Adding fat for energy

[Lunabear1988]

Hi! I have a young QH that tends to be on the quieter side besides having a spooky side. We recently added magnesium to his diet and I do think the spooking has gotten a lot better. But my trainer has noted how he seems to lack energy. This isn’t really a new problem and I think the heat lately is really adding to the problem.

Anyways she suggested a fat supplement for energy. She has a draft mare she said her vet recommended it for energy. My horse does not need any weight and she said she’s just been feeding her mare a small amount of extra fat and has had no weight gain.

I’m used to feeding thoroughbreds that could always use extra fat for weight, not energy So this is new territory to me. My horse is on triple crown 30% ration balancer, a handful of the senior just for taste, a supplement for ulcer prevention, probiotics and now the magnesium (working out which supplement for the magnesium I’m going to stick to)

Can anyone recommend a fat source that might be good for this? I’m also in regular contact with my vet so I can ask her too. I wouldn’t to be opposed to getting blood work done either.

[SweetMutt]

In my experience of trying to perk up a lazy guy, once your nutritional bases are covered and your horse has enough to eat according to his workload, adding extra calories doesn’t translate into extra energy. It DOES translate into extra weight, which in my experience actually backfires by adding fat which makes it harder for them to get around.

What I have noticed to make a big difference is vitamin and mineral levels, especially vitamin E. Even my spicy TB got sluggish when his E was low.

Your vet should definitely have some good advice. I’d pull blood too to see how his nutrition is looking. Things like foot or body soreness can also translate into seeming to lack energy, so those are worth ruling out with your vet too.

[Lunabear1988]

That’s what I’m afraid of. He’s not like a super easy keeper but his definitely on the easier side and just holding weight pretty well with hay in a ration balancer. Honestly he looks great!

We actually are in the middle of fixing the angles from the farrier issue so maybe that’s just going to take time. Although I think adding vitamin e is probably a good idea. We are in a very dry area with really no grass.

Thank you! I will definitely talk to my vet to get ideas. It’s not an emergency but I do feel like something needs to get addressed.

[JB]

If you’re feeding all/mostly hay, then there’s not enough Vit E in the balancer to meet his needs . I would aim for a total of 2IU/lb body weigh, knowing 1/2 the E in the TC Balancer is synthetic

“Knowing” your horse and his situation, the only way I think adding fat to his diet would benefit is if he’s PSSM1, and I think he’s not?

Feet need to b resolved, body work done all alone the way, and training . Even the most laid back horse can be trained to be hotly responsive to aids. I did that with my big WB whose favorite gait was a Mosey. A lot of “I don’t care what it looks like just GO and go NOW” in short sprints to a landmark - tree, other side of the ring, etc. Then he got to stop and rest for a few seconds (bigger effort go him more rest time), and then we turned around and did the same thing.

It really didn’t take long for him to get a lot hotter off the aids.

Sometimes you have to put aside how things look, how correct things are, and do whatever it takes to get the energy. Only when you have the energy can you start to shape it.

[Feathered_Feet]

@Lunabear1988

We actually are in the middle of fixing the angles from the farrier issue so maybe that’s just going to take time.

Somewhat of a side note: If you have hoof problems your “lack of energy” might actually be chronic discomfort making walking/moving uncomfortable at best and painful at worst. I’m not sure what kind of angles specifically are amiss (P3/NPA?), but from recent personal experience, fixing negative plantar/palmer angle made sooooooooo much difference in my horse’s “energy” (in quotes because I think her “energy” was fine all along, she was just too uncomfortable to do more than the bare minimum). And you are correct that there’s nothing you can do to speed up that process (aside from therapeutic shoeing in the meantime, e.g., wedges, etc. to make the horse more comfortable if indicated by your issue/farrier). I can empathise with how frustrating it is to just wait on the those feet, but until those look better on radiographs, it’s so hard to know if you’re really dealing with another issue or just poor hooves.

But hoof issues aside, I agree that dietary fat will almost certainly not make your horse have more energy. Some people say protein increases energy (e.g., alfalfa), but dietary fat will just make your horse be fat. And being fat certainly does not make humans or horses have more energy

[Displaced_Yankee]

I have also found success in generating energy from overall fitness.

I restart my beast after every tax season on a 60-day back to work program. It is also a similar template to when I started him under saddle myself.

His first week of trot sets is ALWAYS sluggish. Now he steps rights up to his trot/canter sets (done to maintain/increase fitness).

My beast also has generally weak stifles (dirt paddock for weight management). The more hills and cavalettis I do (as part of conditioning), the happier and easier it is for him to canter off and maintain the canter.

[IPEsq]

How much RB is he getting? Horses are better at using dietary fat for energy versus protein, and the RB is a low fat product. So if you could potentially cut back a little on it if he starts to gain weight without under feeding the RB, then you could add some fat and see how it goes. Fat will also help with the absorption of vitamin E. There are lots of options from pure fat products (oils or prilled fat) to seeds or granulated products that tend to be more like 30-35% fat. For ones with possible tummy issues, I like chia seeds (I got a tub in bulk from HorseTech). Or you could get something like Emcelle for vitamin E with a touch of fat (it’s an oil based product) and then go from there.

