02/04/2026
🙌🏻
Did you know your horses diet is essential for Conditioning and Rehab?
I know a lot of people see the incredible transformations that I post, horses bulking up, leaving shiny, gaining weight and overall looking healthier.
But what happens when I don’t get that shining moment? When a horse has been here for a few weeks and we’re not seeing the results we want? The first place I look is their DIET.
We then need to assess the ingredients in your grain and supplements.
Does your grain bags ingredient list look like a version of a fast food restaurant list?
Fillers.
Preservatives.
Synthetic additives.. What are YOU feeding your horse?
Too often we get stars in our eyes and pick the grain and supplements we give our horses based off of the pretty bag that says “high in protein” on the front, or the supplement brand literally full to the brim with artificial ingredients just because “Betty NFR qualifier says she loves this brand” but have you ever done your research? Have you ever tried to find clean ingredients that make your horse actually look and feel better.. something that is actually beneficial to their diet instead of throwing 10,000 supplements in a processed bucket of crummy grain and then wondering why your horse is sluggish, losing shine, lacking muscle and overall seemingly unhappy.
Over supplementing can be as detrimental as feeding nutrient lacking forage.
When you’re gearing up for your competitive season or thinking about sending your horse off for conditioning, a good quality diet is essential for your horse’s success.
So, what is suitable for competition horses or horses in recovery?
CLEAN forage and essential nutrients!
#1 A Healthy Gut
The gut affects how your horse is absorbing nutrients, muscle recovery, their immune system response and the overall comfort of your horse.
If you compromise your horse’s gut you will not get the conditioning results you are looking for.
🌟 Keeping quality forage and a healthy gut supplement on board YEAR ROUND not just when you are competing, conditioning or riding hard.
#2 Vitamin E
Vitamin E deficiency can be seen in most performance horses, this can cause decreased work ethic, behavior changes and 🥁 neuromuscular dysfunction.
🌟 Consistent Vitamin E supplementation supports nerve function, muscle recovery and inflammation management.
#3 Healthy Fats
Omega 3 and Fatty Acids.
Horses are meant to have diets rich in fat and protein. This supports energy, recovery, muscle function, immune response and lowering inflammation.. are you seeing a pattern yet?
🌟 All of these nutrients and quality forage are working together to support your horses overall body function. Without these your horse physically cannot do what you were asking of him. Nor will you see the results you are expecting.
Now, feed.
I see all sorts of grain and brands come through, after looking at the ingredients I would throw the majority of what I see in the trash. Look at your ingredients. Your horses are filled with synthetic ingredients that are causing your root problems; poor gut health and hefty inflammation with zero overall nutritional support. Again, like feeding them McDonald’s everyday and expecting a 1999 Arnold Schwarzenegger body to come from it.
Provide your horse with good forage and for the love cheese stop being afraid of alfalfa!
Offer clean, healthy forage based grain, not the pretty bag that’s over marketed, when you see the pretty bag think inflammation and go the opposite way.
We want your horse to be successful and make the gains just as bad as you do, but we need the support from quality products to achieve your goals.
Hood Equine Recommended feeds:
🌱Alafala hay/Grass Hay
🥦Montana Alfalfa/Timothy pellets
🐴Unbeetable Feeds
Complete Equine Performance supplements
✅Gut Check
🧲Hoof RX
➕Vitality
