What’s a good energy supplement that’s not an iron supplement? I have an older guy and we live in a hot humid climate, so I’m looking for something to give him a little boost this summer. He already gets electrolytes and salt licks. I like the Cavalor Kick Up a lot, but it’s a bit pricey so wanted to see what else people have had luck with.
Nutritionally speaking, energy=calories by definition.
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iron really isn’t an energy supplement, and horses have more iron than they can use
How old is he? Hot and humid is just sucky hard to work in. How fit is he by the time that environment sets in?
He’s a bit on the heavy side weight wise, so we are trying to keep him on a bit of a diet with the grass coming in. He currently gets a bit of senior gold and then alfalfa pellets and beet pulp as well, so not sure about adding more feed 
He’s 19 but pretty fit body conditioning wise. He’s got good muscling, just looking for something to help him out with the increased sweating and humidity.
A clinician recommended SmartPak’s SmartEnergy pellets to me last summer in a similar situation. I used it for our peak season May-September, when we were showing/trail riding/hunter pacing, etc. on a weekly basis. It doesn’t contain added iron, and seemed to work quite well as a little extra support. Just added it back to his regimen for this summer as well.
Agree with posters above that there are lots of fitness/weather/nutrition variables to consider but absent any glaring issues there, the SmartEnergy is a relatively inexpensive experiment. Only gripe is that it doesn’t come in bulk packaging so you have to buy the SmartPaks, but I use them anyway for other supps.
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How much of the Sr Gold? “A bit” sounds like it’s under-fed, and then you add the others for calories. If he can’t take 5-6lb of SG, then I’d add 1/2-1lb of TC Balancer (or Balancer Gold) to that Sr to up his nutrition a bit
At some point it just takes more conditioning to get the energy, and hot + humid isn’t in favor of a horse’s body composition
Does he seem better/worse depending on time of day? Around here, it’s almost worst to work in the morning when it’s only 75*, but 85% humidity, than in the evening when it’s 90* but 40% humidity
He gets about 1/2 pound of the senior AM and then again PM. I can try to add a balancer, just trying to keep his weight appropriate for his build since he is almost fat on air. Or I could try a different ratio of grain with alfalfa/beet pulp.
He definitely seems better when it’s cooler and/or less humid. I usually can’t get out to ride until after work, so trying to aim for later in the day when it’s not quite as bad.
I’d suggest replacing the Senior entirely with a balancer, since 1lb of Senior is well below the recommended 5-6lb feed rate to get the full nutritional benefit. TC makes one, as do most feed manufacturers nowadays. They’re designed to provide basic nutrition with minimal calories at a lower feed rate (1-2lbs per day for most adult horses). That alone might help you better manage his weight and improve energy levels.
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Thank you! So 1-2 pounds of TC balancer per day and 1-2 pounds of alfalfa pellets? Or just balancer?
The alfalfa pellets are likely fine as a forage supplement, and some horses don’t find the ration balancers as palatable as the Senior so they’d probably help there too.
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Trot and canter sets, build up his fitness.
The fitter my horse is, the more energy he has.
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it mostly depends on how palatable he finds the balancer on its own. Since weight is an issue, I’d see how he does on the balancer by itself, then add as little in the way of alfalfa pellets as you can
OR, since I assume you soak the beet pulp, that can make a bigger volume meal with fewer calories than the same weight of alfalfa pellets. 1-2c of dry beep shreds, soaked, is a great mixer
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I’ll share my experience because I feel like a lot of people haven’t heard of this supplement.
I have a warmblood that used to be the very definition of a kick ride. I put him on Acetyl L-Carnitine HCL Powder from SmartPak and it has been a game changer. I feed half the recommended dose (as the full dose made him spicy). It is not marketed as an energy supplement, but I credit it for a major transformation in my guy. Yes, he will always need a bit of extra leg, but he’s far more willing to carry his own motor now. The product description is below.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine, also known as ALCAR, is an amino acid with antioxidant properties that is key for energy production. Providing it to hard-working, active horses encourages optimal muscle function and recovery, as it enables the body to generate energy from fats. By maximizing energy efficiency, it ensures your horse’s muscles have a sufficient supply to perform and relax during and after rides. It additionally activates an enzyme that directs glucose into energy-generating pathways rather than storage, allowing it to be utilized as fuel for muscles instead of raising blood sugar levels. This makes it a smart support choice not just for performance horses, but also those with metabolic concerns. Along with diet and exercise, it may help your horse achieve a healthy weight. Lastly, acetyl-L-carnitine has antioxidant properties and plays a role in nerve cell production, supporting healthy nerve tissue and protecting against oxidative stress at the cellular level.
Article from about Acetyl-L-Carnitine and it’s potential benefits in horses: https://www.forageplustalk.co.uk/acetyl-l-carnitine-horse/
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