Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

From: "Dot Wiggins" <dotwgns@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
Subject: [RC]   winter horses.


We learned that it takes twice as much hay in the rainy cold winters than in
20 below winters to give adequate nutrition.   (And we never did find the
same quality hay we were used to in other places.)
Here on the edge of the Idaho desert it rarely gets to zero, the rain never
lasts long, all the horses need is a wind break and good hay, open water,
and they are happy as clams.

Such was life in the old west, guys.   Maybe the horses were tougher <g>

Of course,  I don't live in  those places any more either,   I'm silly, but
not completely stupid.  <VBG>

 

North Carolina State has a guideline - Cold Weather Feeding Practices for Horses - for winter feeding that shows how to calculate "critical temperature" and additional feed needed.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/resources/livestock/horses/ag558-6.html

 

For those of us who don't always have the rancher's natural feel for estimating our horse's needs, I adapted the NCSU guidelines into an Excel spreadsheet which you can use to quickly estimate the additional or total feed required (based on weather conditions, horse's weight and work level). If you'd like a copy, pm me at DesertHorses ^ at ^ gmail ^ dot ^ com.

 

Patti K

Vail AZ