As the leaves change colors, it’s a great time to think about modifying your horse diet to balance upcoming seasonal challenges.

Pasture quality fluctuates with every season, but the shift in quality from summer to fall is significant. During the fall we experience warm days and cool nights. Pasture plants manufacture sugars or “Fructan” in the daylight, and then use those sugars to fuel regrowth during the night. However, when nighttime temperatures drop in the fall, it becomes too cold for plants to actively grow and thus the sugars are stored for later use.This leads to an increase of stored sugars in the plant, which may increase the risk of digestive upsets or laminitis in some horses. Horses at most risk are those are carrying excess weight or those that have trouble managing normal blood sugar levels.

Changing seasons also mean varying temperatures and exposure.This, combined with a major diet adjustment of moving from pasture to hay, can increase the chance of digestive disturbances. Declining temperatures often cause horses to drink less water, and at the same time, increase the amount of hay they consume to stay warm.More hay and less water consumption together may lead to impaction colic.

As we move into fall and winter, hay becomes the major feed source for many horses.Switching from pasture to hay or getting a new type of hay represents as big a change to the horse as a change in grain. Like any diet change, it should be gradually to decrease the risk of digestive upset. Good-quality hay will be clean and have a high leaf-to-stem ratio, small-diameter stems, few seed heads or blooms, a fresh smell and appearance, and a bright color. The maturity of the plant at harvest determines the hay quality more than any other factor. Young, leafy, plants contain more protein, energy and minerals than older plants with thicker stems.Also, as a plant matures, it contains more indigestible fiber (lignin), which reduces nutrient availability. Lower-quality hay must be supplemented with higher-quality feed to maintain horses’ good condition and health.

Fall is a season of transition and an important time to evaluate the quality of forage available for your horse and whether the grain ration is appropriate and adequate to meet your horse’s nutrient requirements. Adjusting grain rations in the early fall will prevent weight loss due to lower-quality forage and, if horses need to gain weight, there is still time for a thinner horse to gain some before the cold weather really sets in. To determine your horses’ caloric needs and receive a customized grain recommendation, visit with your local FS Insight FS Feed Representative.