FEED ADVICE – DISCIPLINES
Feeding Polo Horses: The Ultimate Guide
Feeding polo horses requires a precise balance of energy, stamina, and recovery support. Polo is an intense and fast-paced equestrian sport, where horses need to perform repeated sprints, sharp turns, and sudden stops over several chukkas (periods), often in hot weather. Their performance depends heavily on proper nutrition, which fuels explosive speed, sustained energy, and rapid recovery between chukkas. In this guide, we will explore the best practices for feeding polo horses to help them stay at the top of their game.
What is Polo?

Polo is a fast-paced team sport on horseback that demands speed, agility, and quick recovery across multiple short, high-intensity chukkas.

Horses need a balance of quick-release and slow-release energy to perform at their best throughout the game.

Electrolytes and quality protein help replace losses from sweating and aid muscle repair between chukkas.

A complete, fibre-based diet with added vitamins and minerals supports condition, performance, and overall wellbeing.
Understanding the Nutritional Needs of Polo Horses
Polo horses have unique nutritional requirements driven by the high-intensity nature of the sport. Their diet must provide:


Metabolic Requirements of Polo Horses
Polo horses face high metabolic demands, as they are required to perform repeated short bursts of intense activity followed by brief recovery periods. To meet these demands, their diet should include:
Carbohydrates: For quick-release energy to fuel sprints and bursts of speed.
Fats: For slow-release energy, which supports sustained performance over several chukkas without causing excitability.
Proteins: For muscle repair and recovery, helping horses to maintain peak condition over multiple matches.
Key Components of a Polo Horse’s Diet
Forage
High-Quality Hay: Forage should form the bulk of the diet, providing slow-release energy and supporting digestive health. Timothy, meadow hay, or alfalfa can be excellent choices for polo ponies, offering a good balance of fibre and nutrients.
Grass: Access to fresh grass is ideal, but it should be balanced with supplementary feeding to ensure consistent nutrient intake, especially during competition seasons.
Hard feed
Performance Feeds: Polo horses benefit from feeds specifically designed for intense work. Performance feeds typically provide a mix of quick-release carbohydrates and slow-release fats to ensure energy is sustained throughout the match without causing spikes in energy or excitability.
Balancers: A feed balancer ensures that essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are supplied without adding excessive calories. This is crucial for maintaining muscle health and overall vitality – Did you know the Pure Feed complete range all include balancers so no need to add one!


Key Components of a Polo Horse’s Diet
Energy Sources
Carbohydrates: cereals like oats, barley, and corn provide the fast-release energy necessary for the explosive bursts of speed required during chukkas. However, these should be fed in moderation to avoid over-excitability.
Fats: Vegetable oils, such as linseed or soya oil, are excellent for providing slow-release energy. Fats help sustain energy over multiple chukkas without increasing the risk of sugar spikes or excitability.
Fibre: High-fibre feeds such as beet pulp or alfalfa are ideal for providing sustained energy while promoting digestive health and maintaining even energy levels.
Protein Sources
Alfalfa: A high-protein forage, alfalfa supports muscle health and endurance, helping the horse recover quickly after exertion.
Soybean Meal: Rich in essential amino acids, soybean meal helps maintain muscle mass and repair tissue after the physical demands of a polo match.
Linseed: Contains both protein and omega-3 fatty acids, supporting muscle recovery and promoting a healthy coat – Did you know all of the Pure Feed complete range already contain linseed?
Key Components of a Polo Horse’s Diet
Supplements
Electrolytes: Essential for replacing salts lost through sweat during matches. Electrolytes should be supplemented before, during, and after games to ensure the horse remains hydrated and avoids fatigue or muscle cramps. Did you know normal electrolytes can be corrosive on the digestive system and often contain hidden sugar? Check out Pure ReFuel for the low sugar and starch, digestive friendly recovery mash!
Joint Supplements: Supplements containing glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM can help support joint health, reducing wear and tear from the physical demands of the sport.
Digestive Aids: Probiotics and prebiotics support a healthy digestive system, particularly important when travelling to competitions or during periods of stress.
Hydration
Fresh Water: Polo horses sweat heavily during games, so constant access to fresh, clean water is essential, especially during training and matches. Hydration is vital for maintaining performance and preventing heat exhaustion.


