Recovery After Exercise And The Rules Of Feeding

Most horse owners will understand what I mean when I talk about 'the rules of feeding'. We have been taught for many years to take careful steps when feeding to prevent colic. While many are good practices, such as feed little and often, introduce new feed slowly, there are a few other ones that can be re examined, but not forgotten.

There is one rule which has been drummed into me since I was a tiny tot. This rule is always to wait an hour after exercise before feeding. Modern equine management now teaches us to wait until the horses breathing has returned to normal before allowing our horses to eat, depending upon the quantity of hard feed given.   

In a conversation with my vet a few years ago, she said that allowing the horse to have a short pick of grass will increase recovery rate after exercise. Now, with my childhood filled with old old fashioned rules of feeding I positively balked at the idea of letting my ponies eat after heavy exercise. At the time of this conversation I had a pony called Primicia, who was a fantastic polo pony but she got very excited and put a-lot into the game.

In polo, the game is split in to sections called 'chukkas'. We play each chukka for 7.30 minuets. We are not allowed to play the same pony for more than two chukkas, and they have to have a break of one chukka in between playing to allow the pony to rest. When I used to play Prim, she used to come off the pitch puffing heavily as most do in the sport, being a fast game. Even though she was very fit she was only comfortable playing one chukka.

Much like most polo ponies, Prim had impeccable manners. She would stand beautifully by the lorry, she never pulled when she was led, but most interestingly, she never snatched at her reins to put her head down to eat...until after she played. After realising that this behaviour was abnormal for the pony at any other time other than right after playing, I listened to what she was telling me. She needed the grass. After a chukka I allowed her to have a small pick of grass, the difference in her recovery rate was incredible! Its amazing how quickly their respiritory rate reduces once their heads are down. 

I now always let my ponies have a pick of grass after they play, and they all recover much quicker than they would without. After 11 years of playing polo, and a few seasons grooming myself, I've seen grooms struggle to keep their ponies from eating after play. I ask the question 'do they do that before they play?' The greedy ones do for sure! On the whole though, no, they do not. I think they are just telling us what they need. 

I touched on the rules of feeding that perhaps need to be taken with a pinch of salt. One of which is feeding before exercise. Some say wait an hour before heavy exercise, some say three hours. This very much depends what you are feeding and the exercise you are doing.

While it would be unwise to feed a large bucket of hard feed before heavy exercise, a small feed of chaff before you tack up or a bit of forage will line the horses stomach, protecting them from acid creating ulcers.

It is actually true that feeding a small feed of a concentrated source of amino acids before work will help muscle fibres build and repair, as the time around exercise is when the muscles 'uptake' amino acids.  

Watering after exercise is essential. However, another old rule was to never allow your horse to drink large quantities of water straight after exercise. However, withholding water can lead to more detrimental effects in dehydration. It is now said that you should allow your horse to drink as much as he needs, but if you have noticed he becomes colicy then to allow him small amounts at a time, or if he guzzles water. 

By allowing your horse to drink a sensible amount of water after exercise he not only rehydrates, but this also aids in reducing his temperature. 

Often, horses don't like drinking at shows, whether that is due to stress, the taste of the water or, and I know this may sound mad, but I have some ponies that haven't liked the colour of the bucket... a couple of my boys have preferred the purple bucket to the black bucket... (maybe it just tasted better in the purple bucket?!) Anyway, I have a great trick for horses like this. I get the horses used to a soak-able feed, such as fast fibre, and then make a very sloppy amount for them to tempt them to drink. Works a treat!  Another options is to put apple juice in the water which sometimes works. 

A great article on this topic can be found at https://feedxl.com/17-feeding-after-exercise/ and https://ker.com/equinews/feeding-horses-exercise-optimal-recovery/.