Top tips for winter feeding your horse

• Feed forage first - at least 1.5% of bodyweight daily - weight your forage daily
• Whether you have a good or poor doer, feeding forage (ad-lib if possible) maintains a healthy digestive system and reduces boredom, promoting improved physical and mental health for you pony/horse
• Both the forage itself and the saliva created by chewing help to settle the stomach and reduce feelings of stress
• Feeding alfalfa is a great way to include further calorie provision while maintaining a low starch diet
• Feeding late cut hay to good doers is beneficial and/or soaking hay is useful to reduce calorie intake without the need to limit their intake
• For good doers and those in light work, forage and a low calorie feed balancer may be all they need
• Feeding a balancer from a treat ball can be a good mental work out for stabled horses
• Feeding a smaller amount of a cube or mix can lead to nutrient deficiencies
• Feeding a functional feed balancer can mean you save money on unnecessary supplements
• Look for feed balancers that contain supplements for calming, joint care, seniors and other needs
• Mashes are a great option for providing calorie content for those with poor or compromised dentition
• Feeding quality ingredients at a lower recommended feeding rate is often better "value" that feeding poorer quality feeds in larger quantities
• Maintain the dental health of all horses, especially those who are older, as this helps absorption of calories and continued digestive health
• Feed at least once a day, twice ideally, and three times a day for those in harder work or needing additional calories for weight gain
• Record your horse's weight regularly with a weigh tape through the winter months to make sure you are moving in the right direction (as changes can be difficult to see by eye)
• Recording weight regularly can help you make sure you track weight gain or loss at a healthy rate.
• Feed a balancer to ensure your pony/horse continues to receive the vitamins, minerals and nutrients they need to maintain long term good health. Even better, choose a balancer which includes targeted ingredients if your horse has related needs.

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