Stable Season: A Practical Guide to Feeding Horses in Winter

With the best tips for a successful transition to the stable season

For our horses, the year splits into two halves that differ greatly in terms of housing and feeding conditions:

The grazing season

In spring and summer, our horses spend as much time as possible on the pasture in a herd. Due to the large amount of sap feed (pasture grass), our horses consume large amounts of protein, energy and vitamins. As a result, the horse's nutrient requirements are covered to the greatest possible extent and concentrated feed supplements can usually be significantly reduced with good pasture growth and daily grazing for several hours. Only roughage in the form of hay or haylage and mineral feed are fed additionally to ensure the high requirement for structured fibre as well as bulk and trace elements. In our article on the grazing season we have summarised what needs to be considered for the transition from the stable season to the grazing season and how to start grazing correctly.

The stable season

In autumn and winter, on the other hand, there is hardly any fresh grass available and the horse's basic needs must primarily be covered by large amounts of roughage rich in crude fibre, such as hay or haylage. Depending on the type of grass, soil conditions, harvesting time and preservation or drying process, there are large variations in the energy, protein and trace element content. The vitamin content is also influenced by the type of grass preservation and the storage period of hay or haylage. In addition, the metabolism and defences of our horses are heavily stressed by factors such as temperature fluctuations, feed changes, coat changes and changes in the way they are kept.

In order to support the horse's health in autumn and winter in the best possible way, the changeover from grass-rich to roughage-rich feeding plays a major role. On the other hand, it is important to know the horse's nutritional requirements and to adjust the feed plan to the horse's needs.

Careful transition from pasture to stable season

The biggest challenge in the transition from grazing season to stable season is the change from juice feed to roughage. The changeover is not quite as extreme as in spring, as the overhanging pasture grass is already richer in crude fibre towards the end of the grazing season or the pastures are sometimes already very worn down, especially after very dry summer months. 

Nevertheless, especially for horses that are sensitive to digestion, it is important to make the transition to the stable season gently.

The 4 best tips for the transition to winter feeding:

Tip 1: Increase the amount of roughage already before stabling.

Towards the end of the grazing season, the pastures are often already very grazed or the pasture growth is no longer sufficient to cover the daily feed requirement, e.g. due to long dry periods in summer. The amount of roughage should therefore be increased significantly before stabling in order to saturate the horse and compensate for energy and protein deficits. If hay is not already freely available, it has proven useful to offer an additional hay ration in the pasture during the transitional phase to the stable season.

How much feed does a horse need to be full?

The average feed intake of a healthy horse varies according to size, age and the required performance. The average requirement is calculated on the basis of the dry matter (DM) of a feed, i.e. feed original substance - moisture content. Horses in maintenance metabolism consume about 23 g dry matter / kg body mass, horses in work or lactating mares, on the other hand, consume about 30 g dry matter / kg body mass.

Comparative dry matter intake of pasture grass vs. hay for a 500kg horse:

Daily requirement amount in maintenance = 11.5 kg dry matter

corresponds to 57.5 kg pasture grass with 200 g dry matter / kg

or 13.4 kg hay with 860 g dry matter / kg

NOTE: For saturation, horses need above all structured and chewing-stimulating basic feed. The amount of feed is determined by the dry matter content, whereby the difference between hay and young pasture grass is very large. In addition, feed intake is regulated by the energy density in the feed. If it decreases, as is the case with older pasture grass, for example, the horse will want to eat more feed. Therefore, it makes sense to increase the amount of roughage at the end of the grazing season.  

Tip 2: Don't forget to stop grazing slowly

The change from the high amounts of fresh feed to the relatively dry roughage is an enormous effort for the horse's intestinal flora. Many horses react with watery faeces or gas, as is already known from grazing in spring. A simple trick is to let the horses graze by hand for a few minutes every day for about 2 weeks, when the pastures have already been closed. The body then processes the change better and the intestinal flora adapts more easily.

Tip 3: Salivating promotes healthy digestion

Especially for horses that are sensitive to digestion or colic, it is important to salivate the feed thoroughly. Therefore, the basic rule is: hay before concentrated feed! The hay already stimulates saliva production and prepares the digestive processes for the following concentrate feed. The chewing activity and salivation of the concentrate can be additionally promoted by mixing in hay shavings such as green oats or sainfoin.

Since classic concentrated feed is not chewed and salivated as intensively as hay, the digestive juices in the stomach cannot penetrate the feed mush as well. In the long run, this can irritate the mucous membranes and lead to disturbances in the further digestive process, especially in the flora of the large intestine. Therefore, the amount of concentrated feed should not exceed 300 g / 100 kg body weight per meal.

If the intestinal flora is already out of balance or if the horse tends to have digestive disorders, feeds with special additives such as plant ferment extracts (EMH Direct Concentrate), brewer's yeast and live yeast have proven successful. Specially designed muesli mixtures such as EMH Structure Equichamp combine all these ingredients, which makes daily feeding very easy.

Tip 4: Feed a lot of raw fibre in case of faecal water

Free water is still a scientifically elusive problem that can be caused by various factors. Therefore, there is no single solution to deal with faecal water. If watery stools occur during the transition to the stable season in spite of a feed rich in roughage, slow grazing and a feed that is suitable for the intestinal flora, it is worth taking another look at the roughage.

This is especially true if haylage is fed. Some horses simply cannot cope with haylage, even if it is very dry and of good hygienic quality.

