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In order to get maximum performance from your horse you have to understand where its energy comes from and how it is generated. The most common approach is to feed high energy products in the belief that these will naturally translate to better performance. This is intuitive and in most cases does help but it’s not the answer.
The way to dramatically improve your horse’s performance is to improve its ability to digest its food. Good digestion relies on a healthy balanced gut containing the optimum levels of bacteria. It is ultimately the bacteria/gut flora that do the digesting, and their health and activity relies on the pH of the gut. That is to say on the optimum balance between acid and alkaline in the hind gut.
What could be described a secondary benefit when it comes to the pH balance of the hind gut is the level of oxygen that is available to the cells. Cells ‘burn’ glucose in the presence of oxygen to create energy, therefore, it is very important that an adequate supply of oxygen reaches the cells. Without sufficient oxygen the glucose remains unused / unburned. This takes the form of lactic acid and is the lactic acid which is at the root of the onset of fatigue. This often results in tying-up or a dramatic fall in performance as the energy levels fall and the horse tires.
When the blood supply to the cells derives from a more alkaline environment, then it can absorb significantly more oxygen. The result is better cellular respiration and this delivers more energy (and better condition). So, the secret of how to improve your horse’s performance all comes down to the pH of his or her system.
Accordingly, whilst it may appear to be a good idea to feed your horse high energy feeds to increase or improve performance, this should only be done when the pH (and therefore the horse’s digestion) has been properly stabilised.
The best way to achieve this is to add small quantities of Happy Tummy® natural charcoal to the feed daily. Happy Tummy charcoal is recommended because it is a completely natural product which has been carefully produced to deliver high levels of oxygen to the feed mat (which transits the lower half of the hind gut), as well as performing its main function of adsorbing acidic toxins from the hind gut. The removal of acidic toxins from the gut helps to naturally balance the pH enabling better uptake of oxygen, and a better digestive function.
The ‘mantra’ should always be to balance the digestion and only then to ‘top-up the feed’ if that proves to be a viable route. It takes a few days to balance a horse’s digestion using Happy Tummy®, but a little patience is often amply rewarded in obtaining a really healthy, better performing horse.
Happy Tummy® natural charcoal is available at www.finefettlefeed.com
