Winter introduces unique challenges for horse owners, particularly when meeting their horses’ nutritional needs. During winter, pasture grass—the primary source of nutrition for many horses—becomes less available or dormant. As a result, hay becomes the primary source of forage. It provides not only nutrition but also helps horses maintain their body heat through the digestion process. Choosing the best hay for horses in winter is crucial to ensure your equine companions remain healthy, comfortable and energized throughout the colder months.
At Vitalize®, our team of equine enthusiasts wants the best for our horses and yours, no matter what season. We know that a forage-based diet for horses offers many benefits, but we also know that getting the best forage is essential. That is why we created this educational resource for you and all horse lovers.
Who is Vitalize?
Vitalize is a line of horse supplements with proven solutions to keep your animal healthy and performing. We are a renowned brand of supplements designed to enhance equine health, provide a good gut feeling, and support bone, joint and soft tissue health. Vitalize products support all equine enthusiasts. From the ranch horse owner on the Western plains to the Olympic jumper, Vitalize offers products to meet the needs of every horse and every rider.
BioZyme® Inc., a global fermentation company pioneering animal nutrition and health advancements, develops the Vitalize brand. BioZyme creates powerful solutions that improve animal performance through innovative research and high-quality manufacturing.
Our mission: undeniable positive impact on the health and wellness of your animals.
Understanding Horses’ Winter Nutritional Needs
Horses are herbivores that rely on the steady intake of forage to support their digestive system. Forage provides essential fiber, fermented in the horse’s hindgut to produce energy and heat. This process is especially important in winter when horses expend additional energy to maintain their body temperature.
A horse’s nutritional requirements vary depending on factors like age, activity level and body condition. A typical horse needs 1.5-2.5% of its body weight in forage daily. For a 1,000-pound horse, this amounts to 15-25 pounds of hay per day. During winter, some horses may need even more to compensate for the increased energy demands.
Remember, the type of hay will widely depend on geography and climate you are located in. If you are going south for the winter, try to make sure you can keep you hay consistent and make any transitions gradually.
Types of Hay for Winter Feeding
Several types of hay are suitable for winter feeding, each with its advantages. Let’s explore several types of the best hay for horses in winter, including their advantages and the horses they are best suited for.
1. Timothy Hay
Timothy hay is a popular choice for horse owners due to its consistent quality and balanced nutrients. It’s a grass hay that provides moderate protein and energy levels. Its moderate calorie content makes it a good option for horses with average energy needs.
Advantages:
- Palatability
- Easily digestible
- Widely available
Best Suited For:
- Adult horses in light to moderate work
- Horses maintaining their weight
2. Alfalfa Hay
Alfalfa is a legume hay known for its high protein and calcium content. Only feed alfalfa in moderation since it can lead to obesity and digestive issues in horses with low energy requirements. It’s common practice to mix alfalfa with grass hay to balance out a horse’s diet.
Advantages:
- Richer in nutrients than grass hay
- High protein content
Best Suited For:
- Young, growing horses
- Lactating mares
- Horses with high energy demands
- Horses needing to gain weight
3. Orchard Grass Hay
Orchard grass hay is a soft, palatable grass hay that offers moderate protein and energy levels.
Advantages:
- Finer texture appeals to horses
- Low in sugar
Best Suited For:
- Horses with average energy needs
- Horses that require softer hay
- Horses prone to metabolic disorders
4. Bermuda Grass Hay
Bermuda grass hay is a warm-season grass hay high in fiber and moderately nutritious. Ensure the hay is free from contaminants, as Bermuda hay has a higher risk of carrying foreign matter.
Advantages:
- Affordability
- Availability in southern regions
- High fiber
- Fine texture
Best Suited For:
- Horses with dental challenges
5. Bromegrass Hay
Bromegrass hay is a soft, leafy and fine-stemmed forage, making it palatable for horses. It has moderate protein (8–12%) and energy content, with good fiber levels. As a cool-season grass, it grows well in temperate climates and tolerates drought conditions.
Advantages:
- Highly palatable
- Highly digestible due to fiber content
- Drought-resistant
- Performs well in grass-legume mixtures (with alfalfa)
Best Suited For:
- Horses that need extra energy without excess calories
- Offers balanced nutrition for maintenance and light work
- Senior horses
6. Prairie Grass Hay
Prairie grass hay is a mix of native grasses such as big bluestem, switchgrass and other native grass. It typically has coarser stems with variable leafiness, depending on the species mix and maturity at harvest. It has a higher fiber content with moderate to low protein (7–10%) and energy content.
Advantages:
- Mimics the diet of wild horses.
- Low energy content is ideal for horses prone to weight gain
Best Suited For:
- Easy keepers
- Horses with conditions like insulin resistance or laminitis due to its lower sugar and starch content.
- Broodmares or retired horses
7. Mixed Hay
Mixed hay combines grass and legume hays, such as Timothy and alfalfa. It is a versatile option that meets the needs of many horses.
Advantages:
- Offers a balance of energy, protein & fiber
Best Suited For:
- Horses requiring a balanced diet without extremes
Characteristics of the Best Hay for Horses in Winter
To select the best hay for horses in winter, you must first know the hay’s nutritional value. Like most things, you can’t judge a book by its cover. That’s why BioZyme offers its customers complimentary hay testing. Hay testing is a simple procedure that can help you determine the actual value of what you have in your forages. It ensures your horses receive the nutrients they require.
