FEED ADVICE – DISCIPLINES
Feeding Show Jumping Horses: The Ultimate Guide
Feeding show jumping horses is a precise task that requires balancing energy, muscle support, and recovery. Show jumping is a highly demanding sport that requires bursts of power, speed, and agility. Horses must have the energy to clear high fences, the strength to push off from the ground, and the stamina to perform across multiple rounds in competitions. In this guide, we will explore the best practices for feeding show jumping horses, ensuring they have the fuel they need to excel in this physically demanding discipline.
What is Show Jumping?
Show jumping is an equestrian sport where horse and rider navigate a course of fences, aiming to complete the round with as few faults as possible.
The sport requires not only precision and agility but also significant strength and power.
Horses must be able to accelerate quickly, jump high, and maintain their focus over multiple rounds.
Nutrition plays a crucial role in supporting a horse’s ability to perform at this level, providing the necessary energy, muscle strength, and recovery support.
Understanding the Nutritional Needs of Show Jumping Horses
Show jumping horses have distinct nutritional requirements due to the physical demands of the sport. Their diet must provide:
Quick-Release Energy:
Show jumping horses need bursts of power for jumping, requiring quick-release energy sources that don’t lead to excess excitability.
Muscle Development and Recovery:
High-quality protein is essential for maintaining muscle tone, strength, and recovery after intense exercise.
Joint and Bone Health:
The physical impact of jumping places strain on a horse’s joints and bones, requiring nutrients that support long-term joint health and bone strength.
Hydration and Electrolyte Balance:
Proper hydration and replenishment of electrolytes are vital, especially during competition days when horses may sweat excessively.
Metabolic Requirements of Show Jumping Horses
Show jumping horses have elevated metabolic needs, particularly in terms of energy for short, intense bursts of exercise. Their diet should include:
Carbohydrates: Provide quick-release energy for fast acceleration and power. Careful management of carbohydrate intake is crucial to avoid over-excitement or metabolic disorders.
Fats: Offer slow-release energy, helping to maintain stamina and calmness over multiple rounds of jumping.
Proteins: Crucial for muscle development, recovery, and repair after strenuous jumping sessions.
Key Components of a Show Jumping Horse’s Diet
Forage:
High-Quality Hay: Forage should form the foundation of the diet, providing slow-release energy and supporting digestive health. Timothy and meadow hay are excellent choices for their balance of fibre and nutrients.
Grass: the foundation of a horse’s diet, providing essential fibre for digestive health. It supplies energy, protein, and key vitamins and minerals, supporting overall well-being. However, the quality and quantity of grass vary throughout the year, so balancing the diet with additional fibre and nutrients is often necessary.
Concentrates:
Performance Feeds: Specialised performance feeds for show jumpers are designed to provide a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, supporting both energy and muscle needs.
Balancers: A balancer can help ensure that all essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are provided without adding unnecessary calories, particularly for horses prone to weight gain.
Key Components of a Show Jumping Horse’s Diet
Energy Sources
Carbohydrates: Grains such as oats or barley can provide the quick-release energy needed for power, but should be fed in controlled amounts to prevent over-excitability.
Fats: Linseed and rapeseed oil are excellent for providing slow-release energy, supporting stamina without causing spikes in energy levels.
Fibre: High-fibre feeds like unmolassed sugarbeet offer slow-release energy and are easy on the digestive system, helping to maintain even energy levels during competitions.
Protein Sources:
Grass Pellets & Grass Chaff – Provide highly digestible protein to support muscle maintenance and overall condition.
Unmolassed Sugar Beet – Primarily a fibre source but contains some protein to contribute to overall dietary intake.
Rapeseed Oil – A valuable plant-based protein source that supports muscle tone and strength.
Linseed: Offers a balance of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, supporting muscle health and promoting a healthy coat.
Key Components of a Show Jumping Horse’s Diet
Supplements:
Joint Support: Glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM are key supplements for supporting joint health, helping to protect against the wear and tear that comes from repeated jumping.
Electrolytes: Especially important during competition season, electrolytes help replenish salts lost through sweat, maintaining hydration and preventing muscle cramps. If you’re looking at improving your horse’s recovery even faster, check out Pure Refuel – aiding electrolyte, muscle and hydration recovery.
