Winter Feeding and Weight Maintenance

Those In Work

For some horses, their workload will increase over the winter, so they will be burning more calories than they typically do in summer. This means they may need more calories in their diet, which could be provided by increasing their current feed or switching to a higher calorie feed. For example, horses fed on Fast Fibre could go up to Cool & Collected, those on Cool & Collected could move up to Veteran Vitality, and those already on Veteran Vitality could look at moving up to Calm & Condition or Soothe & Gain as necessary. Adding additional oil can also be a good way to provide a dense source of slow-release energy.

Of course, some horses’ workload will decrease as it can be difficult to exercise them in the shorter daylight hours. However, these horses may still need an increase in feed if they struggle to hold their weight over winter. Still, this increased energy level should ideally come from slow-release sources like fibre and oil to help avoid any unwanted fizzy behaviours. Others may need reduced calories to stop them becoming overweight, as they are burning less through exercise. Switching to a lower calorie feed or reducing the amount of their current feed can be a good way to manage good doers, although it is important to ensure they are still getting enough to provide a balanced diet.

Fibre/Forage

It is also important to ensure your horse has access to the right amount of forage (grass, hay or haylage), to ensure their fibre intake is adequate. Fibre is not only important for digestive health and as a source of calories, but when it is digested it produces heat that will help to keep the warm through the winter. For horses that are unable or unwilling to eat traditional forages, Fast Fibre can be used as a partial forage replacer.