Feeding Tips for Polo Horses
Energy for Performance: Provide a balance of quick-release carbohydrates for speed and slow-release energy from fats and fibre to maintain stamina over multiple chukkas.
Pre-Game Feeding: Avoid large meals just before games to prevent digestive upset. Light meals, rich in fibre and low in starch, are ideal before matches to ensure sustained energy without making the horse sluggish.
Post-Game Recovery: After matches, focus on rehydration and muscle recovery. Offer easily digestible feeds with moderate carbohydrates and high protein content to support muscle repair and replenish energy stores.
Conclusion
Feeding polo horses is all about balancing quick-release energy for power with slow-release energy for sustained performance, while also supporting muscle recovery and joint health. A diet based on high-quality forage, balanced concentrates, and targeted supplements will help ensure your horse performs at its best, both in training and during matches. Tailoring the diet to the unique demands of polo—where speed, stamina, and rapid recovery are key—will help your horse stay at peak performance throughout the season.
Hear from the Expert – Sarah Hughes’s Approach to Polo Nutrition
Sarah Hughes is a seasoned polo player with over 19 years of experience, competing in mixed and ladies’ tournaments across the globe, from 0 to 18 goal. She has represented England in international matches, including at Guards Polo Club and in India, the birthplace of polo, where she played on traditional Manipuri ponies. As an elite polo player, Sarah understands the demands this intense sport places on her horses, and why their nutrition is so important.
Polo ponies, often retrained ex-racehorses, are asked to perform at high intensity—galloping at full speed, shutting down quickly, turning sharply, and accelerating again, all while managing the rigours of close-contact play. This high level of performance requires the right fuel, which is why Sarah trusts Pure Feed to keep her ponies in top condition.
Pure Feed’s low-sugar, low-starch formulas, high in oil and fibre, provide the slow-release energy her ponies need to maintain peak performance throughout the chukka without becoming too excitable. This balanced approach ensures that the ponies remain focused and steady, even in the heat of competition. The feed’s inclusion of a balancer also covers all their vitamin and mineral needs, promoting fitness, condition, and overall health.
To support recovery, Sarah uses Pure ReFuel after matches. Packed with electrolytes to replace those lost through sweat and limiting amino acids to aid muscle recovery, it helps her ponies bounce back quickly, ensuring they’re ready for the next game.
With the help of Pure Feed, Sarah ensures her ponies are fit, focused, and fully prepared for the demands of top-level polo, both in the UK and around the world.

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🎄 Holiday Hours Reminder! 🎄
Plan ahead for Christmas to make sure your horse doesn’t miss out:
❄️ Last dispatch for online orders: 17th December
❄️ Office open until: 19th December
❄️ Office closed: 20th December - 1st January
❄️ Office reopens: 2nd January
If your needing Pure Feed while we`re closed, remember to check out our stockist map to find the closed stockist to you!
🎄 Holiday Hours Reminder! 🎄
Plan ahead for Christmas to make sure your horse doesn’t miss out:
❄️ Last dispatch for online orders: 17th December
❄️ Office open until: 19th December
❄️ Office closed: 20th December - 1st January
❄️ Office reopens: 2nd January
If your needing Pure Feed while we`re closed, remember to check out our stockist map to find the closed stockist to you!
Did you know the entire Pure Feed range is completely molasses free?
We never rely on sweeteners to make our feeds tasty. Horses naturally prefer fibre-rich ingredients, and our formulations are designed to work with their digestive system, not against it with added sugar.
Many feeds use molasses as a shortcut: it’s cheap, it binds pellets easily, and it guarantees sweetness. But it also increases sugar levels and can make feeds unsuitable for horses with metabolic or digestive sensitivities.
At Pure Feed, we take a different approach.
Our pellets are bound using linseed and we use carefully balanced fibre and oil sources, not molasses. This means:
• Lower sugar and starch levels across the entire range
• Consistent, gut-friendly nutrition
• No artificial sweetness masking poor-quality ingredients
• Suitable for good doers, laminitics, and horses with EMS or digestive sensitivities
Delicious, nutritious, and naturally palatable - that’s the Pure Feed way 🩵
Did you know the entire Pure Feed range is completely molasses free?