Digestive Aids: Probiotics and prebiotics can help maintain gut health, which is particularly important when travelling to shows and during periods of stress.
Hydration:
Fresh, clean water should be available at all times. Hydration is especially important before and after jumping rounds, particularly during warm weather or intense competition days.
Feeding Tips for Show Jumping Horses
Energy Management: Provide a balance of quick-release carbohydrates for power and slow-release energy from fats and fibre to maintain stamina without causing excess excitability.
Consistency is Key: Feed your horse at the same times each day to maintain a consistent digestive routine, helping to reduce stress and maintain overall health.
Monitor Body Condition: Regularly assess your horse’s body condition score (BCS) and adjust their diet accordingly to ensure they remain in optimal shape for competition.
Recovery Nutrition: After intense jumping sessions, ensure your horse receives adequate protein and carbohydrates to aid in muscle recovery and replenish energy stores.
Tailoring the Diet to Different Stages of Show Jumping
The demands of show jumping can vary between training and competition days, and the diet should be tailored to reflect these changes:
Before Competitions: Focus on providing a diet rich in quick-release energy to support the bursts of power needed for jumping. Ensure hydration levels are maintained, and offer light meals before competitions to avoid digestive upsets.
During Competitions: Offer small amounts of easily digestible feeds, such as soaked hay or high-fibre feeds, between rounds to maintain energy levels and encourage hydration. Electrolyte supplementation is important to prevent imbalances.
After Competitions: Prioritise recovery by offering feeds that are rich in protein and moderate in carbohydrates to aid muscle repair and restore energy reserves. Continue to provide fresh water and electrolytes to support rehydration.
Conclusion
Feeding a show jumping horse requires a careful balance of energy, muscle support, and recovery. A diet that includes high-quality forage, balanced concentrates, and targeted supplements will help ensure your horse performs at their best, both in training and competition. Tailoring the diet to the specific needs of each horse, as well as the demands of the sport, will provide the energy and support necessary for success.
Hear from Brand Ambassador– Amy Inglis’s Approach to Showjumping Nutrition
Amy Inglis is an international showjumper, competing at the highest level up to 5* with her team of horses, which includes both her own and those of her owners. Amy’s dedication to excellence in the ring is fueled by the Pure Feed range!
At Amy’s yard, the horses are fed a tailored diet based on their energy needs and stage of development. For her seasoned competitors, Amy uses Pure Working to provide the balanced nutrition and energy required for high-performance demands. Her younger horses and those needing extra condition are fed Pure Condition Mix, ensuring they maintain muscle and strength as they grow and develop. For the yard’s youngstock and broodmares, Pure Stud is the feed of choice, supplying the essential nutrients for healthy growth and development. ome of Amy’s horses are naturally fiery, requiring a feed that delivers energy without causing them to become overly excitable. This is where Pure Feed’s low-sugar, low-starch approach is perfect, offering controlled energy to enhance performance without making the horses too fizzy.
Amy’s thoughtful approach to feeding, using a combination of Pure Feed products, helps her horses thrive, whether they are competing internationally or developing at home. It’s this balance that supports their success in the demanding world of showjumping.
What we recommend for Show Jumping Horses
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FAQs
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Horse owners spend a lot of time trying to fill nutritional gaps:
✅ A supplement for this.
✅ A powder for that.
✅ An extra scoop of something else.
But what if there weren`t any gaps to fill?
At Pure Feed, every complete feed is formulated to provide the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, gut support and slow-release energy your horse needs, all in one feed 🩵
Most performance feeds rely on one energy source.
Pure Performance uses two.
⚡ Bruised oats provide readily available energy for horses that need power, responsiveness and athletic output.
🌱 Oil and superfibres provide slower-release energy to help support stamina, condition and endurance throughout the session.
The result?
Energy for the jump-off.
Stamina for the last fence.
Condition to keep going all season.
That`s why Pure Performance is the only feed in our range to contain cereals; carefully combined with fibre, oil, prebiotics, probiotics and live yeast to support digestive health alongside performance 🩵
Horse nutrition has become surprisingly complicated, and somehow we`re still left wondering if we`ve missed something.