[JB]

@IPEsq

Fat will also help with the absorption of vitamin E.

It’s not fat that helps with absorption It’s bile salts.

People store bile in the gall bladder, to be released in the presence of fat, which is why we need to have some fat in a meal to release bile which is what then does the conversion on Vit E to micellize it to be able to be absorbed.

Horses always produce and secrete bile, since their base diet - forage - contains a low level of fat. So, no need for fat, for the sake of Vit E

@IPEsq

Or you could get something like Emcelle for vitamin E with a touch of fat (it’s an oil based product)

Emcelle is 1 of 3 products that have done that middle step by micellizing the Vit E, making it “water soluble” (it’s still a fat-soluble vitamin, that confuses some people). It’s also the cheapest. It’s not an oil, it’s a micellized Vit E. Nano-E and Elevate W.S. are the other 2 products.

[Lunabear1988]

Yeah there is really no grass here So I think vitamin E supplementation would not hurt at all.

No PSSM 1, he was tested during be the PPE.

We are fixing angles on the feet but nothing very drastic. Although it will take another cycle or two to be exactly where we want. He is moving better though since switching farriers.

Could be partially just the heat. It’s been 100 degrees here and I’ve always noticed that he seems to prefer the winter. He seems to sweat enough and everything you’re just think he doesn’t like the heat.

We always work on being hot off the leg for sure, he definitely can get there. It might have to do a little bit with us asking a little bit more in our work too.

I think I will definitely start with some vitamin E. And switching to a magnesium supplement with nothing but magnesium. The one he’s on now has some extra things in it that are supposed to have a calming effect and I think he obviously doesn’t need that! I actually just had it because someone had given it to me a little bit ago. So I figured I’d give it a try and I don’t think it’s what he needs.

[wildlifer]

Blood work isn’t a bad idea if he really feels sluggish. My Appendix did turn out to be anemic, discovered via blood work, we put him on a vet-approved vitamin regime (he was already getting good feed, but he apparently had some special need), and he improved significantly & became much easier to condition as well.

[blob99]

I would go to protein and starch for energy before fat for what you’re describing. Fat is a slow burning energy source so it’s great for horses that can get too hot. But it’s not a fast burning energy source and it sounds like that’s what you want.

I’ve shared this before and it’s of course not right for every horse. But I worked with a nutritionist and discovered I hadn’t been giving my horse enough starch for the work I was asking for her. I was so set on low starrch low starch. But we tested to make sure she didn’t have metabolic issue and then increased her starch in take. I had a much more eager to get to work horse and she even lost weight.

[WildGooseChase]

I personally wouldn’t add a fat supplement first. I’d be looking at hay and feed testing to make sure vitamins, minerals and electrolytes are balanced.

Personally, I’ve found adding an electrolyte and a natural form of Vitamin E increases stamina and energy while working more than anything else. My favorite combo is Elevate by Kentucky Performance Products, and Uckele’s Pro Lyte Pellets/Powder.

Be careful what you feed for electrolytes! Most of the stuff you can get at a farm and fleet type store has so much sugar, dye, flavors etc. The Uckele has the natural and artificial flavor, and a little maltodextrin for perseveration of taste/texture, but it is not a preservative in the traditional sense.

[Lunabear1988]

Blob99, I do remember you saying that. That’s definitely very interesting. I will think about that for sure.

I do think I’m going to start with vitamin E first. There is no grass here and reading about it I think he kind of fits being a bit low on vitamin E. And I say he’s sluggish but we are doing harder work in some high temperatures (of course he gets a lot of walk breaks and the work is short but we are asking for more quality.) I still think he could use a little energy but I’m not too alarmed yet.

If that doesn’t improve things then I will definitely look into doing more blood work and look at nutritional changes. I will hold off on the fat supplement for now. Thank you guys!!

[Lunabear1988]

How much starch did she end up needing?

[blob99]

at the time she was getting 3lbs of TCS (11% ncs) + vermont blend. We replaced 1lbs of the TCS with Purina omolene 200 (35-40% ncs).

ETA: this was per day.

[JB]

@blob99 - no judgement, I’m just curious what made you add the O200, instead of, say, switching to 3lb of TC Complete?

[blob99]

@JB I was working with a nutritionist at the time and it’s what she recommended. I’m sure she had a good reason for it, but I must admit I didn’t think to ask. Since I would be supplying the replacement grain on my own (the barn only offered TCS and Safechoice), I just went with her suggestion.

[S1969]

@Lunabear1988

Could be partially just the heat. It’s been 100 degrees here and I’ve always noticed that he seems to prefer the winter. He seems to sweat enough and everything you’re just think he doesn’t like the heat.

Well, of course this is a factor. Even if a horse sweats it doesn’t mean they aren’t affected by the heat. Higher temperatures make working heart rates rise faster.

Sounds like with a Vitamin E supplement is a good start but I would definitely not discount the heat as a factor in “sluggishness”. That’s normal.

[JB]

@blob99 that’s cool, thanks, I was just curious. Using 1 feed is easier than 2, and 3lb of TC Complete is more NSC than the current mix by only about 56gm

[lenapesadie]

Agree.

It’s quietly understood here that colt starting should take place at high noon in high summer to avoid high jinks.