Feeding Practices and Nutrient Intakes Among Elite Show Jumpers

• Show jumpers consume relatively higher forage, lower concentrate diets.
• Nutrient content of feed available at competition venues should be evaluated.
• DE intake of show jumpers is between the NRC's values for heavy and intense working horses.

The objective of this study was to quantify feed and macronutrient intake, as well as generate information regarding nutritional concerns, in 34 elite-show jumper horses. All feed was weighed and used to determine digestible energy (DE), crude protein (CP), Ca, and P amounts offered to the horses daily. Questions to the horse's representative generated information regarding nutrition-related concerns, such as colic or gastric ulcers. Total feed intake averaged 14.9 ± 2.8 kg and was fed at 2.8 ± 0.5% of body weight (BW) on an as-fed basis. The DE offered met 119 ± 4.8% of the National Research Council (NRC) (2007) requirements for a horse at heavy work or 94.2 ± 17% of recommendations for very heavy work. Crude protein offered was also between these two classifications of workload. When expressed on a per kilogram BW basis, DE in the offered diet was 62.5 ± 11.4 kcal/kg BW and CP was 2.0 ± 0.5 g/kg BW. Ca in the diets offered more than two times the NRC requirements, while the diets only contained on average 87% of the NRC P requirements. Nutrition-related concerns were low, in part due to the widespread preventative use of ulcer medications and joint supplements (or injections). Colic concern was also low in this group of horses, despite frequent travel and sudden changes to new feeds. This study highlights a need for horse representatives to be mindful of feed selection when traveling to different venues where different feeds are available.