The Hitting Platform Nutrition Focus: High Goal Q&A

Lorna Edgar – specialist equine nutritionist

High Goal Q&A

How do we prepare to play in a higher level of polo?

What a strange question you may be thinking, but for some players making that exciting transition up to the next level of polo, and particularly high goal, it can be quite daunting and intimidating having a string of horses that need to step up to the mark. Although I have made this relevant for those stepping up to high goal, there is no reason why the answers cannot be adapted to those playing in 12 goal when usually playing in 4-6 goal, for example.

I thought I would share some questions with you that I have been asked over the years for some advice on ensuring their horses are well prepared for that step up ….

Q: What do I need to change in my horses’ diets to give them enough energy and make them fast enough?

A: You shouldn’t need to change too much if you are playing a lot of polo anyway on their current diet. All I would suggest doing is increasing their ‘plane of nutrition’ – essentially increasing their existing cubes or mix or topping up the diet with a balancer. You may need to consider a higher starch ration for those that are likely to need it, stepping up from a Horse & Pony Mix to a Conditioning Mix perhaps, or opting for more oat-based energy from a Competition Mix.

I always like to think about stamina, knowing that if you need to be on your horse for a full chukka, it will last a full chukka. Alongside the quick release energy from the starch based feeds such as oats, I would encourage using oil supplements – such as Baileys Outshine or Saracen Equi-Jewel, which allows you to top up the existing ration in ‘mug fulls’ rather than feeding a whole different feed.

Q: Should I be feeding oats?

A: Not necessarily, it really depends on the individual. If you have some horses that are never on the higher starch feeds then absolutely not, I wouldn’t encourage you to begin adding oats to their diets. However, if you have some that may lack a bit of quick releasing energy and you would like them to be a bit more ‘fired up’ then you could add a few oats to their current feed – but you cannot just add oats and leave the rest of the diet as it is.

As you know I am always talking about the BALANCED diet, so in this instance we also need to take into consideration that oats need to be fed alongside an increase in vitamins and minerals to compensate for nutritional deficiencies in the oats and to allow the horse to efficiently utilise its energy.

What I would therefore suggest is adding a balancer or increasing the amount of an existing balancer to ensure the diet is balanced and the nutritional deficiencies of the oats are being catered for. In return, you should then have a horse that is able to utilise the energy in the oats more effectively.

Q: Do you think my horses are looking fat?

A: I doubt it! But this is a question I get asked a lot and not just related to playing in the high goal. So much of this comes down to conformation and my answer to this question is to look at where the horse stores fat and how it’s playing/running? If you are worried about the ‘tummy’, stand back and look at the conformation and the way it carries itself, looking at the horse as a complete athlete and not focusing on one area – THE TUMMY! You will not make a deep girthed and wide sprung horse look like a tubular shaped horse.

A bit like standing me next to a super model and expecting us to both move the same – it won’t work, believe me!

If your horse is fit, is running well and recovering quickly, then you have nothing to worry about and nothing to change. If, however, it is recovering slowly and not running well, the diet needs to be addressed to enhance fitness and performance.

Q: Should I feed electrolytes before & after the game?

A: Absolutely YES! Whatever level of polo you are playing in electrolytes are essential. You, as a player will be focusing on your hydration and electrolyte intake, so absolutely your horses must be considered as well.

Where the horses will benefit from the most is giving them electrolytes either in water or a sloppy beet or chaff within two hours before they play – such as when you arrive at the grounds. Research has shown this can reduce the onset of fatigue by up to 22%. Providing electrolytes after they have played will aid recovery, but again must be given with water. Electrolytes in a syringe form is absolutely fine, but the horses must be allowed to drink before and after.

Q: So, if I am giving them electrolytes, does this mean they are OK to drink water before and after the game?

A: Again, as with any level of polo, but not always seen in high goal, it is absolutely OK to allow the horses to drink water when they come off the lorry, (not a full bucket but ‘some’), and again when they come off the field – little and often will help with their recovery, especially in the hot weather.

I see no difference to the racehorse in the winners’ enclosure being offered buckets of cold water to drink to your polo pony coming off the field from a chukka!

Q: How do I manage their forage intake?

