When determining how much hay you need to feed in winter, remember to factor in wastage, especially when offering large round bales without a feeder. | Photo: iStock

Remember these three simple things to help your horse maintain his weight and health this season.

Hay. Grain. Concentrate, sweet, and other prepared feeds. Bran. Oils. Vitamins and minerals. Supplements. Keeping up with the array of rations you can feed your horse can make your head spin. Indeed, nutrition is a complicated subject.

But our sources say that by monitoring just three things, you can keep most horses in top condition throughout the cold winter months. Those three simple things? Feed type, water, and body condition score.

The feed your horse consumes supplies the calories he needs to maintain good body condition. Adequate water intake encourages feed consumption and ­digestion and helps prevent dehydration and impaction colic. And your horse’s body condition score (which you can learn more about at TheHorse.com/30154) provides a measure of whether he’s getting enough nutrients to stay warm and nourished through the winter