With the warmer months slowly coming to an end, it is time to start considering winter horse feeds. The horse or pony’s requirements will be slightly different during the colder part of the year. One of the most significant changes is that they will be expending more energy keeping warm and dry, especially if they are being turned away without a rug.

It is vital to keep checking an equine’s health and weight throughout winter. This is particularly important if the horse is not being brought in everyday. Unless the horse is closely examined on a fairly regular basis, weight and horse feed problems can be difficult to spot under layers of thick winter coat or rugs.

During winter, grass loses its nutritional value. Even if paddocks contain lots of grass, it will probably not be great quality so owners must buy plenty of top notch hay or add something like Fiberpro to their usual horse feeds.

Any horse that is staying out will need extra rations. Not many horses will get through a winter in good health without hard feed, even if they are out of work. Most horse feed companies and equine nutritionists will be able to offer advice on how much horse feed a particular individual will need over winter. It is well worth getting a professional’s opinion if you can as they will set you firmly on the right path. One of the key things to remember is that fibre should make up the bulk of the horse feeds. Chaff or sugar beet, added to the grain or premixed feed; will keep the horse’s digestive system in top shape. Digesting the fibre will also help keep the horse warm.

Another thing that should not be overlooked is the horse’s water intake over winter. Dehydration and impaction colic can be an issue over winter as horse’s can be reluctant to drink when the water in their trough is icy cold. Often, it isn’t even possible for them to access water because their water bucket is frozen over. To encourage horses to drink the appropriate amount (12-15 gallons per day), try offering them tepid water. Warmer water will be more appealing to the horse, meaning they drink more and don’t suffer from any complications associated with not drinking enough. Even if you think the horse is healthy, don’t stop monitoring the amount of water they are taking in. It is far better to identify and deal with problems early on, than further down the track.

Along with all the aforementioned horse feed requirements, paying attention to every other area of the horse’s health will ensure that they remain in good shape throughout winter. Regular worming and teeth rasping will mean that the money spent on horse feeds is not wasted.