At Pure Feed, we started with a different question:
**What if one feed could do the whole job?**
Every complete feed is built around the fundamentals of equine nutrition:
🌱 A high-fibre foundation for digestive health
🧬 Quality protein to support topline and muscle function
⚖️ Balanced vitamins and minerals for everyday health
⚡ Premium oil sources for slow-release energy
🦠 Gut and hoof support built in as standard
No nutritional gaps.
No complicated feeding plans.
No guesswork.
Just confidence that every feed is helping your horse get what they need 🩵
Most horse owners think about gut health when there`s a problem, but a healthy hindgut influences far more than digestion alone.
In fact, around 80% of the immune system is associated with the gut, and the hindgut is home to trillions of microorganisms that help break down fibre, produce energy and support normal immune function.
That`s why gut health can have a knock-on effect on:
🛡️ Immunity
🥕 Nutrient absorption
🌱 Condition
⚡ Performance
💪 Recovery
🧠 Behaviour
The challenge is that modern horses face plenty of pressures that can disrupt the hindgut environment; from travel and competition schedules to changes in grazing, forage quality and routine.
That`s why gut support isn`t an add-on at Pure Feed, it`s built into every complete feed through:
✔️ Prebiotics
✔️ Probiotics
✔️ Live yeast
✔️ High-quality fibre sources
Want to start feeding Pure, but not sure where to start? Comment down below to recieve a link to our diet plan service 🔗🩵
The biggest summer feeding mistake? 👉 Assuming that because a horse is gaining weight, they`re getting everything they need. 🌱
Grass is brilliant at supplying calories, but calories aren`t the same as nutrition.
In fact, summer grazing can often be:
☀️ High in energy
⚖️ Low in certain minerals
🧬 Variable in quality protein
🦠 Missing the gut support that many horses benefit from
That`s why it`s not unusual to see horses carrying plenty of condition whilst still struggling with things like topline, hoof quality, recovery or overall performance.
The goal isn`t necessarily to feed *more*, it`s to make sure what`s missing gets replaced.
That`s why every Pure Feed complete feed contains vitamins & minerals, amino acids, pre & probiotics, fibre, salt and oil-based slow-release energy, all in one feed!
Me during the heatwave: "Drink."
My horse: "No."
Me: "DRINK."
My horse: "No."
Me: makes a bucket of Refuel
My horse: "Well, why didn`t you say so " 🍒
"I can`t believe how good my horse feels."
Not sharper.
Not stronger.
Not more explosive.
Just more consistent.
More consistent energy.
More consistent focus.
More consistent condition.
Because for most horses, performance isn`t limited by a lack of energy 👉 it`s limited by how efficiently that energy is supplied and utilised.
That`s why Pure Feed uses fibre and oil as the foundation of its feeding philosophy, supporting horses that can work, perform and recover without the highs and lows often associated with traditional high-starch diets 🩵
Most feed rooms get more and more complicated.
A balancer, chaff, nuts, supplements, gut products, a hoof supplement, oils, and even more!
Before long, you`re feeding half a dozen products just to create a balanced diet.
At Pure Feed, we took a different approach.
What if the feed already contained everything most horses need?
That`s why every Pure Feed complete feed contains:
✔️ Vitamins & minerals
✔️ Pre & probiotics
✔️ Amino acids
✔️ Biotin
✔️ Salt
✔️ Fibre
✔️ Oil for slow-release energy
All combined into one simple feeding system.
And because we believe horses thrive on fibre-based nutrition, our feeds are free from:
✖️ Molasses
✖️ Alfalfa
✖️ Soya
✖️ Wholegrain cereals
✖️ Artificial mould inhibitors
The result?
Less time worrying about what`s missing from the diet. More time enjoying your horse 🩵
"He`s living out on good grass, so he doesn`t need any feed."
It`s one of the most common things we hear this time of year.
The challenge? Grass provides calories. It doesn`t always provide balanced nutrition.
Even good doers can benefit from additional vitamins, minerals, amino acids and gut support! That`s why many owners choose a balancer or low-calorie complete feed during the summer months.
