If you find yourself wondering about changing your horse’s feed now that we’re heading into winter, you’re in good company.
Equine nutritionist Dr Marga Mas says that an awareness that a horse’s needs may change is “commendable”, but it goes beyond the bucket ration.
“Concentrate feeds should complement forage, and autumn certainly brings about changes in both availability and quality of available forage sources,” adds Marga, D&H’s head of veterinary, equine health and performance.
These changes can affect how you meet a horse’s energy and nutritional requirements, so reassessing your horse’s summer ration – and whether it will meet his needs in winter – is a good place to start.
Dengie nutritionist Katie Reeve says workload is a defining factor: “Will they maintain the same level of work over the winter? If not, a reduction in energy intake may be required,” she says.
“A bucket feed tops up the nutrients that are lacking in a forage-based diet rather than supplying additional energy,” she continues.
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“This can be easily achieved by using a feed balancer alongside a low-calorie chopped fibre feed, comprising quality straw blended with another chopped fibre, such as dried grass or alfalfa, to slow the rate of intake.”
Spillers’ nutritional content manager Vanessa Allen concurs: “Diet changes certainly aren’t necessary for all horses, if they’re a good-doer and on a balanced diet they can often stick to this all year round.”
Keep feed changes gradual and meal sizes two kilos or less
(Image credit: Unknown)
Feeding good doers in winter
For good-doers, winter is an optimal time to aim for weight loss.
The nutritionists we spoke to highlighted a common misconception: that winter grass has “no” nutritional value.
“Some good-doers may still get more calories than they need from winter grazing if they eat enough of it,” adds Vanessa.
But this isn’t the whole story, especially as we are seeing continued grass growth with changing environmental conditions and milder winters. It also doesn’t necessarily mean there is enough grass out there. “Sparse or muddy paddocks mean extended periods with little to eat, which isn’t ideal for digestive health,” says Katie.
Feeding poor-doers and working horses in winter
For poor-doers, or those working harder through the winter, changing your horse’s feed to a higher-calorie diet may be essential, especially if they were on good grazing all summer.
Vanessa says a calorie-dense feed could be fed alongside ad-lib forage.
“Calorie-dense feeds have 11–14 MJ/kg,” she says. “The higher the energy, the more calories per kilo of feed.”
For Marga, ingredients such as vegetable oils, linseed, rice bran and flaked barley support condition by providing enough energy for weight gain or maintenance, and fuelling workload.
“It is also important to look for quality protein sources, such as soya and pea – both of which are rich in essential amino acids for the horse – wheat, sunflower seed, distillers dark grains,” she states.
She emphasises that the crude protein percentage should not be relied upon: “Look for the lysine and methionine content, as these essential amino acids are key determinants of muscle mass development.”
For a 500kg horse in light work, the recommended lysine intake is 30–35g daily, rising to 35–45g for medium work and as high as 45–52g for heavy work.
“We do not have an established RDA for methionine, but usually work on a lysine to methionine ratio of 3:1.
Good-doers can maintain – or gain – weight on winter grazing
(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)
Golden rules for changing your horse’s feed
One of the golden rules of feeding is to make any changes gradually, but what does this mean in practice?
Change feeds gradually Katie says studies have shown that dietary alterations are one of the biggest colic risk factors. “When making any changes, including to the grazing and forage, it should be done gradually over a period of a couple of weeks,” she says.
Avoid abrupt, ad-hoc feed changes This can disrupt the hindgut biome, which, according to Baileys equine nutritionist Lucy Baskfield, can in turn increase the frequency of droppings, to the detriment of the microbiota. “For example, bran mash fed occasionally is not ideal practice; it causes a microbial imbalance, known as gut dysbiosis, and can increase the risk of colic – and even laminitis in some cases.”
Ensure feeds are an appropriate size “Horses are designed to eat little and often; we recommend no more than two kilos of hard feed per meal for a 500kg horse,” says Marga, adding that this rule applies to hard feed. Horses should be monitored during feed transition.
A horse owner and rider with more than 20 years experience, Bethany has been writing for equestrian publications since 2017. Over the course of her career, she has reported from major British Riding Clubs and British Dressage championships, covered Badminton Horse Trials and interviewed equestrian sport’s best athletes. Her work can also be found in Country Life, The Field and Breathe magazine.
