Kohnke Reveals Feed Ceiling Failures
Targeting Supplements Unlocks Horse Potential
The feed room often holds the key to unlocking millions in prize money, yet many Gulf trainers are leaving performance on the table through basic nutritional oversights. When traditional feeding hits its ceiling, racehorses begin showing telltale signs such as fading in the final furlong, behavioral issues, or chronic soreness that no amount of extra oats can fix. Dr John Kohnke, who has analyzed thousands of racing ratios across five decades, reveals how trainers can identify these critical moments when supplementation becomes the difference between also-ran and winner.
"There are two or three nutritional gaps. The first one is energy. Sometimes trainers feed too much energy, but an inadequate supply of energy is a common handicap of finishing ability, particularly in a racehorse," Kohnke explains. His findings suggest the region's extreme heat amplifies some common feeding errors, creating metabolic chaos that costs connections both money and results.
The Australian veterinarian's approach differs markedly from conventional wisdom. Rather than simply increasing feed quantities when horses underperform, his methodology focuses on identifying specific nutritional bottlenecks that prevent horses from reaching their genetic potential. This targeted intervention strategy has proven particularly relevant in the Gulf's demanding racing environment, where environmental stressors compound traditional feeding challenges.
The Hidden Saboteurs In Your Feed Room
Imported hay, grains, and even prepared feeds arriving in Gulf racing yards carry a devastating secret that most trainers never consider. The long journey from farm to stable destroys vital nutrients at an alarming rate, leaving horses nutritionally starved despite full feed buckets. The economics alone should concern trainers, with expensive hay shipments often delivering far less nutritional value than anticipated.
"A lot of hay coming into the Middle East has actually been stored for some time. Some might be harvested from the previous season, and growers store it and then ship it in," Kohnke explains. "That can be a problem because storing hay in hot weather will reduce its vitamin A content within six months by 80% and its vitamin E content by 50% over six months."
This invisible nutritional decline means trainers "can't rely on what's in hay. You've got to have these important nutrients in the feed as well." The implications extend beyond simple vitamin deficiency, creating a cascade of problems that traditional feeding approaches cannot address.
The protein paradox creates additional complications. Alfalfa and other types of hay can cause problems with protein supply in hot weather, and Dr. Kohnke suggests inspecting the hay that is fed. Alfalfa with low leaf content has mature stems that are rough and stalky, reducing the energy, protein, and minerals such as calcium in the hay. If it is artificially dried by hot air rather than sun-curing, it will also be deficient in vitamins, especially vitamin D.
Conversely, in some cases, the protein content in alfalfa is too high, and that can make the horse too hot inside. This is because excess protein ferments in the hindgut releasing six times more heat compared to fiber and carbohydrates. This causes excessive internal body heat, which is potentially dangerous in desert conditions and can result in higher sweat loss, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances."
Calcium deficiency represents another widespread problem. "Calcium is an important nutrient in alfalfa leaves. A lot of trainers don't feed enough calcium, particularly for racing horses and those using omeprazole, which can reduce calcium absorption.” he warns. This mineral shortfall becomes particularly problematic when horses face the additional stress of extreme temperatures and intensive training schedules. Studies have shown that up to 40% of racehorses in training have calcium intake below requirements, especially those not fed alfalfa as the primary roughage.
When Eager Feeding Turns Horses Into Basket Cases
The transition from European pastures to Gulf racing yards often transforms promising imports into unmanageable, injury-prone liabilities through one critical error. "The big problem we have is in early training when a horse comes into work from another country to the Middle East and starts work. Many trainers start immediately on a high-grain ration. You can't do that," Dr. Kohnke states.
The physiological reality creates serious problems. "When a horse has been on pasture and fed mainly high roughage during the off season, you've got a different type of gut microflora in the hindgut, what we call microbiota, and they lose the ability to efficiently digest starch, which is mainly in grains."
This triggers dangerous hindgut acidosis. "Excessive amounts of starch are not fully digested in the small bowel. If this starch passes through into the hindgut quickly, it can cause an overload of starch. The microbes in the hindgut can't handle the starch, and the overload damages the hindgut digestive system."
Research shows 46% of racehorses develop ‘sore feet syndrome’ from excessive early grain feeding. "A study in 1986 by Linford and his associates in America showed that about 46% of racehorses suffer from what we see as ‘sore feet syndrome’ because of too much grain, too early in training."
"Young horses coming to work, which are put on high grain straight away, can become absolutely crazy. They can't be handled. They're spooky. They can't focus on their training, and it's very dangerous for both the horse and the rider," Kohnke observes.
This hindgut acidosis problem from too much starch can easily be remedied by changing to a slower introduction of grain (500 g daily increased every 5 – 7 days) to the diet of a horse new to the racing stable. Also, supplements such as Kohnke’s Own FABBY, which contains special probiotics and prebiotics, can make a huge difference in the rate of adaptation to a new diet and in the horse's ability to digest grain effectively. It normally takes up to 4 weeks to allow the hindgut to adapt to digesting starch from the feed.
FABBY can improve this process and change the horse’s digestive system within 2 weeks, so that the horse can extract the full energy from the feed quickly. This is where a targeted supplement, introduced at this specific time, can really help optimize the feed's potential and reduce problems for the horse.
