Each horse is different, and the requirements to keep them in shape are different also. Depending on what you do with your horse, grain may or may not be a part of his diet. For Comet & Lex, I feed them a 12% protein 6% fat pelleted feed. I have used sweet feeds in the past for them, and I felt that they were too hyper & spooky. They could never focus on what we were doing, and they would spook at absolutely nothing. Since switching them to a pelleted feed with no added sugar, I've been very happy with their dispositions & performance. They still have plenty of energy to do their jobs, they've maintained a good weight through the winter, their coats are shiny, and their dispositions are as sweet as ever.
As we start to compete more this summer, I've looked into Purina's new Ultium Gastric Care feed. I like this feed because it offers a higher calorie/fat/protein content, includes Amplify nuggets, and also has the new Outlast supplement built into the formula. I'm interested in this feed because I would like to see both Comet & Lex put on some muscle and develop better endurance. I would like Comet to continue to improve his speed, and Lex to have the muscle structure necessary to hold a frame. I like that this feed offers gastric protection, along with Amplify (I've fed this alone before and have been very happy with the results!). As summer gets closer, I'll be sure to post an update if I decide to switch, and I'll keep track of the horse's progress on the new feed.
I'll definitely be keeping Sam on the Purina Senior Feed, as he has done incredibly well on it and has maintained his weight better than he was previously on other feeds. This feed can also be soaked in warm or cool water to create a mash-like consistency. This is how I feed Sam. It is messy and sloppy, but it doesn't require chewing, so he actually consumes it instead of dropping the feed all over the floor.
Now, as for hay and forage in a horse's diet. I believe that hay is the MOST important part of a horse's diet. I would offer free-choice hay 24/7 if I had control over that (my boys are boarded, so it's not an option right now). When I kept them at home, they had slow feed hay bags in their stalls overnight, and 3-5 hay piles in their paddock during the day when there was no grass. Forage is the basis of a horse's diet, and without it, so many things can go wrong. When a horse's stomach is empty, the stomach acid builds up and can agitate the stomach lining. If you work a horse on an empty stomach, the acid will slosh around in their stomach, causing pain and discomfort.
Feeding extra forage in the winter can also offer the benefit of helping your horse to keep warm in frigid-cold temperatures. Depending upon what part of the world you & your horse live in, frigid temperatures can be 40 degrees (F) or -10 degrees (F). Extra forage will keep your horse's gut busy digesting, which will produce additional heat to keep their body warm. Depending on the temperature, your horse's body condition, and their hair coat, your horse can require additional forage to stay warm. Check out the chart from Standlee Forage, which helps illustrate when your horse may require additional forage sources to help him keep warm.
Additional forage sources can be offered in a variety of ways, depending on what your horse's dietary restrictions and needs are. For example, if you have an older horse with a sensitivity to sugar (like my Sam), you would want to consider something like Beet Pulp with no molasses added. Beet pulp will give a horse a forage source to break down and will also help him put on weight, without affecting his blood sugar. There are also options such as Alfalfa, Timothy, Oat grass, or a mix of these hays. Standlee Forage offers a wide selection of forage options that are tested and guaranteed high quality. When I'm looking for extra forage, this is usually what I buy.
Because my horses are boarded, I cannot simply grab a few extra flakes of hay when I want and feed them to my horses. Instead, I choose to use beet pulp shreds/pellets, hay cubes, and hay pellets. These forms of forage still provide the benefits of keeping your horse's gut active, but are more available to those of us that cannot store hay bales.
When it comes to feeding extra forage in the form of cubes, pellets, or shreds, I prefer to do an even weight mixture of each forage. That way I'm not providing too much of any one forage that could potentially upset a horse's digestive system. Also, I do not use bran in any mashes, as large quantities of bran can upset a horse's digestive system and cause colic.
In the cold winter months, I like to offer a mix of forages, soaked in warm water. I add in electrolytes, and sometimes peppermints or other small candies to get my horse's excited about eating the mash. Mashes can be beneficial beyond offering extra needed forage, also! Horses are less likely to drink the proper amount of water when it's cold outside, so a soaked mash will get at least some water in them. Adding electrolytes will also continue to encourage the horse to drink, even after the mash is finished.
Below is an example of a mash that has alfalfa cubes, alfalfa pellets, and beet pulp shreds as the forage sources. Electrolytes & small candies have been added, also. My horses absolutely love this mash and inhale in whenever I offer it to them! The link below the picture will take you right to my page, where the mashes & other treats are available for purchase!
What do you do in the winter to keep your horse's warm? Do you change your feeding program at all, or add anything to it?
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