Winter feeding advice

When designing a winter diet for your horse, consider his age, breed, temperament, weight, workload, the quality of your forage and your management routine.

Fibre is the most important consideration when designing the diet. Don’t skimp on quality, as this is only false economy. If you can’t source good quality hay or haylage, try a hay replacer.

If you are stabling your horse for longer periods of time, stop him from becoming bored by adding a meal extender. Spillers Happy Days takes 30% longer to eat than hay, which reduces non-feeding time and helps establisha more natural feeding pattern in the stable, reducing the risk of equine stereotypies.

If in light work, supplement your horse’s forage ration with a low-energy feed at approximately 30% of his diet. If your horse needs a little help with hiscondition, add some conditioning cubes for weight gain without fizz.

If you are feeding native ponies or good doers that only require forage, balance their diet by providing vitamins and minerals.