Were you and your horse preparing for competitions? In that case, you need to adapt your horse’s training programme and diet. This blog post contains 5 tips for you and your horse during time off from competitions.
1. Adapt your training programme
Your horse needs daily exercise. You cannot just stop working with a horse that is in training for competitions. So adapt your horse’s training programme. Reduce the intensity of its training programme. Keep doing basic work. And alternate with grazing or line walking, roadwork or a relaxing forest or beach trip.
2. Less intensive work: switch to fibre-rich concentrates
Now that you are training your horse less intensively, your horse’s energy requirements will also change. During the competition season, horses are often fed large quantities of sugar-rich and starch-rich concentrate and supplements. Your horse doesn’t need that much energy now. During this time off, switch to a high-fibre concentrate, such as Cavalor FiberForce, rather than feeding your horse less concentrate. This is a great way you keep energy levels low, while feeding your horse additional fats and fibre. And keep sugars and starch to a minimum. So low energy levels, while ensuring muscle retention.
3. The perfect time for a detox
Athletes need rest and recovery from time to time. Your horse also needs a rest period every year. Your horse has to cope with a lot, especially during the competition season. When it trains hard and is competing, a horse produces a lot of waste products. This unexpected rest is thus a perfect opportunity for a detox. Prebiotics and probiotics – such as Cavalor VitaFlora – will restore a healthy balance in your horse’s digestive tract. Rest and recovery of the liver is also vital for a complete “reset” of your horse’s body. A course of Cavalor Hepato Liq ensures your horse’s liver regenerates again. Ensuring your horse is ready for a superb performance once the competition season starts back up.
No show? Plan a detox!
4. Give your horse a good grooming
Given the empty competition calendar, you have more time for this. Why not treat your horse to a good grooming? It’s also a great way to check your horse for minor injuries. The massaging effect of a good grooming also promotes circulation and skin activity. Did you know that a healthy horse’s pH is 7.0 to 7.4? So don’t use “human shampoo” on your horse. Our personal favourite for white horses is Cavalor Bianco Wash. A popular choice for washing white horses, to turn their coat colour bright white again.
5. Enjoy!
Remember, your horse lives in the moment. It has no idea which competitions you were preparing for. It really enjoys the rest and relaxation. So use this time off from competitions to recharge your own batteries. The competition season is also synonymous with a lot of time on the road, away from home. Enjoy this “free” time. And stay healthy!
Nutritional advice from our experts: the best detox
Always provide your horse with 50 l of fresh, clean water a day and 2% of its body weight in roughage. Administer 500 g of Cavalor FiberForce per 100 kg of body weight, 20 g Cavalor Vitaflora and 10 ml Cavalor Hepato Liq every day for a 6-week period. You give your horse from the Cavalor Vitaflora 2 kg packaging every day until the bucket is empty. You also add from the Cavalor Hepato Liq 250 ml packaging until empty.
Prepping for the competition season: a powerful new start
Give your horse some rest in the coming weeks and an extra boost with a detox. It’s the best way to ensure your horse is in fighting fit form once the competition season starts again.
