Q: I have 9-year-old Belgian gelding that I’m trying to slim down for showing this summer, but I do want to make sure he is getting all of his nutritional requirements, especially for the winter. He has free-choice access to pasture, which I know is not good, but we don’t have the facilities or time to do scheduled time on pasture. He is pretty idle for a draft horse, but he does do more work in the summer. So, can you give me some ideas for a feeding regimen?

Megan Kelly, Jefferson, Ohio

A: The following questions need to be answered for an accurate discussion of this gelding’s diet:

• Is pasture the only component of this horse’s diet, or is he receiving grain, concentrate, or supplements?
• In what geographic region is this horse located?
• Does this horse have any special health considerations such as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) or equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM)?
• What is the current (Henneke) body condition score of this horse?
• What level of exercise will this horse be working toward?

Providing nutrition through grazing can serve many positive functions. The constant slow ingestion of forage as the horse moves around throughout the day helps maintain ideal peristaltic gut activity (characterized by wavelike muscular contractions) and minimizes the risk of common equine ailments such as gastric ulcers, respiratory disease, and colic. The difficulty in using pasture as the primary nutritional source lies in the inconsistency in nutritional value of different pastures throughout the seasons