7 Tips to Help Your Horse Lose Weight in the Winter
Author: Karlijn Weder
Date: November 2020
When you think of fat horses, you usually make the connection with spring and summer. Many people are especially alert in the summer and work mainly on their horse's excess weight. In the fall, the grazing mask often comes off again and everyone leans back a bit. But actually that is an opposite rhythm. The horse's metabolism is aimed at replenishing the used reserves from the winter in the spring and summer, for which the crops in the spring are so rich in energy. After this, the amount of energy levels off during the summer to occasionally give a small boost in the fall. In the winter, there is little nutritious left. And the horse would have to live on the remains of shot grass, branches and the occasional tuber or root from the ground, etc. All food with a lot of fiber and with little energy. Because the horse gets the energy it needs from its fat reserves. And it keeps itself warm with the heat released from the digestion of the fibers and the movement. It is therefore very normal for horses to gain weight in the spring/summer and lose weight in the winter. The latter of course requires some nuance because many pastures grazed by horses are very one-sided in terms of food, often with fast-growing sugar-rich crops, which means that this 'natural' gain can quickly become far too much and does not fit in with seasonal nutrition.
Unfortunately, we do not know this rhythm today. Only from the extreme situations on the Oostvaardersplassen... For decades we have been trying to keep domesticated horses in the same condition all year round. As a result, horses, despite the 'normal body condition score' (BCS), actually come out of the winter too fat. (If the BCS is not already too generous.) The thin horse is taboo. If we see a rib, all hands are on deck. But I think it is good to accept these seasonal fluctuations (within healthy limits) more and to start pursuing them. Of course, also taking into account the work that a horse has to do. But I am particularly concerned about horses that have difficulty with their metabolism and quickly or chronically struggle with overweight. These horses need to return to nature. Back to how the body had designed it during millions of years of evolution. But how do you do that? Below are some tips!
7 tips to lose weight in winter
- Don't give a blanket! Cold is a real boost to the metabolism. So give the body the chance to lose fat in the winter, especially in these mild winters of the past years.
- Limit the stable period. A shelter is nice (especially for your own peace of mind) and it is important that horses can dry off during a long rainy period and are not in a draught. But here too, the cold point applies, in addition to another important point: the possibility of exercise!
- Don't feed 'all you can eat' rich roughage... that's a spring and summer thing.
- Go for good coarse and poorer roughage and provide this in a good slow feeder so that your horse has something to chew and digest for a large part of the day. Make it playful by hanging the slow feeder in a different place or height each time. Or hang it a bit more difficult to reach.
- In addition to your standard slow feeders, use a slow feeder with an extra small mesh as an 'emergency net'. Putting in a little more effort for your food is not a bad thing at all, especially not in the winter. Yes, that can sometimes be a bit frustrating, but that will pass if you succeed. If the basic portion of hay is gone, there is always something else to be found here.
- Replace some of the roughage with barley straw during the winter. It is best to mix this with hay so that your horse does not get too much straw at once. This reduces the chance of constipation.
- Use edible branches from trees or shrubs to give your horse something to do when the hay supply is low.
Keep a close eye on your horse, losing weight too quickly is also not good. When it comes to nutrition, condition, and health it is always good to evaluate regularly and adjust if necessary. Good luck!
