How To Feed Your Horse During Show Season

It is important to maintain your horse's health during show season, whether you are on the road or at home.Adding electrolytes to your horse's water is one way to make sure he stays well hydrated while on the road.Maintaining your horse's feeding schedule and type of feed is important while on the road or at the show.If you decide to change your horse's diet, you should do it slowly.

Step 1: Feed your horse a regular diet while on the road.

It is important that your horse's diet remains the same when traveling to an event or a show.There are gastrointestinal issues in horses that can be caused by abrupt switch of food.Maintaining a consistent diet is important for your horse's health.

Step 2: Your horse's feeding schedule should be maintained.

While on the road and at shows, your horse needs to maintain its feeding routines.During the time you are away from home, you should bring enough hay, supplements, feed, and chaff to feed your horse.Feed your horse on a regular basis.

Step 3: Offer your horse salt.

The horses need about 1-2 ounces of salt each day.Bring enough salt with you to make sure your horse will meet minimum requirements while you are away.A salt block can be provided.Salting their water could cause them to stop drinking.Provide them with a block or salt supplement that can be used for optional intake.

Step 4: You can hand-walk your horse at the show.

If possible, get your horse out on a walk while you are at the show.Both will help keep your horse's schedule.The bad attitude that comes with being confined at a show for an extended period of time can be helped by walking and grazing.

Step 5: Slowly make any changes to diet or feeding schedule.

If you change the feed for your horse, you have to do it over a long period of time.Changes to a horse's feeding schedule can cause a problem.To change the amount of food over several weeks.If you want to change the type of food, try replacing 14 of the old food with the new food every 2 days for 8 days.

Step 6: A diet low in sugar and starch can be used to reduce excitability.

Higher levels of excitability can be linked to the sugar and starch content of your horse's diet.This can be a problem for some horses.If you want to prevent excitability, feed your horse a feed that has a sugar and starch level less than 20% and a fat level greater than 10%.

Step 7: Adding fat to your horse's diet will increase his strength.

A higher fat diet can allow horses to process more energy.Feed your horse a feed with a fat percentage greater than 10%.Adding a fat supplement can increase the amount of fat in your horse's diet.

Step 8: Take a B12 supplement.

This supplement can help horses fight fatigue.If you want to increase your horse's energy level, give them a B12 supplement.A B12 supplement can be given to your horse.B12 gel can be administered to your horse through a needle.

Step 9: It's a good idea to give your horse water on a regular basis.

Your horse needs to be hydrated while on the road and stabled at show locations.If you are traveling to a show, give your horse fresh water every two hours.Fresh water should be available around the clock.Between classes and events you can offer your horse water.Depending on activity level and climate, horses should drink up to 30 gallons of water per day.

Step 10: Bring water to the house.

Horses don't like to drink water away from home.The water can smell and taste different.Bring water from home if you are going to a trail ride, show or event.This will help keep your horse hydrated when it's away from home.You can put the water in a large tank in the back of a truck.

Step 11: It's a good idea to flavor the water.

Adding a flavoring agent to the water will make your horse drink it away from home.Before you go, make sure your horse's water is fresh at home.This will make it easier for your horse to drink water while on the road.It's a good idea to make sure the flavoring doesn't contain anything that could cause a drug test.It's a good idea to use Wintergreen andVanilla as flavorings.Both apple juice and molasses will add sugar to your horse's diet.Alternatively, you can add one or two handfuls of sweet feed into the water and let it soak to create a kind of "sweet tea" that many horses enjoy.

Step 12: The water should be added with electrolytes.

Extreme heat and dehydration can affect your horse's electrolyte balance.Add dissolvable electrolytes to your horse's water a week before the show.You should offer a bucket of plain water with the supplemented water.There is a way to deliver electrolytes to your horse.As a dressing on grain, powdered electrolytes can be fed to a horse.

Step 13: Hay can be used to encourage more water intake.

Hay brands that soak in water are perfect for travel.These can be used to make a drink that will encourage your horse to drink more.

Step 14: You should always have a bucket of plain water with enhanced water.

If you have added anything to your horse's water, you need to give them a bucket of fresh water too.Make sure they have access to a bucket of fresh water at all times.