Focus on your horse this winter

by Isobel Hanson

Monday 15th Decemeber 2008

When the weather is cold horses will use some of the calories they take in to keep themselves warm. Cold and wet weather can increase your horse's energy requirements by up to 40%! Extra feed will be needed to stop older horses in particular from losing weight. Regular weight-taping and condition scoring will help you monitor how your horse is coping with the winter conditions.

There are many good conditioning feeds on the market, but do read the small print - you are looking for a DE of 12 - 13 MJ/Kg and a protein content of 12% or more. Feeds that contain high levels of starch are often associated with excitability. If your horse is exciting enough already you can add extra calories through sugar beet, alfalfa and feeds with a high oil or fat content instead.

Remember that fibrous roughages like hay, chaff and haylage provide 'central heating' for horses as heat is produced during the fermentation of fibre in the hind gut. Feeding plenty of good quality forage will help increase the good bacteria in your horse's hindgut, allowing him to digest all his feed more efficiently. A probiotic supplement can also be added to the feed to help increase efficiency of digestion.

Finally, make sure that they are eating the food you are providing! Always feed horses separately from their companions. If you are providing hay or haylage in the field ensure there is enough to go round and that all horses can get access. Feeding directly onto the floor can mean wastage in muddy fields - invest in troughs to save your precious hay or haylage becoming compost! Horses that often leave part of their meal can be tempted with carrots or apples chopped in the feed. Molasses or dried mint can also be added to tempt a fussy feeder. However, the best advice is to come in to your Cornwall Farmers Country Stores Bideford or Hatherleigh (www.cornwallfarmers.co.uk) and talk to our fully trained staff who can advise you on any feed questions you may have.