Nutrition: The Ultimate Conditioner

Condition Through Nutrition

Whether you have a horse on the thin side who needs to put on weight, are prepping a horse for sale, or have an athletic or show horse who needs optimal muscle tone and topline development, you may be in search of the best conditioning horse feed out there. While there are plenty of conditioning feeds for horses, we’d like to discuss what to look for to ensure that you’re getting the one that’s right for your horse.

Conditioning Feeds for Horses: What to Look For

The best conditioning horse feeds are going to offer extra calories, along with quality nutrients to help build and maintain the optimum condition for your horse. Generally, this means an energy-rich feed with high-quality protein and nutrients like Vitamin E and selenium. These ingredients (along with appropriate exercise, of course), can help build and condition muscle.

The Energy in Conditioning Feeds for Horses

As mentioned, conditioning feeds are calorie-dense. Keep in mind, though, that not all energy is the same. High-quality conditioning feeds will get these extra calories from fiber and oils, not necessarily cereal grains.

Fiber is well-suited for the horse’s digestive system. The hindgut slowly ferments fiber; this enables the slow, steady release of energy instead of sudden spikes. Oil is another way to add calories; ounce for ounce, it contains 2.5 times more energy than cereal grains.

The Nutrients in Conditioning Feeds for Horses

The best conditioning horse feeds will be enhanced with essential vitamins and minerals; these feeds may cost a little more but are cost-efficient since they don’t need to be supplemented.

A high-quality conditioning feed will include optimal levels of Vitamin E, zinc, and copper to support a shiny coat.

Hallway Feeds’ Conditioning Feeds

When it comes to feeding horses, one size does not fit all. Therefore, we’ve crafted a few different conditioning feeds and supplements, including:

Prep 14 – We’re proud that many leading sales agencies feed Prep 14 when they’re getting horses ready for sale. This energy-dense feed provides a 20% increase in calories over conventional sweet feeds. It gets this energy from a custom blend of highly digestible fiber and fat. In addition, it ensures your horse gets the protein, vitamins, and minerals needed for improved condition, thanks to Stamm 30. It’s also fortified with Buffered Mineral Complex (BMC) to help with gastric and hindgut health, as well as bone density.

Fibrenergy – Many people assume that this calorie-dense feed is exclusively for athletic horses. However, it’s made with fiber and oil for a slow energy release, and it provides a significant boost in calories. Like Prep 14, it’s fortified with Stamm 30 for optimal levels of protein, vitamins and minerals, and BMC for improved gastric and hindgut health and bone density.

Protenza – Formulated with the competition horse in mind, Protenza provides optimum levels of soluble fibers, oils, and cereal grains. It provides a 20% boost in energy over conventional textured feeds. Protenza is a highly palatable product ideal for any discipline requiring a feed with high levels of energy, but reduced protein content – calorie-dense, but “non-heating” making it perfect for horses that are difficult to handle or mentally too “high.” It also includes Stamm 30 and BMC.

Quantify – Our nutrient-dense cubed feed is formulated with soy oil to increase body condition and coat quality. It’s also fortified with Stamm 30 to ensure high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Luminance – Our conditioning supplement adds energy to your horse’s ration through stabilized rice bran and ground flaxseed. In addition to the extra calories, it provides a supplemental level of Stamm 30 for protein, vitamins, and minerals.

If you need help deciding which of our conditioning feeds or supplements is right for your horse, please give us a call at (859) 255-7602. We’re always happy to help.

We’d like to thank the following for use of this photo!

Photographer: Harley Cozewith
Event: Phillip Dutton Clinic at Estrella Farms May 15th
Rider: Lauren Lambert