Recognising When Your Feed Programme Hits The Wall
Every trainer faces the moment when increasing feed quantity stops improving results. Recognizing this ceiling requires understanding specific performance patterns and physiological markers that signal the need for strategic intervention rather than simply adding more grain.
"As mentioned above, I think energy is the most important factor. I've prepared thousands of rations for horses over 50 years. I've been a vet for 50 years and interested in equine nutrition at studs and racehorse trainers all around the world, and energy is one of the things that trainers don't realize how important it is," Kohnke emphasizes.
The classic performance pattern is consistently evident across racing yards. "I find a lot of horses run quite well in the first part of the race, particularly sprinters. They can really gallop fast, but they just run out of energy," Kohnke notes. This early speed, followed by a dramatic fade, indicates energy delivery problems that conventional feeding cannot always solve.
The solution involves precision timing rather than constant high-energy feeding. "I recommend adding 10% extra energy before the race. For two or three days before a race, add an extra 750 grams to 1 kg of cracked corn. I use cracked corn. I find it's really good. It doesn't increase the risk of tying up."
Feed manufacturers often contribute to the problem through unreliable labeling. "A lot of prepared feeds have an energy level stating that so many megajoules per kilo on the bag, and unfortunately, it may not be very accurate. Some of what we call ‘book values’ are measurements done from the best quality grains, but they do not represent the normal grains or sources of ingredients used in the feed. In many cases, the feeds themselves haven't actually been analyzed." This labeling inaccuracy creates hidden energy deficits that catch trainers unaware.
Professional ration analysis often reveals the true extent of nutritional shortfalls. Dr. Kohnke frequently discovers horses receiving inadequate energy for their training demands, explaining why some horses never reach their potential despite seemingly adequate feeding programs. The key lies in accurate assessment rather than assumptions based on feed bag claims.
Supplement Timing And Common Costly Mistakes
Understanding supplement timelines prevents programs abandonment and maximizes investment returns. Trainers often abandon effective programs prematurely due to unrealistic expectations about immediate results.
"Well, I think it takes weeks. It depends on what timeline you're considering. Trainers often say, 'Oh, I will do this, and it's going to be better in a couple of days or a week,'" Kohnke explains. This unrealistic timeline expectation leads to costly program switching and wasted resources.
Most nutritional interventions require patience. "The thing is, adding anything like that, you're not going to get a quick benefit. It takes two to three weeks to get it into the horse’s system and make a difference in muscle function and antioxidant function."
However, some products work faster when properly administered. "We have a product called Muscle XL, which is a protein booster for horses. Basically, it works in about 10 days, but you've got to give it after work, within 15 minutes after exercise, at two scoops a day." This narrow timing window reflects the critical importance of protein and amino acid replacement immediately post-exercise.
Electrolyte replacement provides the most immediate response. "Electrolytes are quite fast to give a response because they're water-soluble and go into the system very quickly. If you have a horse that's not drinking, giving extra salt will make it drink more in the next couple of days."
For horses struggling with heat adaptation in the Gulf, specialized formulations can show rapid improvement. "We have a product called Troppo-Salts, which is very popular in the Middle East and Northern Australia. Within about five to seven days, horses often start sweating again and maintain better hydration."
Joint supplements require the longest commitment. "People say, 'Oh, I'm going to give a joint supplement today for a horse that's getting a bit sore in the joints,' an older horse that's been racing, and he's getting a bit ‘proppy’ or ‘scratchy’ in the joints. However, it takes time to work. Joints are slow to re-nourish due to limited blood supply, so it takes weeks, two to three weeks at least, sometimes longer."
The most expensive mistake involves over-supplementation without understanding product interactions. "I think some trainers probably add too many at once. They tend to say, 'I'll put everything in.' And that can be something of a problem. People double up a lot," Kohnke warns.
"It’s not always useful to add multiple similar nutrients to a horse’s diet. A trainer may think, ‘I'll add this as well, and I'll add that.' And somebody comes and says, 'This is better.' I've had some people using four of the same type of supplements; some trainers think, 'Maybe it'll make a horse win.' Sometimes it's just too much. It's wasted. It can be passed out in the urine, and it's costly, and it doesn't do much anyway."
Vitamin B12 provides a perfect example of how more becomes counterproductive. "B12 is one thing you've got to be very careful of. Studies have shown that if you give, say, more than 10 mils of folate and B12 injection, or B12 particularly, it'll actually eliminate more B12 from the body stores that are already replenished, it's too high a concentration."
Salt supplementation reveals another widespread error. "Most prepared feeds normally have 1% salt. Salt is very important for heavy sweating horses, but people add a massive amount of feed as well, half a handful of salt, and that's just too much."
Poor-quality protein supplements represent perhaps the most widespread waste of training budgets. "Adding a cheap source of protein really doesn't help because the amino acids are not balanced, and some protein types are not easily available. It costs money without any extra benefit. It may even cause a problem if too much poor-quality protein causes excessive hindgut fermentation and heat waste, especially in hot Gulf climates."
The gap between potential and performance in Gulf racing often narrows down to nutrition rather than training limitations. Dr Kohnke's systematic approach suggests that recognizing when traditional feeding reaches its limits and understanding how strategic supplementation can bridge the gap to elite performance may indeed hold the key to unlocking horses' true potential.
