The Arabian: Endurance In The Blood

The Arabian evolved on sparse desert grazing, covering long distances on very little. Drop that metabolism into a modern yard with rich pasture and a scoop of hard feed twice a day, and you have a problem.

The thrifty gene is not a myth

Arabians extract more from less. That is a survival advantage in Najd and a liability in a well managed paddock. The practical consequence is simple: an Arabian will hold condition on a ration that would leave a Thoroughbred looking poor.

If you are feeding your Arabian the same as the warmblood in the next box, one of them is being fed wrong.

What to feed

• Low sugar grass hay as the backbone. Timothy, Rhodes or Bermuda are ideal.
• Avoid unrestricted spring grass. This is where most metabolic trouble starts.
• Chopped dust extracted straw mixed into the hay to extend chew time without adding calories.
• A balancer rather than a compound feed, so vitamins and minerals arrive without the energy.

Typical daily ration

Endurance specifics

For distance work the priority shifts to hydration and electrolytes, not calories. A well hydrated horse carrying moderate condition will beat a fat one every time. Forage is your water reservoir — a horse eating 10 kg of hay holds several litres of water in the hindgut.

Watch for

1. Cresty neck and fat pads over the shoulder
2. Footiness on hard ground after a grass flush
3. Sudden weight gain on unchanged work

Any of those and it is worth pulling a hay analysis before changing anything else.