Feeding a 4 year old for competition???

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My 4 year old ISH is now about to embark on his first competitions one each weekend for 6 weeks. All hunter trials. Took him round firle last weekend and he was tired towards the end. I guessed he would be as he is still a baby but he was super once he realised what we were doing!!

Is anyone in the same situation as i think id like to give him somethin for energy. Hes on Pasture mix and chaff but does anyone have any reccomendations?

I like my horses fast and forward and dont mind a fizz but he is still a bolshy 4 year old. Have used D & H comp mix but dont think its much cop

any comment welcome
 
I would be more inclined to say lack of experience and fitness made him tire and that each time he will become better regardless of feed.

I would leave the feed be but if you do think he needs more then something like Spillers slow release competition mix or cubes would be ideal. They are good for the competition horse giving plenty of energy but not fizzing.
 
Yes he does need feed. He is not fit and inexperienced as only been in work for 6 months and has a long way to go but he has got a busy few weeks ahead and would benefit from feed. My trainer also suggested it (she breeds and competes advanced eventing) but she has TB's.
 
my horse is 4 and we went to a local show on sunday, we jumped a clear round and he went clear, about 20 mins later we jumped 2ft 3 and half way through he decided he was playing skitles and the aim of the game was to knock down as many as poss!!! thats what i think but someone said he might be tired, i think maybe they get a brain drain!!!!

he gets fed chaff and cool mix!!!

good luck with all your competitions!!!

im sure once he gets in to the swing of it he'll be fine!!!

sophie xxx
 
If he's unfit that'll be why he's tired(kind of a no brainer really
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), and no amount of food is going to make up for that, regardless of your competition schedule!
 
Feed should be increased and changed gradually over a few weeks so any change is going to make little difference to those compeitions. I would chnage his chaff to alpha-a gradually then change the mix if he still needs more energy. But I would not expect to see any drastic results in the next few weeks anyway. 6 comps in 6 weeks is a big ask for any horse, perhaps you could do one every other weekend to give him a break in between a think about what he's learnt?
 
Thanks Sophie, Think will follow trainers advice too, she should know. His breed doesnt help as they are late maturers.

As long as hes ready for next year for BE I dont mind but its good to hear what other do

thanks
 
My youngster is fed comp mix because he events, and needs a bit more spark, but he still finds them mentally tiring and will "die" on me no matter how much hard feed I pump into him (not that I have!!) As a 4yo he looked and felt good on topspec, spillers slow release cubes and Alfa A. They need high quality protein to help build muscle and help with growth, but without over doing it.
 
Thank you KatB. This is what he will be doing in the spring at the moment he is out 'practicing' and gaining experience. I have another horse who I BSJA but she is 10 so slightly different situation. Just wanted a bit of advice from someone who was the same. He works very hard and needs that little bit of a sparkle at the moment. He went round Firle and is hard for a younger unfit horse, hence the post!!

Great advice will be going to feed place later and mention what you have suggested
Thanks
 
Also, young horses are like kids - they can all of a sudden "konk out" when things get a bit too much for them. If you feel he is struggling, either physically or mentally, then you will do him more long term good by either easing up or calling it a day. I've certainly taken young horses out, had then start the day well, and then withdrawn them if I was satisfied rather than continuing just for the heck of it. My main goal is to have them finish feeling good about their jobs and invincible, not tired and pissed off. It's not the same as competeing an older horse that knows its job and has many positive experiences in the bank.

If I feel a horse is being overly stressed I will either leave him at home to mature or try to get him out for experience in a less stressful fashion. Obviously this will change over time but often at the beginning discretion is the better part of valour.

One of the problems with competeing young horses is doing enough work to get them fit enough without compromising them in other ways. Is he on a fitness program at all? Feed can help IF his requirements are not being met but if his "problem" is maturity then time and patience are the cure.

Good luck - he sounds like a promising youngster.
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Agree with Cruiser. My main horse was c*ap stamina-wise when I begun eventing him as a 5yo. He jumped quite green though so I guess he wasted a lot of energy doing that but always felt tired half way round even though he was fit. Nowadays because of experience he flies round and seems to have endless stamina! Same with my 6yo (very late marturer) who started XC this year, he was dreadful to begin with - I mean he would literally have to trot round most of the course!! However did his first Intro last weekend and he managed to get round in a pretty decent time. I think they just need time to get into XC - once he understands what its about he should wake up a bit.
 
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