Q: I recently weaned a group of my foals, and they will be turned out all winter. How can I make sure they are maintaining a healthy weight during this important growth period?

A: You’re correct in knowing that is an important growth period for your weanlings and that proper nutrition and management are important to give them a strong foundation. Being turned out is an excellent environment for youngsters to exercise freely and develop strong musculoskeletal structure. Nutrition to support weanlings in maintaining a healthy weight involves balancing calories with appropriate nutrients. The daily calorie intake supports body condition and dictates the rate of weight gain, whereas the quality and balance of protein, vitamins, and minerals support development of lean tissues such as bone and muscle. One of the challenges in maintaining a healthy weight through the winter, particularly for youngsters, is the variation in the amount and quality of forage in different locations and management situations.

Forage for Young Horses

Young horses might not digest moderate or lower quality hay or pasture as effectively as more mature horses. This makes forage quality important when developing young, growing horses. The additional supplementation needed will be dictated by the quality and amount of forage available to these young horses this winter. Monitoring their body condition on a regular basis, weekly or every two weeks or so, will be important. What and how you feed in addition to the forage will need to be adjusted accordingly.

When hay or pasture is of adequate quality and quantity to maintain weanling horses in a moderate and healthy body condition (a body condition score of 5 or 6 on the Henneke body condition scoring system), their daily calorie needs are being met by the forage. In these situations, your young horses also need a good-quality ration balancer. Ration balancers are concentrated nutrition products formulated to provide appropriate amounts of high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals in a low feeding rate. They are a great option when your horses do not need additional calories from a feed ration.

Adding Calories to Young Horse Diets

If the winter conditions are challenging, the forage available doesn’t support good body condition, and the weanlings lose body fat cover and their ribs become visible, they will need additional calories. Feeding the recommended amount of a high-quality feed formulated for growing horses would be recommended to provide the appropriate balance of additional calories with proper nutrition to support growth and development.

Maintaining a healthy body condition during the winter helps horses, especially youngsters, manage through cold weather conditions. When body condition is good, they have winter hair coats and access to shelter from wind and rain, horses are better equipped to weather the winter months. When the temperature dips below freezing, and especially if they don’t have shelter, horses will burn more calories just to maintain body temperature. For weanlings, the temperature at which this happens could be closer to 50° F. Often, horse owners will offer more hay during cold weather. But, for young horses, the digestive tract capacity might limit their ability to eat more hay, and a feed ration could be necessary to support the higher calorie demand of winter weather.

Another important aspect to keep in mind is internal parasite control. It is always a good idea to work with your veterinarian to develop a targeted internal parasite prevention program for your foals and young horses.

Water for Young Horses During Winter

Don’t forget the water this winter. Increased dry matter intake, especially hay, increases the need for water in the digestive system, but cold weather can reduce voluntary water consumption. Keeping water sources clean, accessible, and free of ice will help ensure horses drink adequately. The recommendation is to maintain water between 45 and 65 degrees F for optimal water intake. Adding a tablespoon of loose salt to horses’ daily ration might also help encourage them to drink more water.

Take-Home Message

Nutrition and management are both important when developing young, growing horses into healthy, sound adults. To support your weanlings’ growth during winter, focus on providing proper nutrition by balancing calories with essential nutrients. Regularly monitor their body condition and adjust their feed rations based on the quality of forage available. Be sure they have access to clean, ice-free water to maintain hydration and encourage adequate water consumption.

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