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How to Choose a Performance Horse Feed

performance horse feed

What is the best feed for performance horses? What ingredients support energy, strength, and stamina? How can your horse’s diet help build muscle and recover from exercise? Our equine nutritionists at Nutrena® brand break down some of these most frequently asked questions about how to choose a performance horse feed, so you can feel confident that you are providing a nutritionally balanced diet for your horse’s specific life stage and activity level. Because here at Nutrena, we believe what’s inside counts®.

When to Feed a “Performance” Horse Feed

There are several performance horse feeds on the market, but be sure to look past the name on the bag and read the guaranteed analysis on your feed tag to make sure you are getting the best blend of ingredients for your horse. Ask yourself questions like: What is my horse’s body condition and activity level? Does your horse need more calories to sustain their exercise program? Do they require not only topline support but muscle repair and recovery? Would it be beneficial to support their gut and immune system during times of stress such as hauling to shows and traveling? These are all some indicators that a performance horse feed might be the best fit for your horse.

At the end of this article, if you’re still unsure what to feed, you can schedule a virtual consultation, and one of our equine nutritionists can help choose the best feed for your performance horse.  

Diet Recommendations for Performance Horses

Whether you barrel race like Stevi Hillman, do eventing like Tamara Smith, reining like Andrea Fappani, jumping like Wilhelm Genn, or any other discipline like our long list of Nutrena athletes, nutrition is key to getting the best energy, stamina, and strength out of your horse. When looking for a good performance feed, pay attention to these nutrients and ingredients on the tag:  

  • Quality Amino Acids: While most performance horses require at least 12-14% crude protein, the blend of amino acids is equally, if not more, important. There are two basic categories of amino acids: Essential Amino Acids (horses can’t make these, so they need to be provided in feed) and Nonessential Amino Acids (horses naturally make enough of these). To fuel, repair, and recover muscle, equine diets must optimally contain a superior amino acid profile, including all 10 of the essential amino acids. The three most Limiting Essential Amino Acids are Lysine, Methionine, and Threonine, all of which are found in NUtrena’s Topline Balance® Technology that is added to all of our premium feeds.

  • High-Fat Diet: A high-performing horse can have up to twice the calorie requirement as the same horse in a maintenance stage. While high-fat diets are not always necessary, they can help meet calorie and energy requirements without excessive quantities of feed. That is why our ProForce® feed portfolio is a fan favorite for equine athletes.

  • Gut Health: Competitive environments whether that be training programs or show circuits can be stressful, so it is critical to be proactive and support your performance horse’s gut biome. Diet plays a large role in digestive health, which is why Nutrena created Digestive Shield™ , an exclusive technology with Pre + Pro + Postbiotics and Calcite to help optimize the entire digestive tract. Digestive Shield can be found in Nutrena SafeChoice and Nutrena ProForce feeds.

  • Sugar and Starch: While many horse owners try to avoid starch and sugar and look for the lowest NSC, when consumed in moderate amounts/meals, frequently over time, starch can be a useful and practical source of energy for most horses. Glucose is the key energy source for every cell in the horse’s body and branch chain amino acids stimulate protein synthesis. The proprietary BCAAs and chromium in Rebound Technology™ have been shown to make this key energy source more readily available to the cells of the horse. Rebound Technology™ can be extremely important for the performance horse needing muscle repair and remodeling to rebound in between shows and workouts. Rebound Technology can be found in every bag of Nutrena ProForce feeds.

Find Performance Horse Feed Near You

Nutrena offers a few different options depending on your performance horse’s needs. The most popular go-to feeds for equine athletes are:

Visit our Dealer Locator to find performance horse feed near you.

Where to Buy