We never rely on sweeteners to make our feeds tasty. Horses naturally prefer fibre-rich ingredients, and our formulations are designed to work with their digestive system, not against it with added sugar.
Many feeds use molasses as a shortcut: it’s cheap, it binds pellets easily, and it guarantees sweetness. But it also increases sugar levels and can make feeds unsuitable for horses with metabolic or digestive sensitivities.
At Pure Feed, we take a different approach.
Our pellets are bound using linseed and we use carefully balanced fibre and oil sources, not molasses. This means:
• Lower sugar and starch levels across the entire range
• Consistent, gut-friendly nutrition
• No artificial sweetness masking poor-quality ingredients
• Suitable for good doers, laminitics, and horses with EMS or digestive sensitivities
Delicious, nutritious, and naturally palatable - that’s the Pure Feed way 🩵
We`ve made feeding easy! Know the right amount to feed your horse by following our simple guide.
Pure Condition Pellets have a high oil content to promote weight gain and maintain condition💜
In their pelleted form, they are designed to help tempt fussy eaters and can be fed dry or mixed with water to form a mash. Pure Condition Pellets include our premium natural balancer with the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals that horses require.
If you`re uncertain about their nutritional requirements, leave it to the pros—claim your free diet plan from our expert nutrition team. Got questions? We`re always here to help!
📞 01458 333 333
💻 www.purefeed.com
💬 Direct Message us
#thepurefeedcompany #purecompetitionpellets #feedingrates #allyoufeedislove #purefeed
We`ve made feeding easy! Know the right amount to feed your horse by following our simple guide.
Pure Condition Pellets have a high oil content to promote weight gain and maintain condition💜
In their pelleted form, they are designed to help tempt fussy eaters and can be fed dry or mixed with water to form a mash. Pure Condition Pellets include our premium natural balancer with the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals that horses require.
If you`re uncertain about their nutritional requirements, leave it to the pros—claim your free diet plan from our expert nutrition team. Got questions? We`re always here to help!
📞 01458 333 333
💻 www.purefeed.com
💬 Direct Message us
#thepurefeedcompany #purecompetitionpellets #feedingrates #allyoufeedislove #purefeed
Supporting your horse`s condition shouldn’t mean compromising on behaviour, digestive comfort, or metabolic support.
Pure Condition Mix, designed as a high-calorie, nutritionally complete feed, which provides slow-release calories from fibre and oil rather than cereals and molasses. That means:
✔ Condition without fizz
✔ Digestive comfort and steadier energy
✔ A genuinely balanced feed with every vitamin and mineral included
Because it’s cereal and molasses-free, and naturally low in sugar and starch, it’s also a smart choice for horses who are metabolically sensitive or who simply feel better on fibre-first nutrition.
Why owners love it:
• Helps build condition and topline with calm energy
• Supports weight and topline through winter
• Gentle on the gut and highly palatable
• No need for extra balancers or feeds
If you’re looking for a feed that delivers condition and keeps your horse level-headed, this is the feed for you!
Supporting your horse`s condition shouldn’t mean compromising on behaviour, digestive comfort, or metabolic support.
Pure Condition Mix, designed as a high-calorie, nutritionally complete feed, which provides slow-release calories from fibre and oil rather than cereals and molasses. That means:
✔ Condition without fizz
✔ Digestive comfort and steadier energy
✔ A genuinely balanced feed with every vitamin and mineral included
Because it’s cereal and molasses-free, and naturally low in sugar and starch, it’s also a smart choice for horses who are metabolically sensitive or who simply feel better on fibre-first nutrition.
Why owners love it:
• Helps build condition and topline with calm energy
• Supports weight and topline through winter
• Gentle on the gut and highly palatable
• No need for extra balancers or feeds
If you’re looking for a feed that delivers condition and keeps your horse level-headed, this is the feed for you!
Even in Winter, horses lose electrolytes through sweat - especially during schooling, jumping or fast work ❄️
Pure Refuel replaces what’s lost, fast, supporting hydration, muscle function and recovery when your horse needs it most!