On the one hand, the relatively high dry matter content during acidification makes it difficult to compact the hay bales. This can lead to faulty fermentation or air ingress, which changes the microflora within the

On the other hand, sensitive horses usually do not tolerate haylage that is too moist or low in crude fibre, which can also cause digestive disorders.

On the other hand, sensitive horses usually do not tolerate haylage that is too moist or low in crude fibre, which can also cause digestive disorders.

But even when feeding hay, care should be taken to ensure consistent quality. This is because leafy hay is harvested early, which is why it contains more energy and protein than hay harvested in the middle to end of flowering. If there is a frequent change between hay rich in stalks and hay rich in leaves, the intestinal flora cannot convert the changed nutrient composition as quickly and the digestion of our horses gets out of joint.

NOTE: Hay that is rich in stems but not too woody has a higher crude fibre content than very leafy hay and is a good alternative to haylage feeding for horses with a tendency to defecate. Otherwise, special raw fibre concentrates such as Profi Darm Fit can be fed to increase the raw fibre content of the daily feed.

The feed plan: a guide to nutrient supply in winter 

The environmental factors in autumn and winter or the preparation of the body for the next coat change in spring place high demands on the metabolism and immune system of our horses.

High energy requirements

On very cold days, the energy requirement rises sharply so that the body temperature can be maintained. However, sufficient protein intake must also be ensured in the right proportion to the energy supply. Only then can proteins be optimally utilised for the maintenance of body substance, for defence and other metabolic functions in the organism.

The extra portion of vitamins and trace elements

In the winter months, our horses need more vitamins and trace elements such as zinc for a well-functioning immune system. In addition, they need to prepare for the coat change in spring. When the days start to get longer again, which is around the beginning of winter on 21 December, the organism starts to change its coat - even if you don't see it on the outside yet. Click here for tips on how to support the coat change.

1. basic supply in the maintenance metabolism: roughage + mineral feed

Healthy and adult horses in maintenance metabolism can cover their energy and protein requirements with sufficient high-quality roughage. At least 1.5 - 2 kg of roughage per 100 kg of body mass should be fed per horse and day.

In case of shaved bedding, the roughage ration should be increased to 2 - 2.5kg of roughage per 100kg body weight.

Older, low-energy hay should be fed to overweight horses. A mixture of hay and straw can also be useful to support fat loss.

On cold days, the energy requirement increases for a short time, which can be compensated by supplementing mash such as EMH Mash 2-3x per week.

To compensate for nutrient deficiencies in the roughage, a mineral feed should be fed permanently.

In the case of a pure hay + mineral feed ration, mineral pellets with a calcium content of < 10% should be selected, e.g. Golden Mineral or Mineral Bricks. This avoids an excess of calcium, which could affect the absorption of trace elements in the body.

If you feed herb- and clover-rich hay or legume hay such as lucerne or sainfoin, the naturally high calcium content of these plants must be taken into account when choosing the appropriate mineral feed.

If only haylage is fed, a vitamin-rich mineral feed with a higher vitamin D content should be selected, such as Horse Vital Plus. While hay dried in the field contains a vitamin D content of 700-800 I.U. / kg due to the sun's rays, the content in haylage is considerably lower (0-500 I.U. vitamin D / kg) and a vitamin D deficiency could result.

For overweight or insulin-resistant horses, there are also grain-free mineral feeds with reduced starch and sugar content (Herbs mineral grain-free).

NOTE: Adult horses in good to very good forage condition, which are not worked or used in breeding, can manage with roughage + mineral feed.

Daily amount of roughage:

Depending on feed conversion type, bedding and roughage quality.

1.5-2.5 kg per 100 kg body weight per horse distributed over the day

Mineral feed selection:

Depending on type of roughage, individual requirements.

With regard to product selection and dosage recommendations, we will be happy to help you with our feed advice.

2. increased demand: roughage + concentrated feed (+ mineral feed).

In order to supply horses in training, horses in growth and breeding, as well as old and heavy-fed horses with the additional energy they need, roughage alone is not sufficient in winter. Since the feed intake capacity is limited, it makes sense to supplement concentrated feeds with a higher energy density. 

Sources of higher energy concentration are easily digestible carbohydrates, such as those found in cereals, as well as fat-rich feeds and oils, such as sunflower seeds, linseed or milk thistle oil.

More protein is needed to build up muscles or to counteract muscle loss, when horses are used for breeding, during growth or for horses that are generally heavy feeders.

When choosing feed, preference should be given to high-quality protein sources that are rich in essential amino acids such as lysine and methionine. These can be converted by the body in higher proportions. Conce

ntrates from soybeans (e.g. Profi Aminoral) or brewer's yeast have proven to be effective.

If only grain is fed in addition to roughage to increase energy, the horse needs additional mineral feed to completely cover its nutrient requirements.

The simplest variant of supplementing concentrated feed is to feed a complete feed in the form of pellets or muesli mixtures. There is a large selection here, where a suitable variety can usually be found for the individual needs of his horse. In this way, the horse's daily nutritional requirements can be completely covered with just one type of feed in addition to the roughage.

Factors for the selection of the appropriate complete feed are, for example:

• Age
• breed
• metabolic situation
• training intensity
• breeding performance
• diseases
• incompatibilities

This then results in the selection of the appropriate concentrate feed for his horse. For more complex cases or in case of uncertainty, we offer individual feed planning via our free feed consultation. Otherwise, you can also find the right product for your horse in our online shop for horse feed via the various categories or application filters. We have summarised the most common requirement groups and feed recommendations as an overview: