What to feed over winter?

[Abi90]

My horse is currently out 24/7 on good grazing. He's in light work (ridden 3 times a week and lunged once a week) which I hope to keep up over the winter but her certainly won't be doing more. He's a good doer so doesn't struggle to maintain his weight, quite the opposite.

This is my first horse and first winter with him. In the work he's in would he manage on grazing during the day and hay during the night when he's in? Or would he benefit from a bit more to keep going through the winter month's?

I intend to ask the yard owner her advice as well but just wanted some more opinions

 

[AdorableAlice]

What type of horse is he.

 

[Abi90]

Sorry yes forgot that bit.

He's a 15.2hh 7 year old ISH. He's got a lot of ID in his breeding but there is some thoroughbred further back.

He will be stabled at night and out during the day. I know he will need a good source of forage throughout the winter it's just whether he will need anything more, I realise it's down to the individual and I will have to see how he goes to some extent .

 

[Olliepoppy]

Hi. You could get a heap of different answers as you're right it depends on the horse, on his work, on his field size, stabled hours etc. In my opinion grass during the day and hay at night is perfectly acceptable but I still feed my 7 year old 15hh cob a low calorie balancer in the winter just to supplement the minerals and vitamins that may be missing from the grass. My boy is out 24/7 and gets hay twice a day through the winter also. He may have been fine without the balancer but it makes me feel better!

 

[chestnut cob]

I wouldn't feed anything, personally, unless you find he drops weight and/or his way of going changes, ie not enough energy etc.
Mine is a good doer in summer, gets fat at the sight of grass, but doesn't to do as well in winter on just hay. He gets haylage instead and doesn't need any hard feed, even in a lot of work.

 

[Goldenstar]

You really have to see how he goes .
But most horses bred like him him would manage fine on hay and a handful of something with a general vit and min supplement in .
If he goes into the winter fatter than you like make sure he comes out of it slim .

 

[TGM]

As everyone else has said, you need to play it by ear. But a good place to start would be plenty of forage, and just give a vit/min supplement or a balancer (I presume others on the yard will be getting fed so he will probably expect a token feed anyway). Then you can increase and/or change the feed if you find he needs more condition or energy.

 

[Abi90]

Thank you for your responses. You have pretty much confirmed what I was thinking.

Everyone on the yard seems to feed through the summer as well and he just gets grass but he's in good enough condition on grass alone, if not a bit fat. So I'll see how it goes with daily turnout, lots of forage and a balancer for now and can reassess as we go