Two matches in a day; what to feed in between?

Jesster

Jesster

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Say I have a match at 10 in the morning. The ponies come off after a hard, fast chukka, blowing and sweating all over. Let's say it's as if they have just run a hard race.

They then get watered and rested, then loaded up in to the truck and taken to the next match, which is at 2pm.

Traditionally, they wouldn't be given anything to eat except perhaps a nibble of grass in between matches. They won't have had anything to eat in the morning apart from their breakfast ration. It stands to reason they need something to perform their second match as well as possible. But what to feed that wouldn't negatively affect performance?

Thoughts please?
 
Thoughts:) they will be prone to ulcers if restricted so much, most horses now have less restricted access to forage in the form of hay or haylage so they can trickle feed, this should not impact on performance as they will not be gorging, they use the fibre for energy so again it should not affect how they work, whereas having ulcers will.

What I would do in the situation you describe is to let them have hay on the journeys possibly taking it away a while before the match but I think it is not unlike an event horse before going xc, mine eats until it is tacked up and goes off to warm up. We had an ulcer concern with him and he now has unlimited access to haylage, if time is tight between phases he gets a small feed of alfalfa cubes while tack is being changed.
 
Yes, I am with you on the ulcers/forage thing but it's very difficult to change the view of the polo community on this.

Hay on the lorry is a definite no. They do not eat before games, end of story. This is something one has to roll with when one works in the industry. I would expect most polo ponies have ulcers in one form or another.

However my employer is quite forward thinking, and if I say that feeding x,y,z in a small amount I could get a better performance out of them in a second match, he would listen.

If I asked him if I could feed them ad lib hay all day, he would look at me as if I were mental. They need to be kept light, like a racehorse.
 
What about soaked grass nuts, just damp enough to be crumbly? They are only forage all said and done.

Having done polo with the same time span/travelling between matches, what worked for us would be to give a slightly bigger breakfast an hour earlier then grazing and walking in hand for as long as possible ASAP after the first match after they have been washed off. Gives the ponies time to relax and stretch, make sure they're not dehydrated too as that would contribute to poor performance far more than not having a feed. You don't see hunters have a feed during the day when they're working, polo is no different tbh. Endurance tends to be a more consistent pace than an intense furious chukka so the constant dribble of feed they have wouldn't be such a problem for them (have to admit, I still can't get my head around working a horse immediately after feeding at all!)
 
How about a scoop of unmolassed chaff? I'm with be positive on the ulcer subject - I can't get my head around working horses on an empty stomach; it's completely contrary to their evolution. Another form of anthropomorphism, maybe?
 
I would feed a small meal of Alflafa mixed with a little oil.
Alflafa is an excellent sorce of fibre and protein and is high in calcium so it's an excellent buffer against stomach acid the oil provides slow release energy and calories but very little bulk.
Alflafa A oil would be easy and simple to use in the circumstances you describe .
 
Ditto a small fibre feed. Id go for something that's soaked as it would be easier to convince the owner the water will be good for them. You could put some magical supplement in it too ao they feel even better about it;)

There are plenty available. Grass nut would be suitable, possibly alfalfa nuts or even Fast fibre. They are all pure fibre and will do no harm if they spill undigested into the small intestine.
 
Not sure I would use FF firstly it's pretty low calorie and secondly I don't think Sugar beet is the best thing for a horse whose going to do the type of work a pp is going to do .
OP as long as they can drink I would add a few electrolytes to the ALFA A oil as well you should dampen it as well.
 
Thanks for the input, folks.

So....we're looking at dampened alfa a oil or lucie nuts with some electrolyte?

What would be the best thing to replenish muscle glycogen? Will the lucie nuts/alfa do that or should I add.....something else?
 
Fibre only, so maybe something like Alfa A oil or soaked grass nuts with electrolytes and additional oil for extra calories once they have cooled off enough but before loading, or if you have to hang around at the other end before next game. I know what you mean about feeding and polo...it always interests me to see what friends of mine do, which is totally against what i have been taught!
 
Agree with alfalfa suggestions.
I worked in polo years ago and hay and water was withheld before matches similar to racing. However ours were playing high goal so only one match per pony per day. Occasionally we would double chukka them but did take it out of them.
A small amount of alfalfa or similar between matches will not reduce their breathing or cardiac capacity. Replenishing some energy and keeping hydrated will only improve performance.
Be interesting to monitor their heart and recovery rates on your new improved management!
Remind the sceptics that you can't run a sports car on an empty fuel tank!
 
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