Of all the components of nutrition, protein is probably the most misunderstood.

Protein’s role in the diet is to provide amino acids (the building blocks of bones, muscles and soft tissues) for growth and repair. So it’s easy to see why, for many generations, we assumed that the more protein in the diet, the better a horse could perform. But somewhere along the way, many people made the leap from “growth and repair” to “energy source.” But protein, and its component amino acids, is not all that good for providing energy.

Amino Acid Benefits

What are amino acids good for? A vast array of the horse’s vital processes, including:

• The synthesis and the release of hormones.
• The synthesis of neurotransmitters and enzymes.
• The regulation of sleep, appetite and blood pressure.
• Most importantly, amino acids are needed for the formation and repair of muscle tissue and other soft tissues throughout the body. On a fat-free, moisture-free basis, they account for approximately 80% of a horse’s total structure.

That said, the requirement for protein is highest in young growing horses, which are building new tissues as they mature, and in horses being used for breeding. Mature horses being used for pleasure or performance, and those who are essentially pasture potatoes, need a surprisingly small amount of protein in their daily diets, because they have already built their tissues. They need only a small amount to supply the process of daily repair — the healing of microscopic muscle fiber tears, ligament strains and…