How to get a draft cross fit?

Question
Hi Jessica,

I have a shire/TB cross he is 6 years old.  I've had him for 1 1/2 years. Last summer he was ridden lightly and then fox hunted lightly in the fall/winter.  This spring we began training for Eventing (riding about 4-5 times a week), but only for 45 minutes a time.  He still lacks stamina.  He starts out strong and the after 20 minutes he putters out.  I don't think I push him hard enough to increase his cardio.  Now that it's getting warm he completely ignores me and refuses to work. My trainer says he may just have to be my fall/winter horse.  Is this true? Can I increase his stamina so he can perform in the summer?  Is there a special diet I can put him on to increase his energy? Thanks!

Answer
Hi Debbie,  The Draft crosses do tend to have a little less of a work ethic than the TB's do.  However, I would not give up yet on him being your year round horse, you may just have to work a little harder than if you had a TB.  You may try giving him an iron supplement such as Red Cell or Finish Line, these sometimes will give them a little more energy in turn making them last longer.  I had a draft cross mare who I evented who also lacked in the stamina department, my trainer at the time suggested I give her B-12 shots.  I ended up not needing that so I never supplemented her with the B-12, it may be worth talking to your vet about, however.  Another thing you can try is upping the protein intake.  You may do this by feeding a higher protein grain, I would try 14%.  You can also feed higher protein hay such as alfalfa.  I would suggest riding your horse for 1 hour solid 6 days a week, or work up to that.  Maybe jump 2 times a week,  15-30 min. trot sets or dressage work 2 days a week, and hill work 2 days a week.  If you don't think you could start out doing that I would make that my goal to work up to.  Trot sets and hill work are good for getting one fit and if your horse is solid over fences then maybe only jump 1 day a week to be less wear and tear on the joints.  If your horse has a thicker hair coat because of the draft I would body clip him for the summer.  If you could keep your horse up during the day with a fan and turn out at night, that usually seems to keep them a little fresher during the warm months.  Good luck with your horse, hope this helps.  Jessica