Here are some of the nutritional factors to consider when finding the best hay for horses in winter:
Nutritional Content
- Protein: Protein is vital for muscle maintenance and overall health. Most horses require hay with a protein content of 8-14%, depending on their workload and life stage.
- Energy: Hay’s energy content is determined by its fiber and digestibility. For winter, it’s important to provide hay with moderate to high energy levels, especially for working or performance horses or those with higher caloric needs.
- Minerals and Vitamins: Good hay should contain adequate levels of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin A. However, vitamin A can degrade over time in stored hay, so supplementation might be necessary for older hay.
Leafiness & Softness
High-quality hay has a high leaf-to-stem ratio, as leaves contain more nutrients and are easier to digest than stems. Overly coarse stems may indicate hay that was harvested late or is less nutritious.
Color & Aroma
Good hay is green and has a fresh, sweet smell. A dusty or moldy aroma indicates poor quality, which can lead to respiratory issues and digestive upset.
Cleanliness
Hay should be free of weeds, dirt, debris and foreign objects. Contaminants can harm horses and decrease the hay’s palatability.
Moisture Content
Properly cured hay should have a moisture content of 10-15%. Hay that is too wet can develop mold, while overly dry hay may be brittle and less palatable.
Special Considerations to Feed the Best Hay for Horses in Winter
In winter, several other factors influence hay selection and feeding practices. In addition to monitoring your horse’s body condition and overall health, pay close attention to the following five considerations:
1. Hay Quality & Storage
Ensure hay is stored in a dry, well-ventilated area to prevent mold and spoiling. Check hay regularly for signs of dust, mold or foreign objects, which are more prevalent in older or poorly stored hay.
2. Supplements & Additives
Winter hay may lack certain nutrients, especially vitamins E and A. Horses on hay-only diets may benefit from supplements to address these deficiencies.
Vitalize offers a line of supplements for horses with proven solutions to keep your animal healthy and performing. Do you want to know which Vitalize supplement is right for your horse? Take our Vitalize Equine Health Quiz to discover the product your horse needs today!
3. Hay Intake
Horses require more hay in winter to generate heat through fermentation. Monitor body condition scores regularly to adjust the amount of hay provided. Overfeeding can lead to obesity, while underfeeding can cause weight loss or cold stress.
4. Feeding Frequency & Methods
Dividing hay into smaller, frequent meals mimics natural grazing patterns and keeps horses warmer. Consider why you should slow feed horses or use hay nets to reduce waste and prolong feeding time.
5. Water Availability
Hay is drier than fresh pasture, so horses need plenty of clean, unfrozen water. Dehydration can lead to colic, especially in winter. Using heated water buckets or troughs can encourage drinking.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Horses are like people; every single one of them is an individual and you should treat them as such. Be sure to feed them a diet tailored to each horse, monitor each one closely for health and weight gain or loss and adjust their diets accordingly. Avoid the following common mistakes year-round, not just in the winter season.
Feed Moldy or Poor-Quality Hay
Moldy hay can cause respiratory issues or winter colic. It is always best to be proactive, so feed your older hay first. And always inspect hay before feeding.
Rely on One Type of Hay
A single type of hay may not meet all nutritional needs. Mixing grass and legume hays provides balance. Remember hay testing is the best way to know the nutritional content of your hay. Once tested, our team of nutritionists will help you interpret the data.
Ignore Individual Needs
Different horses have unique requirements. Adjust hay types and amounts based on age, workload and health. You can’t expect a senior mare to have the same nutritional needs as a young horse ridden daily.
Overlook Regular Monitoring
You should check body condition regularly, as winter blankets can hide weight changes. Check for any any changes in condition or weight that might warrant a diet change.
Vitalize Can Help!
Choosing the best hay for horses in winter involves balancing nutritional content, palatability and availability. High-quality grass hays like Timothy and Orchard grass are excellent staples, while legume hay like alfalfa provides extra energy for horses with higher demands. Mixed hay offers a balanced option for most horses.
However, most horses can’t live on hay alone, no matter how high the quality it is. That is why Vitalize is offers high-quality supplements to help give your horses a good gut feeling and more. For general winter nutrition, we suggest three products all powered by AO-Biotics® Amaferm®, a research-proven prebiotic designed to enhance digestibility.
Vitalize® Equine Vitamin & Mineral Supplement
Vitalize Equine Vitamin & Mineral Supplement is a highly fortified, loose vitamin and mineral supplement for horses that supports nutritional and digestive health. It is enriched with organic trace minerals and high vitamin E, biotin and B vitamins. This supplement improves your horse’s bloom, giving them a healthy, shiny coat and supporting optimal body condition.
Vitalize® Equine Protein Pellet
Vitalize Equine Protein Pellet is a pelleted, natural protein supplement for horses, fortified with vitamins and minerals. Enhanced with vitamins, minerals and organic trace minerals to balance rations, this pellet also provides 28% natural protein.
Vitalize® Equine High Performance
Vitalize Equine High Performance is a pelleted supplement highly fortified with vitamins and minerals designed to support the nutritional needs of performance horses. This pellet is boosted with vitamins, minerals and organic trace minerals. High levels of calcium help maintain proper gut pH.
Get your Vitalize Today
Even if you provide the best hay for horses in winter, you still want to provide them with the best supplements from Vitalize.
You can purchase it online on our website or through one of BioZyme’s online retailers.
If you want to shop locally, search for your local BioZyme retailer on our website.
We offer a plethora of other products and educational information through a monthly email. Sign up now to receive that information.
You can also view all the other Vitalize equine and canine products on our website.
