Question
I take care of horses in southeastern Ohio that run free with no barns or shelter. When it becomes frigid, rainy, or windy, I really worry about them. What is the best feed for winter?
Answer
Horses require three basic nutritional needs in the winter.
The first is water. Horses tend to drink less water when the weather is cold, so ensuring that they drink enough is important. Water consumption is necessary to prevent intestinal impaction, which can be a concern when horses are out in large pastures. Make sure to provide a constant supply of clean water that is not too cold. The first step is ensuring that the water is not frozen and horses have access to it. Horses tend to ingest more water when it is around 45-50° F (7-10° C). To do this you can use insulated buckets, install an electric water heater at selected water troughs, or even provide warmed water throughout the day.
Next, ensure that your horses have access to a steady supply of hay. When fiber is fermented in the hindgut, it creates internal warmth to help horses battle cold temperatures. While horses can graze pasture during the winter months, it will not provide much energy or many nutrients, and there is generally not enough volume to meet the horse’s requirements of 1.5-2% of their body weight per day of forage. Pastured horses in a group setting should be monitored to be sure that low-status animals have adequate access to hay. Timid horses may need to be fed hay separately or in smaller groups. Spacing hay piles widely in the field and offering several extra piles can minimize this problem.
Concentrates should be used if horses appear to have trouble keeping on weight and to provide balanced vitamins and minerals. Easy keepers can be fed a ration balancer at 1-2 lb (0.45-0.9 kg) per day to provide them with their essential vitamins and minerals. Senior horses or horses that have a hard time maintaining weight may need to be fed more, as keeping warm is energetically very draining.
The main point is to keep an eye on your horses, and feed them according to what you see as their individual needs. There are, unfortunately, no one-size-fits-all recommendations when it comes to feeding horses, and this can be doubly true during the winter months. If you have any concerns about particular horses, we offer free ration evaluations. You can find the form here. One of our nutrition advisors will assess the diet and offer recommendations based on the information provided.
