Muscle Up for the Season Ahead
Aiding muscle development, stamina and recovery in horses can help improve overall performance. This is particularly important to think about when you are preparing your horse for competition. By combining a suitable diet and training regime, you can help to increase overall performance.
What is the difference between a conditioning supplement and muscle growth supplement?
Supplements designed for promoting condition generally aid overall weight gain and coat condition, by providing nutrients in the form of essential fatty acids. Whereas tailored supplements targeting muscle growth contain specific and essential amino acids to target muscle mass, recovery and stamina without additional calories which lead to weight gain.
Which horses benefit from a supplement targeting muscle mass?
All horses in training can benefit from the use of a supplement aimed at improving muscle mass and muscle condition, especially competition horses in hard work. Other horses which can benefit from the nutritional support within these supplements include young, growing horses and older horses who may be out of shape. It is important to note that these types of supplement work best when the horse is in a regular training and exercise regime (with the exception of growing foals and young horses who may be fed the additional support to aid healthy growth).
What are the key benefits of feeding a supplement for improving muscle?
There are many benefits to feeding your horse a supplement tailored for muscle support, not only will they aid with the healthy development of lean muscle mass and topline, without ingredients which contribute to weight gain, they can support horses in challenging training regimes. This is by helping improve recovery times after exercise and supporting the muscles to help reduce and prevent stiffness and fatigue.
How can you get the most out of a muscle support supplement?
There are a few measures you can take to ensure your horse gets the most from this kind of supplement:
- Ensure your horse has a well balanced diet, containing all the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals they need for the workload they are in.
- Introduce the supplement slowly to ensure the digestive tract is not upset by a sudden change, this will help ensure the good bacteria within your horse's gut are at an equilibrium and can utilise nutrients effectively.
- Feed the supplement prior to exercise so the nutrients are readily available when your horse needs them.
- Keep your horse in a regular training and exercise regime whilst feeding the supplement for best results.
Overall, there are many situations where you may consider feeding a supplement to support your horse's muscle development and stamina. Whether they are competing and in need of a faster recovery, higher muscle mass and improved stamina, a young horse you want to support with nutrients that help support healthy muscle growth or an older horse who may be lacking condition and out of shape who needs additional support, feeding a supplement can aid muscle development without unwanted weight gain.
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