PHOTO: CAMILLE PETERS
RECIPE FOR
success YOU’VE BEEN WORKING HARD AT THE TRAINING, COMPETITIONS ARE BACK ON, BUT IS YOUR FEEDING REGIME READY FOR PURPOSE? HELEN TRIGGS TALKS TO EXPERTS ABOUT FEEDING FOR COMPETITION AND KEEPING WITHIN CLEAN SPORT GUIDELINES.
T
he return to competition, coinciding with the ush of spring grass, makes it a good time to look at your horse’s condition and see if any amendment to his feed is needed. “Step back and take stock before rushing to give a competition mi , for e ample,” says i ie rury MSC utr( nimal) nutritionist for Saracen eeds. “It is better to increase the training and work level first if your horse is carrying too much weight.” “The horse needs a proper balanced diet or will get increased muscle soreness, not recover correctly and his ability to get stronger will be inhibited. chieving the correct body weight will make your horse able to cope with a longer competition
season. There are no shortcuts you can’t add e tra energy until you have the right body score.” ou can determine your horse’s current body condition by weighing or measuring with a tape and using the body condition score inde es available on the website of the major manufacturers such as Saracen and aileys orse eeds. epending on the work level and fre uency of training and competing, some horses can manage happily on good uality forage, grass and a balancer. thers may need their feed supplementing with additional calories once they reach their optimum body condition. eeding will always be a balance between achieving more strength and stamina and not promoting fi iness and over-enthusiasm. ne of the most important
LEFT: THE RIGHT DIET CAN HELP ENSURE THAT YOUR RETURN TO COMPETITION IS A HAPPY ONE.
12 // Issue 4 2021 // BRITISH DRESSAGE
