The horse world is filled with “rules” many horse owners and caretakers follow, often without knowing why. One such myth that has been followed for years is that horses should not be fed before exercise, reports The Horse.
With updated research, that mindset has shifted: now, scientists suggest that feeding forage before a ride may be beneficial.
Feeding forage before a ride keeps the gastric acid in the horse's stomach from splashing around, Dr. Robert Jacobs of Purina Animal Nutrition told The Horse. This reduces the risk of gastric ulcers and gastric ulceration, he said.
Jacobs does advise delaying working three to four hours after a horse has had a large grain concentrate meal, however. This relates to the insulin response a horse has after he consumes a grain meal.
Peak insulin response is two to three hours after consuming a meal; insulin returns to a baseline level about four hours after the meal is ingested. This is important as the mobilization of glucose is necessary for the horse to perform well.
If circulating insulin is high, like after a grain meal, the mobilization of glucose becomes very difficult, which can reduce the horse's athletic performance.
Read more at The Horse.
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