Feeding in winter

[ktj1891]

My mare is a nf x appaloosa and is 8 years old.
Due to being retired, she is now having her first winter out since she was 4.
She will be sharing a paddock with another mare and they will both be out 24/7.
My concern is due to weather and grazing, they wont have much grass for very long. So they will both be fed hay but i wanted to know if and whether i should give her a feed aswell.
She will be having a feed everyday anyways to take her supplements, but its only a handful of grass.
I was wondering what you would feed, to keep weight and condition on?

 

[TGM]

Is she a good weight now? If so, I would leave her just on hay for now (just popping a vit/min supplement in her token feed) and keep an eye on her weight. If she starts to lose weight, then keep increasing the hay until she is having as much hay as she can eat. If she still continues to lose weight, even when on ad lib hay, then start introducing extra bucket feed.

 

[sarahann1]

Every horse is different but personally I'm heading off down the keep it simple sweet route now I own my boys and feeding them Alpha pellets and sugar beet in the hope that keeps weight on. Its to early to tell yet if its working, I'm still in the process of moving them onto this after years of them being fed grain based feeds. I'm keeping an eye on weights by eye and with a weigh tape.

With one of the boys I'm in the position of having to get weight on so it will be interesting to read the other replies too

 

[Pinkvboots]

I have found hay is the best thing to keep weight on a horse, if mine drop off in the winter I up the hay before increasing the hard feed, keep an eye on her weight and just adjust according to how she looks.
The only thing I ever add in my hard feed in the winter is Pura beet made by simple systems, its un mollassed and is a good source of fibre.

 

[CBFan]

Hay is by far the best thing for keeping her happy and a healthy weight but if cost is prohibitive (with the price rise) then for the purpose of keeping weight up, feeds like speedi-beet, high fibre cubes (particularly budget brands), and alfa-alfa can be a cheeper option. Just see how she goes really...

 

[ISHmad]

Agree with everyone else that the best thing by far is ad lib hay which will provide her central heating and keep her hindgut moving properly. If you do need to feed her then I'd go for a low calorie balancer to make sure she is getting all her vitamins and minerals with some chaff.