Feeding the Ex-Racehorse

Owning an ex-racehorse is both thrilling and rewarding, but it also marks a significant transition for the horse. Their new life is quite often quite different from their previous experiences, particularly regarding their diet so ensuring you provide the right feeding and management to suit their new life is essential.

In our Latest Blog, we deliver some key tips and guidance for providing the right nutrition to support an ex-racehorse’s health, performance and well-being:

Focus on Forage

Horses are non-ruminant herbivores, designed to consume a high-fibre, low-starch diet through extensive daily foraging—up to 18 hours a day. As trickle feeders, they chew continuously, allowing a steady flow of fibre rich forage to pass through their stomach into the hindgut, where billions of microbes ferment the fibre and convert it into energy sources the horse can use in the form of Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs). This constant chewing produces saliva, which buffers stomach acid, helping to maintain healthy acid levels and prevent issues like ulcers. A continuous supply of fibre from ad-lib forage also stabilises and nourishes hindgut microbes, promoting digestive health and minimising disruption to the delicate microbial balance. Therefore, providing unlimited access to forage—whether through grazing, hay or haylage —is crucial for maintaining both energy levels and digestive health.

Supporting good digestive health is especially vital for ex-racehorses. While in racing training, they often consume high amounts of concentrates with limited forage, making them susceptible to ulcers and other digestive problems. Transitioning an ex-racehorse to a more fibre-rich diet is crucial and should be done gradually to allow their gut microbes time to adapt. Daily turnout on grass can also reduce ulcer risk, but introducing grazing should also be done slowly as well to ensure a smooth adjustment for their digestive system.

To further support digestive health, consider adding a source of highly digestible fibre like CoolStance Copra to their diet. Made from the white part of coconuts and naturally rich in a blend of digestible fibres, CoolStance Copra is ideal for enhancing fibre levels in your ex-racehorse’s diet.

Additionally, research has shown that a diverse population of hindgut microbes helps promote a healthy, balanced microbiome which in turn promotes better digestive health. This is especially important for racehorses who may have been fed a diet which is less diverse and lower in fibre during training – the blend of fibres within CoolStance Copra, can help provide fibre diversity further boost overall diversity in your ex-racehorse’s diet.

Provide Essential Micronutrients

All horses require essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for optimal health, muscle development, and strong hooves. Offering good quality forage alongside a high-specification balancer or supplement, like VitaStance Mineral Mix can ensure that your ex-racehorse meets their daily nutritional needs. Additionally, VitaStance Mineral Mix will help balance straights like Copra Meal (CoolStance Copra) so that your racehorse is getting a fully balanced diet.

Supply the right energy

A diet based on unlimited forage and essential micronutrients allows you to tailor energy intake based on your ex-racehorse’s work level. It’s crucial to accurately assess their workload to add the right amount of energy and nutrients, including protein.

For horses in regular work, CoolStance Copra can provide a source of slow-release energy while supporting digestive health and promoting calm behaviour.

For those engaged in more intense activities, such as eventing, or who struggle to maintain weight PowerStance fed alongside CoolStance Copra, can deliver a boost of cool energy, and help with weight maintenance whilst helping to keep your thoroughbred calm and focused.

Create a Healthy Hindgut Microbiome

After a training career that may not have adequately supported their hindgut microbes, rebuilding a healthy microbial population in your ex-racehorse is essential. A diverse equine hindgut microbiome is linked to overall health and promoting microbiome diversity starts with a varied diet. Incorporating different types of forage and fibre based feeds like CoolStance Copra or feeding a diverse mixed species hay can enhance dietary diversity for improved microbial health and balance.

Additionally, if your ex-racehorse is just out of training, their hindgut microbes might need some extra support to rebuild a healthy microbiome. UlcaBuf contains scientifically proven Yeasacc and MOS prebiotics which together will help stimulate and nurture beneficial microbes, remove pathogenic bacteria and help boost immunity to support and maintain a balanced hindgut microbiome for optimal digestive health.

Support Maximal hydration

Maintaining optimum hydration and fluid balance is crucial for all horses, regardless of their workload. Water is the most critical nutrient, and key electrolytes like sodium, chloride (salt), and potassium must be maintained at appropriate levels. Replenishing losses from sweating during work is essential. High-quality forage often provides potassium, while free access to salt and fresh water helps restore fluid balance.

VitaStance Mineral Mix will help provide a comprehensive range of electrolytes, including Sodium and Chloride (salt), Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium. Salt will help stimulate thirst, so daily feeding of VitaStance Mineral Mix, mixed in your horse’s feed, can be extremely beneficial both to replenish electrolytes and support maximum hydration in your ex-racer.

By addressing the specific dietary and management needs of ex-racehorses, you can facilitate their transition from racing to riding, promoting optimal health, well-being, and performance throughout their new life.

If you have any questions about creating the best diet and nutrition for your horse or pony, please contact 01488 73322 or info@boomerangnutrition.co.uk