In the winter there is little to no nutrition left in the grass, making it imperative for horses that are turnout out full-time to be supplemented with hay. Some may also require a hard feed to maintain their condition.

If your horse is a good doer, the winter is an ideal time to allow them to drop condition. It may be tempting to add more hard feed in this case but it is better for your horse to go into spring looking slimmer as that then allows more room for condition to be added when the grass comes through without the risk of them becoming too overweight. It may be a good idea to supplement with an all-round vitamin and mineral supplement to ensure all their nutritional requirements are met, without needing to add a mix or cubes.

If your horse is stabled and in full work throughout the winter, they will have a nigher requirement for energy and will need complementary hard feed. Forage should always remain the primary ration, whether that be hay or haylage with the hard feed added to maintain the body condition and energy levels necessary to carry out their workload.

Some horses require more condition through the winter but may turn a bit whizzy when on hard feed. In this case, it is best to avoid cereals, such as oats or barley and to instead provide the calories through highly digestible fibre such as alfalfa, sugar beet or oil.

Feeding a veteran in the winter can be a struggle, especially if they have poor teeth. In this scenario it would be advisable to feed a mash. There are a broad range of veteran mash feeds on the market, but most feeds can be soaked into a mash with warm or cold water to provide that extra palatability as well as hydration.