The importance of a high fat diet in the hot summer for horses
Aug 20, 2021
This summer is on track to be one of the hottest summers in years, breaking records across North America. Now, more than ever, it's important to pay attention to our horses' diets to ensure they are getting the proper fats and hydration through these harsh conditions.
Lee McKeever from Team McLain Ward just returned from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a Team Silver medal has been managing the horses for over 35 years and X-Fit has been a part of their nutritional program for the past 8 years.
Tokyo especially was very hot and humid and many horses had problems coping with these conditions so the benefit from the added fatty acids from X-Fit played a big role in the welfare of McLain Ward's horse Contagious.
Lee McKeever from Equsani on Vimeo.
Using a high-fat feed or adding a high-fat supplement is crucial. Fat is digested, absorbed and metabolized more efficiently than any other nutrient, producing less metabolic heat providing our horses with "cool calories". This is important during hot weather because reducing the heat load of the horse will reduce the energy needed to lower the body temperature, which may reduce calorie and water needs.
Pam Am Gold Medalist Kimberly Herslow is another Equsani rider who has used X-Fit as a part of her nutritional program for the past 7 years.
