Nutrition-based improvement of physical performance in horses

Ane Skjelfjord

Kompetansebygging for profesjonelt hestehold. Påvirkning av fôring og fôringstidspunkt på fysisk prestasjon hos hester.

Project leader: Dag Austbø

The use of area resources aimed at leisure and recreational needs offer opportunities for commercial and industrial development within horse keeping and sports activities. Competence build-up, financed in partnership by public organisations and partners representing the industry will, through research and network activities, be of major importance to support a sustainable development of this type of enterprises that are often small or medium-scale businesses with limited financial and knowledge-based resources.

The increased focus on horses for sport and recreational purposes has led to the establishment of a growing number of small-scale private enterprises within horse breeding, training, tourism and course activities. These enterprises are dependent on areas formerly used for agricultural production or extensive grazing (natural pastures and mountain areas). This has again led to a greater demand for science-based knowledge on the management of athletic horses. An important part relates to nutrition, a considerable business in itself. Central questions relate to the effects of exercise on nutritional requirements, digestive processes and feeding regimes. More advanced knowledge on the interaction between physical performance and nutritional factors will be instrumental for the horse industry, feed producers and private owners. There is also an increased demand for high-level courses on horse-related topics in the field of animal science, which is visualised in the strategic plan of the Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences (IHA) where the master programme in Sport- and pet animals has a high priority. There is also expected to be positive spin-off effects in collaboration with the MSc programme "Enterprise Establishment and Innovation" at the Department of Economics and Resource Management, UMB.

Forskdok key words: horse, feeding, exercise

Forskdok emneord: hest, ernæring, trening

Oppdatert: 03.10.06
Utskriftsvennlig versjon : Arkiv : Tips en venn