Winter Care Archives - Life Data® Blog

Hay… It’s Cold Outside!

As the colder weather settles in, many of our forages will lose nutritional value. This is especially true for warm season grasses such as Bermuda. This change can lead to nutritional challenges for many horses due to:

Insufficient Nutrients Through Grass
Over Supplementation Through Complete Feeds
Additional Calories Burned to Stay Warm

So, what’s the best option when substituting forage to maintain your horse’s body condition? The answer is not to substitute it at all. Providing sufficient forage in the form of free choice hay is best to maintain a horse’s natural diet through the winter.

Close up of horse eating hay — Providing sufficient forage in the form of free choice hay is best to maintain a horse’s natural diet through the winter.

Unfortunately, not all hay is created equally, and one type of hay may work better for your horse than another. Below are a few tips to consider when choosing the best hay for your horse.

Alfalfa Hay for Horses

Alfalfa hay, due to its imbalanced mineral and low-quality protein content, can create several issues in horses:

Calcium and Phosphorus Imbalances
Excessive Urine Production
Joint Inflammation

Many of these problems can create other issues as well. For example, the increased urine produces excess ammonia that can eat away at the bottom of the hoof or create respiratory problems in the horse. This is especially true for horses who remain stalled for long periods of time or in barns that are not well ventilated.

Unfortunately, alfalfa hay is the easiest type of hay to obtain in many regions around the world. It is also the only option of hay for certain areas. If alfalfa hay is your only option, be mindful of the amount you are feeding.

Hay and Nutrient Requirements for Horses

Horses in different stages of life and disciplines will have distinctive nutrient requirements. For example, growing horses and performance horses will have a higher protein and nutrient demand than a retired horse. As you are choosing hay for horses, be mindful of the horse you are feeding and try to find a hay that meets its requirements.

Early-season hays usually yield more protein and nutrients and will be more desirable to horses that need the additional protein and nutrient requirements. Mid-to-late maturity hay tends to be a better fit for horses with lower nutrient demands. The only way to know if your horse is receiving the optimal hay is to have your hay tested. Once you know the nutritional value of the hay, you can make an informed decision.

Utilize Hay Balancers

Even the highest quality hay for horses will not contain every nutrient that your horse requires. Utilizing a high-quality hay and pasture balancer, such as Barn Bag®, will help ensure your horse’s daily nutrient requirements are being met. It also eliminates the necessity to feed compound feeds, which can deliver a surplus of both nutrients and calories to your horse’s diet. Utilizing a pasture balancer is highly recommended for elderly horses and hard keepers.

Young horses sharing hay — Horses are grazers, so keep feeding troughs low to the ground

Adding Calories

Some horses, such as hard keepers or performance horses, will require additional calories during the winter months to maintain body condition. Although compound feeds can provide the necessary calories, they also put your horse at risk for over supplementation. Below are a few feeding recommendations if your horse needs additional calories in addition to the hay being fed:

Oats
Sugar Beet Pulp
Copra
Vegetable Oil

Other Winter-Feeding Tips

Additional winter-feeding tips to consider:

Feed Chopped Hay to elderly horses that are unable to chew properly
Build body condition in the summer/fall to maintain through winter
Horses are grazers, so keep feeding troughs low to the ground
Hay should be made available to the horse 24/7

Consult your veterinarian if you have any questions on maintaining your horse’s body condition score through the winter. Feel free to contact us at 256-370-7555 if you have any questions on Barn Bag® or feeding a natural diet to your horse. Visit our website for further information on equine nutrition.

Winter is in full force and Jack Frost is blanketing many of our pastures with snow, freezing rain, and ice. Many of us are now concentrated on keeping our horses healthy, while maintaining body condition through this cold spell. We all have different routines we practice to keep our beloved horses as comfortable as possible during these months. We can debate all day between blankets VS a horse’s natural coat, or even more barn time VS more pasture time – but the one thing we cannot argue about is that proper hoof care doesn’t stop in the winter. Providing a balanced diet, staying on top of any hoof problems caused by the environment, and routine farrier work is a year-round effort.

How Winter Affects the Hoof

It doesn’t take an expert to see that any amount of snow is going to leave our pastures wet and muddy, and as we have discussed in previous articles, wet and muddy conditions can create the perfect environment for “hoof eating” microbes to thrive. Prolonged exposure to water can soften the hoof capsule, leading to stretching and separation of the white line area. Regardless of how much pasture time you are allocating to your horse during the winter, ensure to properly clean and dry the hooves before moving your horse back into the barn.

Even if your horse is not spending a lot of time out in the cold environment, it is still important to regularly clean your horse’s hooves. Some horse owner’s may choose to restrict pasture time due to the freezing weather. Extended periods of time in a stall might keep your horse warmer, but this confinement can create hoof problems as well. While stalled, your horse will be standing in its own waste. This exposes the hooves to different bacteria that will affect the health of the hooves. Regularly cleaning your horse’s hooves and maintaining a clean environment for your horse can help prevent problems, but issues such as Thrush or White Line Disease can develop if left unchecked.

Hoof Maintenance in the Winter

Farrier Applying Hoof Topical for Thrush

Even with regular cleaning, sometimes you may need a little extra help maintaining the health of your horse’s hooves. Regularly feeding a quality hoof supplement, such as Farrier’s Formula®, will provide the nutrients your horse needs to promote stronger and healthier hooves. These stronger hooves will be more resilient to problems such as White Line Disease and will help prevent the softening of the hoof capsule. Using non-caustic antimicrobials, like Farrier’s Finish® and Life Data® Hoof Clay®, may be applied after cleanings to help fight and kill any “hoof-eating” microbes. These products will also help maintain hoof quality, and are non-caustic to you and your horse. We also recommended talking with your farrier and veterinarian to create a plan to properly care and maintain your horse’s hooves. Regular farrier and veterinarian visits are always recommended. Farrier visits should not be eliminated because of the winter season.

If you have any questions please feel free to call us at 1-800-624-1873 or e-mail us at cservice@lifedatalabs.com.

Tag: Winter Care

Feeding Hay for Horses in the Winter