@swintonequestrian shows us her routine: tack up, train, Refuel 🩵
Even in Winter, horses lose electrolytes through sweat - especially during schooling, jumping or fast work ❄️
Pure Refuel replaces what’s lost, fast, supporting hydration, muscle function and recovery when your horse needs it most!
@swintonequestrian shows us her routine: tack up, train, Refuel 🩵
Have you noticed your older horse struggle with chaff? Our Veteran Pellets deliver all the benefits of a chaff-based feed squished into a pellet! Even better they soak down into an easy to eat mash, perfect for horses who struggle with chewing!
#purefeed #thepurefeedcompany #allyoufeedislove #equinenutrition
Have you noticed your older horse struggle with chaff? Our Veteran Pellets deliver all the benefits of a chaff-based feed squished into a pellet! Even better they soak down into an easy to eat mash, perfect for horses who struggle with chewing!
#purefeed #thepurefeedcompany #allyoufeedislove #equinenutrition
Ever wondered how we can save you money? It’s all down to Pure Feed being a complete feed. That means every bag contains everything your horse needs: fibre, energy, vitamins, minerals, and oil. No need to buy multiple feeds or top up with extra supplements to balance their diet! #purefeed #thepurefeedcompany #allyoufeedislove #equinenutrition
Ever wondered how we can save you money? It’s all down to Pure Feed being a complete feed. That means every bag contains everything your horse needs: fibre, energy, vitamins, minerals, and oil. No need to buy multiple feeds or top up with extra supplements to balance their diet! #purefeed #thepurefeedcompany #allyoufeedislove #equinenutrition
Pure Veteran Mix is specifically formulated with older horses in mind - low in sugar and starch, medium calorie, and fully nutritionally balanced, it helps keep your horse feeling their best every day. As part of our complete feed range, nothing else is needed! Just one scoop delivers essential vitamins and minerals, fibre, and slow-release energy. Easy to feed, irresistibly tasty, and with soft, chewable chaff, Pure Veteran Mix ensures your horse won’t leave a bite behind 🩵
Pure Veteran Mix is specifically formulated with older horses in mind - low in sugar and starch, medium calorie, and fully nutritionally balanced, it helps keep your horse feeling their best every day. As part of our complete feed range, nothing else is needed! Just one scoop delivers essential vitamins and minerals, fibre, and slow-release energy. Easy to feed, irresistibly tasty, and with soft, chewable chaff, Pure Veteran Mix ensures your horse won’t leave a bite behind 🩵
Looking for Pure Feed in the Chester area? Look no further than Chester Equine Feeds! They stock a range of Pure Feed products from low to high calorie, plus our tasty, healthy treats 💙
Looking for Pure Feed in the Chester area? Look no further than Chester Equine Feeds! They stock a range of Pure Feed products from low to high calorie, plus our tasty, healthy treats 💙
You don’t have to take our word for it, just listen to the people who use it every day!
Our brand ambassadors share what makes Pure Feed different: it’s simple, time-saving, and gives their horses everything they need in one complete feed. No endless supplements, no complicated routines, just proven results and happier horses.
If you’re ready to simplify your feeding routine, start with a free Pure Feed diet plan today and see the difference for yourself 🩵
You don’t have to take our word for it, just listen to the people who use it every day!
Our brand ambassadors share what makes Pure Feed different: it’s simple, time-saving, and gives their horses everything they need in one complete feed. No endless supplements, no complicated routines, just proven results and happier horses.
If you’re ready to simplify your feeding routine, start with a free Pure Feed diet plan today and see the difference for yourself 🩵
Looking for a cosy winter mash? ❄️
Here’s the difference between Meadow Mash and Refuel so you can pick the perfect warm-up for your horse:
🌱 Meadow Mash - Mint-flavoured, high-fibre hay replacer with pre- & probiotics to support normal gut function. Perfect for frosty fields, box-rest horses, or those needing extra fibre and hydration.
🍒 Refuel - Cherry-flavoured recovery mash with electrolytes, antioxidants & amino acids. Supports muscle recovery, hydration, and overall system balance after work or competition, or if your horse needs an immune system boost!
🐴 Tried either of these? Share on your story and tag us!
