What month should I be expecting weight loss/winter + grazed out

[CobSunshine]

Hi guys,

Is there any particular month which is renowned for grass being low in sugar/sparse, combined with cold weather and increased calorie burn to stay warm when horses will typically begin to lose weight? December through till March for example?

My 14.2 Pony measured by the tape hasn't lost anything as yet, the grass is very waterlogged with large muddy patches but the current field is quite large.

Cheers!

 

[noblesteed]

I think the grass is still good at the moment, despite it looking a bit yellowy now. For example, my chunky gelding who normally lives out in his greenguard, is now in at night with 12 hr soaked hay and lite chaff, and out without his muzzle during the day. He seems to have gained weight, this is despite no rugs aside from a rain sheet. If we see no improvement this week the muzzle will have to go back on. Poor horse will be wearing it all year round at this rate. Ridiculous considering it's the end of November!

 

[SO1]

Depending on your grazing normally when the snow comes and temperatures are consistantly under 6C rather than a particular month, that is if you are not making up for the cold weather less grass by feeding more hay and hard food.

if you substitute grass for lots of something else they won't loose weight!

 

[CobSunshine]

Currently grazed out 24/7 with no grazing mask as he's now lost 5 of them

Only feeding him 400 grams of high fibre baileys pony cubes (2000-2500 grams reccomended for his size) twice a week, and the odd carrot.

 

[MochaDun]

On the yard we have quite a lot of geldings turned out on not that big a field for the winter - they've been out there 3 weeks (all in at night) and still finding plenty of grass. I was only saying to a friend out hacking yesterday that it was the first time I had spotted grazing fields just getting a tinge of yellow so with the mild weather I'm sure the grass has stayed good for longer this autumn. I sympathise - have a very good doer and he's kicking the door in the morning to get out to the field as he knows there's grass out there!

 

[CBFan]

Well January and February tend to be the coldest so I would think he'll drop off a bit then... My boy is still holding weight pretty well at the moment and I am hoping that if I keep his feed the same, he will drop off a little when the temp realy drops...

 

[Orangehorse]

They are eating off all the autumn grass at the moment, when all the garss has geen eaten and the temperature stays low the growth will slow right down or even stop completely. If there is lots of grass they don't need hay in the field up until Christmas (as a generalisation).

Come January, February, March, cold and wet, the weight should drop off. I can remember one long, wet, cold spring and looking at the ponies at an Easter holiday rally and several had lost loads of weight as the grass was very slow in starting to grow again.

Grass growth depends on temperature as much as anything, although day length has influence as well.