"Few will dispute that nutrition is important for optimizing athletic performance in horses," began Ray Geor, BVSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, at the AAEP Horseman's Day. "However, there tends to be less agreement among horsemen, nutritionists, and veterinarians regarding the most important nutritional consideration for athletic horses."

He said the main consideration is whether the diet meets the horse's nutritional needs, meaning adequate water, energy (calories), fiber, minerals (e.g. calcium, phosphorus, selenium), and vitamins. "For athletic horses, energy is the most important nutritional consideration," said Geor. "Energy is not a nutrient per se, but rather a measure of a feed's potential to fuel body functions