🌱 Pure Balance – concentrated nutrition with minimal calories
🌱 Fibre Balance – ideal for horses needing a little more fibre in the bucket
🌱 Pure Easy – higher in slow release energy and fibre, still low calorie
Not sure where to start? Comment diet plan below to recieve your FREE diet plan 👇
The Pure Feed range is built around one simple principle: work with the horse’s digestive system, not against it.
That’s why our range is cereal-free (with the exception of Pure Performance).
Instead of relying on traditional cereal grains as a primary energy source, we prioritise highly digestible fibre and superfibres. These ingredients provide a more natural route to energy production in the hindgut, supporting a steadier release of fuel rather than the rapid spikes often associated with starch-heavy diets.
Cereals have long been used in horse feeds for energy density, but they can place a greater digestive load on a system that is fundamentally designed for forage fermentation. By reducing reliance on them, we aim to support a more stable gut environment and more consistent overall condition.
The result is a range designed to be suitable for a wide variety of horses, from leisure horses to performance types, without compromising digestive health or nutritional balance.
Want to learn more about our cereal-free feeds? Tap the link in bio to learn more 🩵
“Mine lives out 24/7 on good grass… do they really still need a balancer?” 👀🌱
Short answer: very often, yes.
Because grass supplies calories brilliantly… but it doesn’t always supply nutrients in the right balance for modern horses, especially those in work, restricted grazing, poor doers or horses with higher nutritional demands.
The tricky bit?
Grass quality changes constantly depending on:
☀️ Sunshine
🌧️ Rainfall
🌱 Growth stage
🧪 Soil mineral levels
🐴 Grazing pressure
So while your field may look rich and healthy, key nutrients like copper, zinc, selenium, amino acids and vitamin E can still be lacking.
That’s where a balancer or complete feed comes in 🩵
At Pure Feed, our feeds are designed to help fill the nutritional gaps that forage and grazing alone may not cover, without unnecessary sugar, molasses or feeding huge bucket feeds.
Why that matters 👇
✔️ Supports hoof quality & skin condition
✔️ Helps maintain topline & muscle function
✔️ Supports immunity & recovery
✔️ Helps balance forage-based diets
✔️ Supports gut health & fibre digestion
Think of grass as the base of the diet…
and balanced nutrition as the part that helps everything function properly around it 🌾🧬
Hoof supplements are one of the most commonly purchased products in the horse world.
But what if the nutrients that support hoof growth were already in your feed? 👀
Every Pure Feed complete feed contains added biotin as standard, alongside the amino acids, vitamins and minerals needed to support hoof growth and horn quality.
Because whilst hoof oils, dressings and supplements all have their place, hooves are built from the inside out.
✔️ Added biotin in every feed
✔️ Essential amino acids
✔️ Balanced vitamins & minerals
✔️ Complete nutrition in every bucket
Your horse can stand in a field full of grass…and still be missing key nutrients 👀🌱
Because while grazing looks “natural”, modern pasture isn’t always nutritionally complete, especially for horses in work, restricted grazing, mixed grazing systems or poorer-quality field conditions.
Grass nutrient levels constantly change depending on:
☀️ Weather
🌱 Growth stage
🌧️ Rainfall
🐴 Grazing pressure
🧪 Soil mineral content
Which means the same field can provide very different nutrition throughout the year.
That’s why many horses can still benefit from targeted vitamin & mineral support, even when the grass looks lush or if they`re a good doer 🩵
At Pure Feed, we believe forage should always come first… but it shouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting alone.
A well-balanced diet helps support:
✔️ Hoof quality
✔️ Muscle function
✔️ Energy metabolism
✔️ Immune health
✔️ Skin & coat condition
✔️ Gut health and fibre digestion
Need help figuring out which feed would suit your horse? Check out our diet plan service, link in bio 🩵
If you turned your horse’s feed label over… would you actually know what you’re looking at? 👀
A lot of feeds focus on calories first. At Pure Feed, we focus on what those calories are bringing with them 🌱
Because a horse’s bucket should support far more than just weight maintenance ⬇️
🧬 Amino acids to help support muscle repair, topline and recovery
🦠 Pre & probiotics to support a healthy hindgut microbiome
⚡ Oil-based slow-release energy for stamina without the starch spikes
💧 Salt & hydration support to help maintain fluid balance during work and warmer weather
🌾 Highly digestible fibre sources to support gut function and digestive health
🦄 Vitamins & minerals balanced to support normal bodily function, immunity and performance
🐴 Added biotin to support hoof quality and skin condition
And the best bit?
