Winter Feeding and Horse Care Tips

The cold weather has been here to stay for a while, and is likely to continue into the weekend. Find some of our top tips for feeding in the winter weather below, and keep up with us on social media as we continue to share more!

Feeding - For healthy digestion and warmth

• It is imperative to continue to provide a feed balancer daily to support changes in daily management
• Reduce the risk of dehydration and impaction colic by feeding a balancer daily
• Reduce boredom by feeding a balancer form a treat ball
• Keep your horse warm and with healthy digestion by feeding plenty of forage
• When fibre is fermented in the digestive system this produces heat, your horses very own in built central heating!
• For good doers who need to keep calorie intake low double net hay/haylage, this also helps reduces boredom
• As at any time of the year ALWAYS make dietary changes gradually

Water - Stay hydrated

• Ensure fresh water is always available
• Remove ice daily and top up with hot water to encourage continued hydration
• Reduce the risk of water freezing by adding a tennis ball or a 2 litre bottle of salt water (closed) to a water trough or bucket
• Introduce a mash (slowly) to support further hydration
• Soak or steam hay where possible to aid water intake

Exercise and rugging

• Ensure horses have daily access to exercise if suitable, this can be through turnout or a walk in hand when riding is trickier
• Take the time to groom, or start with daily carrot stretches if exercise is limited
• Rug appropriately, enough to keep them comfortable but no more