A: We don’t want horses to be ‘heavy’, but we need to make an emphasis on their fitness. The majority will be fine with ad lib forage, but for those good doers restrict their intake by double netting or using trickle feeding nets.

Whatever we can do to allow them to trickle feed is so much more beneficial for their body and mind. I think the key thing to remember in the answer to this question is that the horse’s stomach produces 1½ litres of gastric acid per hour so we, as grooms and players, need to allow them as much time eating as possible. The acid does not just disappear, it makes its way through the digestive tract causing all sorts of problems – acidosis, ulcers, discomfort, loose droppings and psychological problems etc.

Finally, my advice would be – you know your horses, continue treating them in the same way, but make an emphasis on their fitness and a balanced diet to suit the individual for their increased workload. It is OK to do things differently, that isn’t seen in the pony lines at high goal, if that is part of your routine! All the time science is evolving which encourages new ideas and hopefully ideas that will benefit the performance and the longevity of your horses’ playing careers!

And, if in doubt speak to a nutritionist or a feed company help line to give you some guidance.

The fortunate position for Zac and Luke that have I used as examples, is their horses had other polo running alongside the high goal, which I personally believes helps their match fitness levels and enables their diets to be consistent. Maintaining fitness, energy levels and the right body condition can be harder when playing just the high goal when games are not as frequent, but energy is always needed. At the end of the day, energy and calories are the same thing!

Luke Wiles

Last year Luke had a run in The Cartier Queen’s Cup and, alongside the high goal, he also had other tournaments to play in. With a string of 12 horses, he needed to focus on their individual needs to ensure he had consistent performances from them for a very busy couple of months of polo.

Before the high goal last year, I met with Luke and his head groom, Jose, and we discussed the individual needs of his horses, especially those that could drop off condition and become quite ‘hot’. We ensured the focus was on a low starch but high calorie diet by using Baileys Ease & Excel. Jose was keen to continue with their ad lib haylage and still ensure they all received a scoop of alfalfa chaff as they were having their bandages done at the polo grounds – and offered water and electrolytes as well, which are always offered again after they have played.

Jose said, ‘Although they were playing in the high goal, some of the horses were also playing in the lower goal polo so we had to really support their recovery to ensure they were on form, especially with all the travelling, and at times, the hot weather’.

When considering their hard feed, Jose kept the majority of the horses on a combination of Competition Mix and Conditioning Cubes, varying the amounts of each depending on the energy requirements of the individual (because Jose uses greater quantities of cubes and mix for the majority of his horses we didn’t need to add a balancer). When possible, they had their feeds divided into three meals per day, so their feeds did not become too big, which really helped them to maintain their condition.

Photography by Nat Barret

Luke Wiles’ grooms

Luke Wiles’ ponies getting ready for high goal

Photograph courtesy of Zac Beim Zac & Mati worked with Lorna to review Zac’s string’s diets

Zac Beim

Last year Zac had a run in the high goal, but alongside the high goal had other tournaments to play in as well. He had eight horses that were the main stay to his string, but knowing the demands of high goal I reviewed their diets with Zac, Tom Beim and Mati (Tom’s head groom) going into more detail, and made adjustments to suit their energy and calorie requirements. Zac’s horses live out at night and this is something that he was keen to keep going to allow them to walk and stetch and be kept in a routine they were familiar with. They did, however, the night before a game stay in, thus reducing the risk of the greedy ones overindulging and their forage intake monitored.

Zac said, “I was keen to keep the horses living out – that has always been our routine here and we didn’t want to make too many changes for them as we know what works. Mati is keen to feed plenty of haylage, but keeping them in the night before polo enabled the greedy individuals to have their small-holed nets and pick at the haylage overnight rather than pig on it!”

For a couple of the horses, Mati introduced some oats into their diets, and therefore we increased the balancer they were already on and kept the Conditioning Cubes the same. One that can hold her weight quite well and usually runs on just balancer had some Conditioning Cubes added to her diet to ensure she had enough energy and she held her condition – not only were they playing a lot they had a lot of travelling to do as well.

For all the horses that played the high goal the main addition to their diets was the use of Outshine, the oil supplement. I really wanted to ensure the energy in their diet was going to support their stamina as much as the quick release energy that the Conditioning Cubes and oats would provide. They all received two measuring mugs (450gms) of Outshine per day.