Winter Horse Feed & Nutrition 

Horses’ eating habits can change or be slightly altered in winter. The grass in their fields no longer contains the nutrients required to keep them strong and healthy. Lacking in both fibre and calories, a horse’s diet will need a little help to ensure they are getting good nutrition. 

Not only is there a reduction in the nutrients a horse can get in winter grass. But the rate of growth is also a lot slower. On days when the sun is shining, this might induce a growth spurt which will produce fresh grass. However, this can often be deceiving in that the grass will most likely have a high sugar content. If ingested could lead to laminitis, especially in horses who are prone to getting this condition.   

Each horse will have its own requirements depending on how they will be spending their time throughout the winter. Other factors that might impact a horse and where they get their nutrition from are their age and health. 

Winter Horse Feed for Senior Horses 

Older horses can often struggle throughout the winter, especially those that have damaged teeth or poor dental hygiene, this can have a great impact on their chewing abilities with some horses finding it incredibly difficult to chew, or sometimes just holding feed in their mouths.  This can be quite a concern as they need to keep weight on to help with their bodies staying warm, protecting them from the cold weather. They can burn a considerable amount of calories in order to keep themselves warm in the cold weather. When not eating they will begin to lose the weight that will protect them from the cold weather.

Another concern in the winter is that their fibre consumption will be reduced. Horses require fibre to ensure they have a healthy digestive system which will essentially reduce the risk of stomach ulcers known to cause discomfort and severe pain. 

It is essential to find a replacement feed to suit your horse’s needs and take them all the way through winter. One option for horses with damaged teeth or those that struggle to keep feed in their mouths, especially long-stemmed hay, might prefer the chopped hay. This will be cut shorter making it easier to manage when chewing with difficult teeth.

Dengie has created a feed which is perfect for senior horses who may have difficulties chewing long-stemmed hay. The hay has not only been chopped but the quality is softer. For horses that need extra support regarding any weight loss, why not speak to your local vet or a member of our team about including soaked fibre feeds? These are a great way to help keep your horses gut full, keeping them fuller for longer. 

Alfalfa feeds are great for giving your horse a slow release of energy, contributing to their weight gain in the winter months.

Winter Horse Feed for Stabled Horse 

After a long period of their time spent outside through spring, summer and autumn, the transition of your horse from field to stable can sometimes be challenging. Whilst it is okay to stable your horse through the colder months it is also important to keep them active because some horses may be prone to weight gain which could eventually lead to obesity. Keep the blood flowing to prevent their joints from becoming stiff.

Getting the balance between overfeeding and underfeeding can be difficult because they need to be able to produce enough energy to keep themselves warm. If you have an overweight horse heading into winter and you plan on stabling them, consider the type of feed you want to give them. Perhaps look at feeds that are low in calories such as grass hay and include a ration balancer to ensure they are getting the required amount of vitamins and minerals. 

Stabled Horses

Consider where your horse may be staying and how many other horses will have access to this area. If your horse is overweight and there is an abundance of food this will not be good for controlling weight gain. You may need to contemplate isolation as a means to control your horse’s food intake, especially as watching them 24/7 is impossible. 

It’s not only overweight horses that can be a concern throughout the winter. Underweight horses also need to be monitored closely. Similarly to overweight horses, consider whom your horse is sharing their space with. If they are in a stable with horses that eat more, especially the greedy ones that bully their way towards the source of food. This might mean your underweight horse will not get enough feed which will not help them over the colder months. They will need some weight to keep them warm, again isolating them until they have gained a sufficient amount of weight to keep them healthy and warm might be an idea unless you want to remove the over-eaters. 

Forage

Forage is an important part of your horse’s diet, they need this to maintain healthy digestion. Use hay nets, this is a great way to make it last longer. Hay nets are also a great way to prevent your horse from becoming bored, especially when stabled. Hay nets also reduce the amount of wasted product. Feed them ad-lib so they have a constant supply of forage. The forage is what helps to keep them warm and without it, your horse will find itself using energy to keep warm by moving around which can then result in weight loss. Feeding your horse spontaneously throughout the day will also be kinder to your pocket. 

Turned out horse 

Horses that are kept outside might require a little help. As previously mentioned, when the grass in the winter grows, the number of nutrients it retains is minimal, therefore consider helping your horse out with accessible forage. A horse that is outside during the winter may benefit from being able to exercise and walk around freely, this will have a positive effect on their gut. 

Quite often you will find horses that haven’t been clipped and still have their winter coat intact, can cope with the colder weather.  Any horse that appears to be struggling with the colder weather, for example shivering, will need a food increase because it will be using up energy resources to keep warm. If this is not rectified within a period of two days then you may begin to notice weight loss with your horse. 

Water

Throughout the winter the amount of water a horse requires can be overlooked because they aren’t as active and therefore are less likely to show visible signs of water loss for example sweating, however, horses still need to hydrate and replace lost water and electrolytes. With low temperatures in the winter, water will freeze over in their paddocks or stables. There are a few things that you can do to help them out. 

Place a floating device such as a ping pong ball or large piece of cork, the buoyancy will prevent water from becoming still and able to freeze. 

Use warm water, this will obviously freeze at some point should it become cold enough but using warm water should prevent it from freezing at a faster speed. Some horses have also been known to drink water at a warmer temperature over cold water in the winter. 

If the water has frozen over break and remove the ice and if you have time why not replace the ice-cold water with room temperature?

Some horses don’t drink enough water throughout the winter which can result in dehydration which can be life-threatening. One way to encourage their water consumption is to increase their salt intake. NAF Himalayan Crystal Salt Lick should help bring the thirst for water to the front with your horse increasing their daily water intake, the salt lick has also been designed to replace lost salts, particularly if your horse is exercising.  

Winter Colic 

Horses can get colic any time of the year but there are particular types that are common throughout the colder months. Cold impaction colic is one of the more common types in winter, this is where the feed stops moving through the gut causing a blockage which can result in discomfort and pain. If you suspect your horse may have cold impaction colic, contact your vet who will supply you with medication. Ensuring your horse is drinking plenty of water will help prevent them from falling ill with this and softer feed available throughout the day. Dry feed and dusty feed can be a contributor to colic.

Wet feed such as sugar beet pulp is a slow energy release and the perfect source of fibre. If you are feeding your horses hard feed then Speedi Beet is a good complementary feed. 

If you have any further questions or concerns about horse nutrition and how to keep them happy and healthy throughout the winter months then please get in touch with us either via our social channels or pop into one of our stores and have a chat with a team member.