Personally, I have always fed the same mix except
while competing. While competing they get as much as they want of whatever
they will eat, though I usually offer my same beet pulp-grain mixure plus my
grass hay plus whatever hay is at the vet stop plus whatever they steal* from
the other horses.
During a ride a horse is basically surviving on
glucose stores in his/her body plus fat stores. It takes time for whatever
is eaten (except for simple sugars and some starch) to be digested and available
for energy.
Ed
*Angie had a great post/or article on this awhile
back.
Ed & Wendy Hauser 2994 Mittower
Road Victor, MT 59875