7 Tips for Feeding Horses in Winter

With the colder winter months roll in, as a horse owner, you need to adjust your horse’s feeding regime to ensure they stay healthy, maintain energy levels, and keep warm. Feeding horses in winter can be slightly tricker, as cold weather increases their energy needs, and changes in pasture availability mean a shift in their regular diet. Here are seven essential tips to help you keep your horse well-fed and thriving throughout the winter.
 

1. Increase Forage to Keep Horses Warm

Forage is the cornerstone of a horse’s winter diet, especially since horses rely on the heat generated during digestion to help keep warm. When feeding horses in winter, you should increase their hay intake. As grass becomes scarce and less nutritious in colder months, hay becomes the main source of forage.

Aim to provide 1.5-2% of your horse’s body weight in forage each day, but in colder weather, this may need to increase by up to 25%. Offering free-choice hay (where possible) allows horses to self-regulate their intake and stay warm by naturally generating body heat through the digestion process.
 

2. Provide Warm Water to Encourage Hydration

Horses typically don’t drink enough water during the winter months due to the cold. This tends to lead to dehydration, increasing the risk of colic. Horses require plenty of water to process the fibre from hay properly, so ensuring they have constant access to clean, unfrozen water is crucial.

Offering slightly warm water can encourage horses to drink more, which is vital for digestion in the winter months. You can also add salt to their feed or provide salt licks to encourage them to drink more frequently.
 

3. Consider Adding Digestible Fibre Sources

If your horse struggles to maintain its weight on hay alone during winter, consider adding digestible fibre sources to their diet. Beet pulp, soaked hay cubes, and alfalfa can provide additional calories and fibre without overloading their diet with grains.

These high-fibre feeds offer an excellent source of energy that can be easily digested, supporting your horse’s digestive health while ensuring they have the energy needed to stay warm and active.
 

4. Increase Calories with Fat-Rich Feeds

Feeding horses in winter often means adjusting their diet to maintain or increase their calorie intake. For horses that lose condition or struggle with maintaining weight during colder months, consider adding fat-rich feeds such as vegetable oil, rice bran, or specialised-fat horse supplements. Fat is a highly digestible source of calories, providing horses with the extra energy they need to combat the cold without relying too heavily on grains.

However, it’s important to introduce any changes to their diet gradually to avoid digestive issues, especially when increasing fat content.
 

5. Feed Smaller, More Frequent Meals

In winter, horses may benefit from smaller, more frequent meals to help regulate their body temperature and provide consistent energy. Breaking their daily feed into several smaller meals also helps promote better digestion, particularly when their fibre intake increases.

This feeding strategy mimics how horses naturally graze in the wild, and it can help prevent digestive issues like colic, which can be more common during the colder months.
 

6. Monitor Body Condition Regularly

It’s easy for horses to lose or gain weight during winter, especially when they’re blanketed, as it can be difficult to assess their condition under layers of clothing. Regularly check your horse’s body condition by feeling their ribs, withers, and hips. This will help you identify if they’re losing or gaining weight and allow you to adjust their feed accordingly.

Winter is not the time to restrict feed, as keeping your horse at a healthy weight is essential for their well-being. If you notice any significant changes in body condition, consult your vet or an equine nutritionist for advice on how to adjust their diet.
 

7. Balance Vitamins and Minerals

While hay provides fibre and some nutrients, it may not supply all the essential vitamins and minerals that your horse needs in winter. As pasture quality diminishes, you might need to supplement your horse’s diet with a balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement.

Key nutrients to watch for include vitamin E, which is found in fresh grass but may be lacking in a hay-only diet, and salt, which horses may need more of to maintain proper hydration. A quality balancer can fill in the nutritional gaps and ensure your horse is getting everything they need for good health during the winter.
A horses’s nutritional needs will vary throughout the year, and feeding horses in winter requires careful attention as the temperatures drop and pasture quality declines. Increasing forage intake, providing warm water, adding digestible fibre, and boosting calories with fat-rich feeds can help keep your horse healthy, warm, and in good condition. Regular monitoring of body condition and balancing vitamins and minerals are also essential parts of a good winter feeding plan. Ensuring your horse stays well-fed and comfortable throughout the cold months will help them enjoy the arrival of spring in good health.

For quality horse feed, visit our feed range at Equi-Box. We’re here to help you find the best solutions for keeping your horse healthy year-round.