Winter is well under way here in the Roaring Fork Valley. With temperatures falling well below freezing, its an excellent time to brush up on wintertime caloric requirements to keep your horse at their ideal weight whether they live in a heated stall or out on a winter pasture. The drop in temperatures also can require additional measures to ensure that your horses are drinking enough water. Let’s review how to adjust your feeding, water and supplement program to keep your horses happy, healthy and warm this winter.
In times of cold weather, many horses require additional energy to maintain their ideal body weight. Many owners automatically throw extra hay to their horses stabled outside in the wintertime, but how much additional hay is necessary and at what temperature? When environmental temperatures (including wind chill) drop below 45°F (referred to as the critical temperature), significant amounts of energy are used by the horse to maintain its internal body heat. For each 1°F decrease below the critical temperature, the horse requires a 1% increase in digestible energy to maintain a consistent body temperature. A horse’s critical temperature (CT) is the temperature below which they will require more calories to maintain body warmth. CT varies between horses according to their housing situation, coat length and amount of body fat. For example, my chubby Gypsy Cob gelding with a two-inch coat who lives outside year round likely has a LCT of 30F or less. A lean show horse that is kept in a heated barn and blanketed during the winter may have a LCT of 50F. Regardless of a horse’s individual LCT if they are exposed to temperatures below their LCT for 1-2 days they will require additional calories to keep warm. If their increased energy needs are not met they may begin to lose weight.
How do you tell if your horse is below their CT? If their coat is standing on end for prolonged periods of time (piloerection), if they are spending a lot of time inside a shelter, chewing on wood/inanimate objects, or starting to lose weight these are good indicators that they need more calories. For example, if my fluffy outdoor gelding needed four flakes of hay to maintain his ideal body weight in the summer, at 0F he would need approximately 30% more calories, which would amount to feeding an additional one and a third to one and a half flakes per day. Splitting up feedings throughout the day if possible helps your horse have a more constant supply of calories and promotes gastrointestinal motility throughout the day. Cold weather decreases gastrointestinal motility, which combined with decreased water intake, can lead to impactions and gas colic.
Promote water intake during the winter months by keeping their water source readily accessible and warm around 50-65 degrees. If your horses just do not like to drink during the cold weather, warm mashes can be used to increase their caloric and water intake. Rice bran is an excellent source of fat that can be used to increase their calories if needed. Other strategies to promote water intake include ensuring free choice access to a salt block. For horses that do not use the blocks, a teaspoon of loose salt can be added to their grain. I have also had success by putting a handful of sweet feed in a bucket of water on particularly cold nights to make a “sweet tea” and increase water intake. Provide a bucket of plain fresh water if you try this as well in case your horse doesn’t have a sweet tooth.
Horses can also develop gastric ulcers in the winter from cold stress and/or from the stress of increased confinement during poor weather conditions. Horses with gastric ulcers can present with colic signs such as rolling, side biting or kicking. They can also have decreased performance under saddle or teeth grinding. If your horse is experiencing these signs, consult with your veterinarian about a trial with omeprazole ie Gastrogard to decrease stomach acid production to help the ulcers heal. Increasing frequency of feeding high quality roughage, decreasing concentrates and increasing turnout time can help prevent gastric ulcers.
Since our horses do not have access to fresh grass in the winter time it is important to make sure that the hay quality is high. Poor quality hays, especially those that have been stored for a prolonged period of time have lower quantities of anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin A, E and C. Poorer quality hays may also have lower or imbalanced mineral quantities. This is especially important for young, growing horses and late gestation brood mares that require a higher plane of nutrition. For this reason supplementing your horse with a well balanced mineral supplement such as Platinum Performance is even more important in the winter than the summer.
Whether your horse is out on pasture all winter or blanketed inside, being aware of seasonal changes in caloric needs and the effects of cold temperatures on water intake can help you provide your horse with the best nutritional support during the coldest months. Please do not hesitate to contact us to consult on your horse’s particular nutritional and management needs.