if dental issues arise.

Breeding Stallions

• Nutrient requirements of breeding stallions are fairly close to that of light work horses in the off breeding season.
• During the breeding season, they may require additional calories, akin to a moderate working horse's diet, to compensate for the energy expended.
• An optimal diet needs to include correct amounts of essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals to keep the stallion in optimal breeding condition.