Racehorse Feeds
Racehorse Feeds: Made for Performance
Our home state, Kentucky, is known for thoroughbred racing. It’s an important piece of our heritage, and at Hallway Feeds, we have a passion for fueling these equine athletes. So we’ve put a lot of research into crafting the very best racehorse feeds. If you’re trying to decide which racehorse feed is right for your horse, we can help!
Energy: The Cornerstone of Racehorse Feeds
Of course, racehorses need plenty of energy. That energy can come from several sources in the horse’s diet, including fiber, fat, starch, and to a lesser degree, protein. The best racehorse feeds combine these ingredients, along with precisely the right blend of vitamins and minerals, to ensure the horse’s nutritional and energy needs are met.
Starch as a Source of Digestible Energy
Starch is a versatile energy source. However, research has shown that too much starch in a single meal can hinder a horse’s digestive system. A horse’s small intestine can’t digest a lot of starch at one time, so if the horse gets too much starch at once, a big part of it may end up in the large intestine. Once there, the bacteria in the large intestine will ferment it into lactic acid, which lowers the pH in the hindgut and can lead to colic or laminitis.
Racehorse feeds typically contain some starch, as it’s needed to help replenish the muscle glycogen stores that are burned during training and racing. However, these specialized racehorse feeds usually limit the calories from starch to less than 50%, while increasing energy from fat and fiber.
Fat as a Source of Digestible Energy
Fat is another source of energy used in racehorse feeds. Horses are able to digest fats like vegetable oils efficiently. Also, fats provide a lot of calories. In fact, the energy density of vegetable oil is more than twice that of starch.
Although fat provides a lot of energy, a horse’s system cannot use fat for glycogen synthesis. Therefore, racehorse feeds tend to limit calories from fat to the 20-30% range.
Fiber as a Source of Digestible Energy
The horse’s digestive system is well-suited to turning fiber into energy. The hindgut has bacteria that ferment fiber into energy sources; this fermentation occurs even after the meal, so the energy can be tapped into throughout the day.
High-quality racehorse feeds often include beet pulp for its high percentage of fiber. Beet pulp is a good source of energy, and horses can digest it easily.
Recommended Racehorse Feeds from Hallway Feeds
Our racehorse feeds are all created based on careful research, and they have fueled dozens of racing champions. Each of the feeds listed below is formulated with our Buffered Mineral Complex (BMC), which improves gastric health, hindgut health, and bone density. Our customer service specialists can help you determine if one of these is right for your horse.
• Race 13 has a variety of energy sources, including beet pulp and vegetable oil. It’s fortified with Stamm 30 to ensure the proper balance of protein, vitamins, and minerals. As the racehorse feed chosen by the world’s leading trainers, it has a reputation for excellence—and results.
• Fibrenergy is custom-crafted with optimum levels of soluble fibers (from beet pulp and soy hulls) and oils. This low-starch racehorse feed boosts calories and provides a long-lasting, slow energy release. Not designed for the entire stable, Fibrenergy is more for solving problems such as digestive issues or horses that tie-up.
• Prep 14 is an energy-dense racehorse feed many trainers choose for pre-race conditioning. Prep 14 provides 20% more calories than traditional sweet feeds, plus a mix of highly digestible fiber and fat, and the nutritional boost of Stamm 30. Prep 14 is the right choice for adding condition to horses even in heavy training and is safe to feed at larger volumes than typical racehorse feeds.
