Stadium racehorses are not the same as wild horses. They need to be taken care of well so that they can perform well in racing tournaments. When it comes to their maintenance and care, they need special attention. This is why when you are looking after a racehorse; it is imperative for you to ensure that it receives the correct nutrition so that it performs well in racing tournaments without losing energy at all.
What do experts say when it comes to the nutritional requirements of stadium racehorses?
Experts state that when horses exercise, their muscles use adenosine triphosphate or ATP that is a small molecule that stimulates the contraction of muscles. When it comes to ATP, you will find that horse muscles have minimal amounts. However, it does have many metabolic pathways that can create this ATP faster whenever it is used. These metabolic pathways are very small fuels that create ATP. This means when you are feeding a racehorse, it is essential for you to ensure that the food you feed it produces this ATP so that it leads to the contraction of the muscle of the horse reducing its fatigue.
Stadium horse experts from TVG.com say that one of the most important fuels for a racehorse is glycogen- this is a string of molecules that contain glucose. This glycogen is stored primarily in the muscle of the horse, and there are a few traces of it in the fat and the liver of the horse. When the horse participates in the race, the primary fuel that it uses is glycogen. Now, when it comes to the training of the horse fat is needed. This low-intensity training needs to fulfill the energy needs of the horse.
Energy in the diet of the racehorse
When it comes to the dietary energy of a racehorse, it is expressed in mega calories or Mcal. This energy is digestible energy. The term digestible energy refers to the amount of energy present in the diet that is absorbed by the horse. The need for dietary energy is calculated on the requirements that the racehorse needs before it partakes in a race. When it comes to the total amount of energy that the horse needs in the race, the DE is calculated on the maintenance and the requirement of energy it needs during performance and exercise. Experts state that an adult horse that is idle needs approximately 16-17 Mcal of dietary energy daily. However, if a horse participates in horse races, this amount needs to be doubled.
It is vital for professional groomers to ensure that the needs of a racehorse are taken into account especially when it comes to dietary energy. This is why the racehorse is placed under stringent feeding routines by their caretakers. Coupled with a feeding routine, the horse also needs a good regime for rest and sleep so that it can recover well from previous races and get ready for the next race days that lie ahead.
