exercising after feeding

[fleabitten]

What rules do you all follow?

I was taught to stand the horse in the stable without food for an hour before exercise but since having Murphy, owner rides him straight from the field. Obviously with regard to bucket feeds i would feed after exercise or at least one hour before. However i think there is some new thinking now that you don't need to worry about withdrawing forage before riding unless you are going to be competing or working hard? Certainly at any riding school I've been at they have been all munching away until you take them out for the lesson. Mostly slow steady work but I'd say most riders would probably be doing light exercise like that on a daily basis.

My RI mentioned about travelling as well. 1 hour before or after travelling for feeding a bucket feed. I would only bring hay if we were going away for a good part of the day and hanging around at the venue, for lessons I wouldn't bother unless it was going to take 45 mins or so to get there.

Thoughts?

[Blonde Donkey]

I always ride straight from the field. I read an article in H&H a couple of years back that suggested a horse should have fibre in the stomach - grass, hay or chaff type feeds to lessen the risks of stomach ulcers and colic. Since following that *touches wood* we've had no problems with tummy ache. I always make a point of giving them 10 minutes in walk to warm up and we've never yet had a problem. We don't feed mixs much, its mostly bulk fibre and pony nuts. Always a haynet in the trailer for travelling and at competitions. I generally had to pluck hay from savs mouth before going into the show ring.

[fleabitten]

That's a good point bd I think I read something like that as well, stops the stomach acid splashing about.

[zara]

The thoughts on this have changed significantly over the last few years and turned what we were all taught upside down! The current thinking is that a horse should have a scoop of chop, hay or grass before riding to prevent ulcers. There are so many old theories that have been researched and been found to be unscientific. There is also lots of evidence that horses should have ad lib hay / forage at all times. When I get a few mins I'll try and dig out some of the research.

[fleabitten]

Thanks Zara that would be helpful! Wish it wasn't so confusing

[haffyfan]

I always ride from the field and in winter will hay them whilst tacking up etc (only way to get Harry to stand still unless i tie him up!), i would observe the old fashioned 1 hour if I was feeding concentrates but i agree with above comments that todays research is showing fibre in the gut/stomach to be a good thing.

Endurance horses are fed hay/chop and even beet (good water source if sloppy) during vet gates and i'm more than happy to let mine drink out and about if source is clean(i have two 'puddle drinkers' in Murph/Pen). Again i observe the 'endurance protocol' of proceeding steadily (walking for me) until it has time to 'warm up' in their belly a bit.

I always hay when traveling unless they cannot have any on vets advice (still coming round from a sedative being the main one lately here and on pen's daytrips to Liverpool we have waited until she could eat again to leave but from our vets we will go when she's awake enough to travel minus the hay as it's not far)

[fleabitten]

Thanks haffy! Very helpful

[ernieburt]

Just as the rest have said I make sure mine have a source of fiber in them before I ride be it haylage, chaff or if grass I tend to give them a net whilst grooming and tacking them up mainly because they seem to be full of gas!

[pboy]

Ditto the others - I picked up the habit of feeding some hay before riding when I was in HK as stable-kept ex-racehorses are high risk for ulcers. I wouldn't feed a bucket feed just before though, but that's more of a nod to my previous BHS training as I'm not sure that's backed up by science either!

The other 'busted myth' that I read recently was the idea that you shouldn't let your horse drink straight after exercise. I've always been careful to make sure my horse has cooled down before allowing them water, but I read an article recently saying that if the horse is thirsty then they should drink. Anyone else know about this?

Maybe we need a new thread on 'myth busting'!

[fleabitten]

No never heard about the water thing but i think id probably stick with the rule of only giving them small amounts until they have rested for a while. Although if it was just general exercise i would let them tear away after id cooled them off and untacked, but if id been doing showjumping or crosscountry or something intensive i would stick with the small amounts rule.

i know there are so many feeding myths and rules!

[racaille]

Good idea Pboy!

Since mine have ad lib hay 24/7 they always have some hay in their bellies. Feeding ad lib strikes me as as near 'natural' as possible: even the greediest ones (yes, you Paco) get over the 'I must stuff my face while I can' attitude and eat little and often.

[brigadier]

I think a full feed before hard exercise is a no no, the theory being that the horse being a flight creature will always use its circulation to function flight, hence racehorses still get a big concentrate feed before racing to give them that immediate energy zap but have plenty of time to digest it. They are then not fed bulk. But horses do constantly need something in their bellies and if you look at endurance they are constantly topped up during the rides but only small amount so it doesn't require a huge effort of digestion. I always bring a horse in to a bucket (small) and also give hay.I would ride within half hour or so if plodding but if serious hacking or schooling will leave it an hour.If a horse is grass blown I always leave them an hour, more so they can get rid of some of the gas! I don't believe in starving, even very fat horses, they should be rationed so they trickle the food.

[fleabitten]

Brilliant, thank you for all your replies!

[zara]

I knew I'd find something eventually; it seems I posted this on FB a year ago today

"FEED BEFORE FAST WORK? REALLY?

One of the causes of gastric ulceration is thought to be the acid contents of the lower part of the stomach (the lining of which has evolved to cope with that environment) splashing upwards against the top half, where acid is not supposed to be. In a hay-fed horse the fibre floats like a mat on top of this acidic pool and prevents splashing upwards. But if there is a period of starvation or reduced intake before work the protective mat may have gone.

So there is case for FEEDING A SCOOP OF CHAFF IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE HORSE IS TACKED UP. This will float on top of the acid pool and prevent splashing. Experience has shown there will be no adverse effects. Also It is best to feed the chaff DRY, as the extra saliva the horse will produce when chewing it contains bicarbonate, which will also have an acid neutralising effect.

At our regular gastroscopy clinics at EqWest we rarely find a horse that doesn't have at least some gastric ulcers. Studies indicate that ulcers occur in up to 37% of leisure horses,63% of performance horses and 93% of racehorses. And while many of these show symptoms such as various combinations of a poor or variable appetite for hard feed, grumpiness, objecting to girthing and grooming, mild colic and a poor coat, it is clear that many other horses are just suffering in silence without any outward signs. Simple management changes like what we have outlined above may help these horses.

Please share if you have friends who might find this information useful.

EqWest Equine Veterinary Clinic Tavistock Devon. Tel [phone]

[fleabitten]

Thanks zara, thats interesting!!