Looking for a cosy winter mash? ❄️
Here’s the difference between Meadow Mash and Refuel so you can pick the perfect warm-up for your horse:
🌱 Meadow Mash - Mint-flavoured, high-fibre hay replacer with pre- & probiotics to support normal gut function. Perfect for frosty fields, box-rest horses, or those needing extra fibre and hydration.
🍒 Refuel - Cherry-flavoured recovery mash with electrolytes, antioxidants & amino acids. Supports muscle recovery, hydration, and overall system balance after work or competition, or if your horse needs an immune system boost!
🐴 Tried either of these? Share on your story and tag us!
Seeing as it`s a bit chilly this week, you might reach for the kettle to make your horse a delicious warm mash. But avoid using boiling water!
All our complete feeds contain live yeast, a beneficial microbe that:
🩵 Supports a balanced gut microbiome, keeping helpful bacteria thriving
🩵 Aids the digestion of fibre and nutrients
🩵 Helps maintain overall gut stability
As yeast is a living organism, exposing them to high temperatures (around 100°C) denatures their proteins and disrupts their cell membranes, effectively killing them. Once the yeast is dead, it can no longer support digestion or gut health, so all the benefits in your feed are lost.
✅ Tip: always use warm or cool water to soak your feed. This keeps the live yeast alive, ensuring your horse gets the full digestive and gut-supporting benefits of their Pure Feed!
Seeing as it`s a bit chilly this week, you might reach for the kettle to make your horse a delicious warm mash. But avoid using boiling water!
All our complete feeds contain live yeast, a beneficial microbe that:
🩵 Supports a balanced gut microbiome, keeping helpful bacteria thriving
🩵 Aids the digestion of fibre and nutrients
🩵 Helps maintain overall gut stability
As yeast is a living organism, exposing them to high temperatures (around 100°C) denatures their proteins and disrupts their cell membranes, effectively killing them. Once the yeast is dead, it can no longer support digestion or gut health, so all the benefits in your feed are lost.
✅ Tip: always use warm or cool water to soak your feed. This keeps the live yeast alive, ensuring your horse gets the full digestive and gut-supporting benefits of their Pure Feed!
Well, it finally feels like winter might be on its way! With the cold snap increasing calorie demands, now is the perfect time to make a change with your horse`s diet. Our winter favourites help keep weight on, support topline and shine, and provide balanced nutrition 🩵
Well, it finally feels like winter might be on its way! With the cold snap increasing calorie demands, now is the perfect time to make a change with your horse`s diet. Our winter favourites help keep weight on, support topline and shine, and provide balanced nutrition 🩵
Is your older horse:
🐴 Quidding hay
🐴 Losing muscle or condition
🐴 Struggling to maintain weight
…even though everything else hasn’t changed? These are classic signs it’s time for a veteran feed! Feel like you aren`t sure which of our feeds is the best choice for your horse? Simply fill out our diet plan quiz and we`ll send you free, personalised plan! Use the link in our bio to get started 💙
#equinenutrition #purefeed #thepurefeedcompany #allyoufeedislove
Is your older horse:
🐴 Quidding hay
🐴 Losing muscle or condition
🐴 Struggling to maintain weight
…even though everything else hasn’t changed? These are classic signs it’s time for a veteran feed! Feel like you aren`t sure which of our feeds is the best choice for your horse? Simply fill out our diet plan quiz and we`ll send you free, personalised plan! Use the link in our bio to get started 💙
#equinenutrition #purefeed #thepurefeedcompany #allyoufeedislove
Why does every Pure Feed contains salt?
Salt might sound simple, but it plays a vital role in keeping horses performing and feeling their best. Sodium and chloride, the two minerals that make up salt, are essential electrolytes. They help maintain hydration, muscle function, and nerve signals, and are lost every day through sweat, urine and even breathing.
Every Pure Feed includes salt to replace these daily losses and help support your horse’s natural electrolyte balance. It also helps stimulate thirst, encouraging horses to drink enough to stay hydrated which is especially important after work or during colder months when water intake can drop.
By including salt in every Pure Feed, we make sure your horse’s basic electrolyte needs are met without you needing to add table salt or a separate supplement to the bucket.
It’s one of those simple, clever details that keeps things easy for you and balanced for your horse
Why does every Pure Feed contains salt?
