Do you change horses feed in winter

[chickitta]

Do you change what you feed your horse in the winter...obviously I know some don't feed throughout the summer.. and also horses need more fuel in the winter.. but do you feed the same feed but in different quantities or use a totally different feed and if so why?

 

[bitsnpieces]

This year I cut out pony nuts altogether during the summer (only hard feed mine get) as had started to feed TopSpec Lite so they didn't need anything else. Puz will have high fibre cubes added back to her feed again over the winter to replace calories from the grass. Inca may have cubes added (she is 3 and not in work) dependant on how she does, her hay will be increased.

 

[Claire1605]

I just increase the amount of hay/haylage for winter.

None of mine require any hard feed. I have two fatties and one TB who becomes too excitable even on low energy hard feed. He is quite happy on just haylage over winter.

 

[eml]

Depends on the quality of hay or haylage we can get, often we need to up the protein level of the overall diet so yes would change to a higher protein hard feed to balance lower protein hay

 

[vels mum]

Ours stays the same just more of it! :redface:

 

[Wally]

The babies get proper feeds in their first winter, that's it really, the rest just get haylage and what's on the ground....unless they are looking poor on it.

 

[Esther.D]

Same as Wally for the Shetlands, the big guys also get no feed over the summer, adlib haylage/hay over the winter plus sugar beet in the worst of the winter or if they look like they need it. Once they are off the grazing they get a small bucket feed too to ensure they get a reasonable balance of anything that might be lacking in the haylage.

 

[laceyfreckle]

In the summer Harvey gets Top Spec balancer and a scoop of hi fi lite.

I have just started adding 1/4 scoop (dry weight) soaked speedibeet to that as he was dropping weight a little.

In november he will come in at night and so will then have ad lib hay at night.

If he still needs more or drops condition then I will up the speedibeet, then change the chaff to alpha A oil and split into two meals. If even more is needed after that then I add Topspec Cool condition cubes.

He is a welsh sec C type pony but a poor doer.

Piccolo gets Topspec baalncer in the summer. That's it.

In the winter she will get that, ad lib hay when she comes in at night from november and if extra is needed after that then a handful of Hi Fi Lite and a bit of speedibeet.

Can't envisage there needing more then that, ever.

She is a average doer 11.3hh Dartmoor type pony.

 

[Yann]

I just feed more and add speedibeet to the ration too.

 

[kayjayhorses]

Mine just get an increase, one of my mares had stomach ulcers year before last, no reason was found, but i think it was from a fine dusting of sheeps wool I found in the hay, but anyway since that I ensure mine have enough high fibre feed - made me a little cautious.

 

[Dannii5691]

Jazz will get something along the lines of chaff and some nuts when the weather turns as he is braving the winter naked. Will see how June goes, she currently gets an apple and a carrot in a bucket after she has worked mainly as an incentive to come in and do it all again in a few days, if she hasn't done any work she gets a few polos for a thank you for coming in. She is a little on the chunky side and dosent really need anything ATM but will monitor her over winter and see what her weight does. I don't want to feed her for the sake of feeding her.

Eta - jazz is quite skinny as it is although to look at him he looks porky! He's so fluffy it's quite misleading. He will need a bit of feed to stop him loosing to much condition

 

[nani]

Nowt unless working... then again we are on prime beef grass.