It’s all already built into the feed 🩵
Just complete, fibre-focused nutrition designed around what horses actually need to thrive.
Halfway through the season and suddenly your horse feels… flat? 👀
By mid-summer, many competition horses are working harder, travelling more, sweating more and burning through energy reserves faster, but simply throwing more starch at the problem isn’t always the answer. ⚡
At Pure Feed, we focus on controlled, fibre-based energy to support horses through the busiest part of the season without the unnecessary fizz. 🌱
Why fibre-first refuelling matters 👇
✔️ Slow-release energy supports stamina and consistency
✔️ Added oils provide safe calories without huge starch spikes
✔️ Essential amino acids help support muscle recovery and topline
✔️ Electrolytes & gut support become increasingly important as workloads and temperatures rise
✔️ Highly digestible formulations help horses maintain condition even during intense competition periods
The goal isn’t just more energy 👉 It’s usable energy, sustainable condition and horses that recover well enough to go again next weekend 💪
Most horse feeds are built around adding things in. At Pure Feed, we built ours around taking the confusion out 🩵
No separate chaff.
No balancing products.
No complicated feed charts stuck to the tack room wall.
Just scientifically balanced, fibre-based nutrition designed to support the horse as a whole 👉 from gut health and energy metabolism to muscle recovery and condition.
What makes us different? 👇
✔️ Complete nutrition in every feed
So every mouthful contributes towards a balanced diet; not just calories.
✔️ Low sugar & starch, no molasses, no alfalfa
Carefully formulated to support horses needing a more controlled, fibre-focused diet.
✔️ Gut-first formulation
With high fibre levels, pre & probiotics, and highly digestible ingredients to support the hindgut microbiome.
✔️ Real-world feeding that actually works
From happy hackers to top-level competition horses, we create feeds that are practical, consistent and easy to feed correctly.
Because feeding well shouldn’t mean feeding more products 👀
🏇 Worked hard. Sweated hard. Recovered properly?
When your horse exercises, they don`t just lose water. They also lose electrolytes, burn through nutrients and create muscle fatigue that needs supporting before the next ride.
That`s why we created Pure Refuel 🩵
Refuel combines:
⚡ Electrolytes to replace what`s lost through sweat
💪 Essential amino acids to support muscle recovery
🦠 Live yeast to support gut health
🍒 Cherry for to tempt the fussiest of horses
🌱 Low sugar & starch formulation
💧 Quick-soaking mash to encourage fluid intake
Whether you`ve just finished a competition, a training session, a fun ride or a long day travelling, Refuel helps support recovery from the inside out 🩵
🚨 Good doers need nutrients too 🚨
One of the biggest feeding myths we see? 👀
"My horse gains weight easily, so they don`t need hard feed."
The reality is that calories and nutrition aren`t the same thing.
A horse can be carrying plenty of condition while still falling short on important nutrients needed for healthy hooves, muscle function, immunity, coat quality and overall wellbeing 🌱
That`s where a feed balancer comes in 🩵
Designed to provide concentrated nutrition without unnecessary calories, a balancer helps support your horse`s diet when they don`t need large bucket feeds.
Why do owners choose Pure Balance? 👇
✔️ Low calorie, nutrient-dense formulation
✔️ Vitamins & minerals to help balance forage and grazing
✔️ Added amino acids to support topline and muscle maintenance
✔️ Pre & probiotics for digestive support
✔️ Biotin for healthy hooves
✔️ No molasses or added sugar
Think of it like this...
Your horse may not need more feed 👉 they may just need more nutrition. 🧬
Perfect for good doers, native types, horses on restricted grazing, and anyone looking to support a balanced diet without adding unnecessary calories 🩵
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