Learning how to care for a horse is not difficult, especially when you are fond of horses.
One of the things you will need to know as a new horse owner is how to properly feed your horse during the winter months. The following article is based on an article from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University is an excellent outline of how to care for a horse during the cold winter months.
Feeding horses during the winter season is a task with two goals: to maintain the animal’s body condition and to keep the horse warm.
In the winter, just as in any season of the year, the horse needs a combination of nutrients such as carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, and water to remain healthy.
During cold weather, energy derived from feeds and the resulting body heat generated are very important for the horse’s health and survival.
Horses use energy produced from nutrients in their rations. Each cell in the horse’s body needs a certain amount of energy on a daily basis in order to live and function.
The most common nutrient used for energy is carbohydrates, followed by fat, then protein. Protein is not ideal as an energy source. It will be used as an energy source in two situations, one where excessive protein is fed, and another where a horse is not consuming enough energy through carbohydrates and fats.
A 1,000-pound, idle, adult horse will need approximately 20 to 25 pounds of total feed per day during the winter. Eighty to 90 percent of the total nutrients needed will contribute to body energy demands.
Horses will naturally grow a longer coat for insulation in response to cold temperatures, but they still need to be in good body condition with a small layer of fat under the skin and be able to generate adequate body heat in order to tolerate cold temperatures.
When horses have a long hair coat, it is difficult to determine their body condition just by observation. Weekly, horse owners should check their horses’ body condition by palpating (touching) the rib and back areas.
As you learn how to care for a horse, it’s good to know how to judge a horse’s condition. A horse’s body condition score (BCS) is judged on a 1-9 scale, with 1 equaling emaciated, and 9 equaling very obese.
Pleasure horse owners should try to maintain their horses between 5.5 and 6.5 BCS. This is a healthy BCS for the horse. At this body score, the ribs are nicely covered with a layer of fat but are easily felt.
A slight or no fat cover indicates that the horse’s BCS is between 2 and 4, and that the horse is too thin.
Horse owners that suspect their horse’s BCS is less than 4 should contact their veterinarian for help in determining whether this is a dietary or medical problem, or both.
Owners that are uncertain about their horse’s BCS should contact a veterinarian to do a physical examination.
The secondary goal during the winter is to provide adequate nutrition to allow the horse to generate enough body heat to remain comfortable.
As you learn how to take care of a horse, it’s important to understand that in the spring, when your horse sheds its winter coat you may be surprised that your horse is much thinner than you expected.
The long hair coat was masking the fact that the horse did not receive adequate nutrition during the cold months and therefore lost weight.
This concludes the first part of this article on learning how to take care of a horse.
Chris Walsh publishes the Basic Guide to Horse Care with vital horse care information every horse owner needs to know including horse hoof care, equine health problems and how to prevent and treat them and much more information on how to care for a horse. Get your special free report on good equine care by going here now: http://horse-care-guide.zcorps.com
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