Autumn Feeding Tips For Horses

Suzanne Ashton
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Autumn Feeding Tips For Horses

As autumn rapidly approaches, it leaves owners searching for autumn feeding tips for their horses. With the risk of condition loss looming, or a surge of grass risking the onset of laminitis, all horse owner’s are on high alert during this in-between season.

Therefore, we’ve put together a few tips on what should be altered, monitored and maintained in a feeding regime, for every horse, keeping them happy and healthy right through autumn.

Water

As the temperature begins to drop, it’s not just rugs horse owners should be considering. Closely monitoring horse’s water intake during this temperature transition is vital.

As the temperature becomes lower, horse’s often decrease their water intake. Don’t worry too much if there is a small drop in water intake, as this is a natural response. In cooler weather, your horse will not be sweating as much so they will not need to replace lost fluid and electrolytes via drinking. However, if you notice a sharp decline in water intake, this may be cause for concern.

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Water contains minerals which are vital for day-to-day functioning of bodily systems, plus the form of fluid is vital by its self to ensure smooth passage of food through the digestive tract, reducing the risk of colic.

Dehydration signs include; lethargy, thick or sticky salvia, a dry mouth and dry membranes around the eyes.

THE SKIN PINCH TEST

A traditional method of checking hydration status is the ‘skin pinch test’. Pinching the skin and observing a recoil rate of over 2 seconds supposedly suggests your horse is dehydrated. However, recent research suggest that this is not a reliable test for hydration status. A recoil rate of 2 seconds is usually present in horses who are extremely dehydrated!

 

 

Ensure your horse has fresh water daily. When stabled, water can absorb ammonia from urine, which can put horse’s off, so refreshing their buckets daily is a must! Adding electrolytes can encourage thirst and your horse to drink, if there is a large decline in water intake. Alternatively, on icy mornings, try warming water to above 7 degrees, as this has also been shown to encourage drinking.

Forage

Still surviving on those last blades of summer grass? We don’t blame you! There’s a whole host of benefits that turnout gives so prolonging your sessions are a must this season!

However, laminitic ponies – BEWARE! In mild, wet weather, which we tend to see at the beginning of autumn, grass growth surges are a common occurrence. These growth spurts supply increased levels of fructans and starches, otherwise known as sugar, which causes laminitis. Make sure to keep a look out for the signs of laminitis and put in place tired and tested prevention strategies!

As the weather begins to turn toward the end of autumn, full focus will be on maintaining condition, especially for our fair-weathered friends! You may be able to make your grass last longer this autumn, however the nutritional value will begin to dwindle eventually.

As grass becomes scarcer, you may consider supplementing with vitamin and minerals? Plus, you should really think about topping up your horse’s grazing with extra forage, such as hay or haylage. Not only will extra forage make your turnout last longer, it will reduce boredom and the risk of gastric ulcers, due to an increase in salvia production from chewing. Furthermore, forage fermentation, which occurs in your horse’s hindgut, can act as internal heat source, keeping your horse warm through the wintery weather!

Global Herbs Globalvite (3kg-6kg)

Broad spectrum multi-vitamin nutritional supplement ideal for changeable weather conditions. Containing premium chelated minerals and probiotics, this advanced formula supports optimum condition and immune system stability.  It also supports healthy joints, skin and hooves and can be fed all year round.

Feed 3 x 25ml scoops per day for 500-550kg horse.  Reduce to half for maintenance levels.

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Weight Management

Through the autumn, body condition should be monitored regularly. Be brutally honest, as most horse owners view their horse to be the ‘perfect’ weight. If you know you won’t be able to see your horse through the ‘goggles of truth’, get a yard friend to give you the hard facts. A weigh tape may also be useful for a more standardised reading or when you don’t have a friend to hand!

 

Always ensure your forage is of the highest quality.

If your horse is overweight or a good doer, use the cooler weather to your advantage. Don’t be tempted by the rugs as the temperature drops. The lower air temperature will speed up your horse’s metabolism and aid weight loss as they covert energy into heat to keep warm – this should help shed the extra pounds.

Diet Changes

Worried about changes to the nutritional value of your grazing or having to introduce hay or haylage suddenly? Adding a supplement with prebiotics, such as Globalvite, will help ease any unpredictable changes in diet, which could potentially cause digestive upset. Prebiotics work to support the health of the hindgut’s microbiome, which breaks down all the fibre in your horse’s diet. As grass starts becoming sparser, gradually add Globalvite and additional forage into your horse’s diet to ensure they are supported through the diet change and have all the vitamin and minerals, to keep them in tip-top condition through autumn!

Some of the items featured in this article, we may earn a commission on should you choose to buy.  If though, for whatever reason, you choose to return the item we will not. With this in mind, we aim to only give relevant recommendations and information that may help you in the decision process when choosing whether or not to buy.

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