Salt might sound simple, but it plays a vital role in keeping horses performing and feeling their best. Sodium and chloride, the two minerals that make up salt, are essential electrolytes. They help maintain hydration, muscle function, and nerve signals, and are lost every day through sweat, urine and even breathing.
Every Pure Feed includes salt to replace these daily losses and help support your horse’s natural electrolyte balance. It also helps stimulate thirst, encouraging horses to drink enough to stay hydrated which is especially important after work or during colder months when water intake can drop.
By including salt in every Pure Feed, we make sure your horse’s basic electrolyte needs are met without you needing to add table salt or a separate supplement to the bucket.
It’s one of those simple, clever details that keeps things easy for you and balanced for your horse
Why Veteran feeds are different 👴
As horses age, their bodies change, and so do their nutritional needs. That’s why our Veteran range is formulated differently from our standard feeds:
🔬 Fibre: softer chaff in the Mix, and pellets that soak into a mash, making them easier to chew and digest.
🔬 Protein: higher levels to support muscle maintenance, as older horses can lose muscle tone more easily.
🔬 Balancer: extra vitamins and minerals to compensate for reduced digestive efficiency.
Why Veteran feeds are different 👴
As horses age, their bodies change, and so do their nutritional needs. That’s why our Veteran range is formulated differently from our standard feeds:
🔬 Fibre: softer chaff in the Mix, and pellets that soak into a mash, making them easier to chew and digest.
🔬 Protein: higher levels to support muscle maintenance, as older horses can lose muscle tone more easily.
🔬 Balancer: extra vitamins and minerals to compensate for reduced digestive efficiency.
Did you know we make a pelleted feed specifically for older horses? Pure Veteran Pellets make it easy:
🌾 Soft & soakable so easy on worn teeth
⚡ Slow-release energy from fibre & oil
🧪 Built-in vitamin & mineral balancer specifically for older horses
💚 Gut-friendly for maximum nutrient absorption
✅ Complete feed, so no extra supplements needed
Did you know we make a pelleted feed specifically for older horses? Pure Veteran Pellets make it easy:
🌾 Soft & soakable so easy on worn teeth
⚡ Slow-release energy from fibre & oil
🧪 Built-in vitamin & mineral balancer specifically for older horses
💚 Gut-friendly for maximum nutrient absorption
✅ Complete feed, so no extra supplements needed
Ever wondered what the Pure Feed team use with their own horses? Meet Tara, Elise (Head of Nutrition ) Irish Sport Horse.
Since arriving three years ago, Tara has been fed on Pure Balance. She’s a classic good doer with plenty of natural energy, so Pure Balance provides everything she needs without unnecessary calories or any fizz. Elise always jokes that the only part of Tara that’s ID is her ability to gain weight … and the mountain of hair she grows each winter!
Despite being in full work and competing up to BE Novice and BS Foxhunter, Pure Balance supplies all the vitamins and minerals Tara needs. It’s a great reminder that the label on a feed bag is a guide, not a rulebook - the right choice depends on the horse in front of you!
Wondering which Pure Feed is the right choice for your horse? Our free diet plan tool can help! Click the link in our bio to start 🌱
#purefeed #thepurefeedcompany #equinenutrition #allyoufeedislove #dietplan
Ever wondered what the Pure Feed team use with their own horses? Meet Tara, Elise (Head of Nutrition ) Irish Sport Horse.
Since arriving three years ago, Tara has been fed on Pure Balance. She’s a classic good doer with plenty of natural energy, so Pure Balance provides everything she needs without unnecessary calories or any fizz. Elise always jokes that the only part of Tara that’s ID is her ability to gain weight … and the mountain of hair she grows each winter!
Despite being in full work and competing up to BE Novice and BS Foxhunter, Pure Balance supplies all the vitamins and minerals Tara needs. It’s a great reminder that the label on a feed bag is a guide, not a rulebook - the right choice depends on the horse in front of you!
Wondering which Pure Feed is the right choice for your horse? Our free diet plan tool can help! Click the link in our bio to start 🌱
#purefeed #thepurefeedcompany #equinenutrition #allyoufeedislove #dietplan














