Cold Weather Feeding for Horses

of the ration concentrate mix plus forage fed to a horse at maintenance is 0 90 Mcal DE per pound of feed we can calculate the increase in feed as follows 3 28 Mcal 0 90 Mcal 3 64 pounds of additional feed to provide 19 68 Mcal DE per day.
Step 4 Determine the total amount of feed the horse requires by adding the 3 64 pounds of additional feed to the 19 pounds of feed the horse requires under normal conditions 19 0 3 64 22 64 pounds per day of total ration.
The Importance of Forage and Fat
Feedstuffs vary in the amount of internal heat produced when digested by the horse. Forages such as hay which are digested by microbes located in the cecum and large intestine produce more heat than concentrate mixes which are digested by enzymes in the small intestine. Although concentrates contain more total DE per pound than hay the amount of actual heat given off by the digestion process is significantly less. The best way to increase internal body heat while maintaining a safer more consistent energy intake is to increase the intake of forage. A horse should consume at least 1 5 to 1 75 percent of its body weight as forage during cold periods. For example a 1000 pound mature horse would need to consume 15 to 17 5 pounds of hay daily to meet critical temperature needs during cold weather.
During prolonged periods of cold temperature several days below the critical temperature both the concentrate and forage portion of the diets should be increased in equal proportions. The energy density of the concentrate mix can be increased by adding fat in the form of four to eight ounces of vegetable oil per day or by the addition of a commercial fat supplement according to label recommendations. Feeding of additional amounts of concentrate or increasing the energy density of the concentrate is especially important if the horse is in poor body condition with low body fat or is a hard keeper. The extra body fat provides an additional insulating effect against wind and also serves as an energy reserve that can be used when the horse is fed an energydeficient diet.
The Importance of Water
Maintaining ample water intake is the most critical part of ensuring the health of your horse during cold weather. Under normal conditions a horse will consume one gallon of water per
100 pounds of bodyweight meaning an 1100 pound horse should consume 10 to 12 gallons of water daily. However because horses prefer a water temperature of 45 to 65 degrees F 7 to 18 degrees C as the water temperature decreases a horse will consume less. The same 1100 pound horse may consume as little as one to three gallons of water daily when water temperature is 32 degrees F 0 degrees C. This can be dangerous for your horse. Low water intake is directly related to the increased incidence of impaction colic.
Concentrate mashes should be fed during the actual cold period when water temperature is below 45 degrees F. Feeding two to three gallons of hot water daily mixed into a mash with a textured or pelleted concentrate mix will provide additional water intake. To avoid gas colic allow the mash to sit for 15 minutes this will permit the feed to expand prior to feeding.
Break and remove ice from water tubs making certain to provide water freechoice at all times. Consider installing a heated water trough if you live in an area that consistently gets very cold and icy in winter. If you are without heated water buckets offer ten gallons of water at 65 degrees F or warmer twice daily.