Feeding Performance Horses: What Most Riders Get Wrong with Rachael Haar

Your horse probably doesn’t need another supplement 👀

One person says your horse needs electrolytes.
Another swears alfalfa makes horses hot.
Someone else is pushing gut supplements, calming supplements, hoof supplements, joint supplements…

…and suddenly you’re standing in Tractor Supply wondering if your horse is missing something important.

So this week on the Resilient Reiner Podcast, I brought on equine nutrition consultant Rachael Haar from BCS 5.0 Equine Nutrition to help us simplify all of it.

Rachael has worked with hundreds of horses across the country helping owners build balanced, forage-first feeding programs — and what I loved about this conversation is that she makes nutrition feel practical instead of overwhelming.

And honestly? This episode went way deeper than “what feed should I buy?”

We talked about:

• Why so many performance horses feel inconsistent at shows

• What actually affects recovery, hydration, and energy during hauling

• Why some horses feel “hot,” reactive, dull, or flat under saddle

• The hidden nutrition issues that can impact topline, coat quality, hoof health, and performance

• How horse owners accidentally create imbalances by layering supplements on top of supplements

• Why hay testing matters so much more than most people realize

• How to tell if your horse’s diet is truly supporting the work you’re asking them to do

• The difference between feeding a maintenance horse vs. a performance horse

• What she looks for first when a horse is struggling physically or performance-wise

One of my favorite parts of this conversation was hearing Rachael explain how many horse owners are trying SO hard to help their horses… but are often missing the foundation underneath everything.

And honestly, it reminded me a lot of mindset work too.

Because sometimes more isn’t better.
Sometimes clearer is better.

This episode is practical, eye-opening, and really refreshing if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to “do everything right” for your horse.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here → Podcast Episode 208

Ride on,
Nicole 🤍