Taking Care of Your Horse's Feed Needs During the Wintertime

Winter is a wonderful time to stock up on food until the spring or summer. Horses will need help with their meals during the winter. It is important to do in order for them to have the right nutrients they need.

An important step to getting the right feed for your horse is to have the right horse equipment. Cowboy boots are essential if you are going to be working with horse feed. Cowboy boots can be used in both cold and warm conditions, and are very versatile.

Cowboy boots are also nice because of all the traveling you will need to do. Unlike the summer, where many horses can forage for their food on their own in the fields, the winter usually means the need to supplement their food. That means more running around to get them their right food so they can stay healthy.

The food you give to your horses also depends on their needs. For example, pregnant mares are going to need more nutrients and vitamins than the average horse. They are also going to need to have plenty of food to sustain their pregnancy during the last trimester.

The weight of the mares will also need to be watched. The amount of weight the mare is gaining or losing will determine the amount of food she will need to be given. If the mare isn't keeping on her weight she will need a high calorie diet. If she is gaining too much weight she will need a much lower calorie diet.

The horse owners need to make sure that there is a healthy amount of food there for the pregnant mares. The health of the mare will determine how healthy the foal will be. Again, since the horse won't be able to forage on her own usually during the wintertime, she will rely on the horse owner for extra food.

Developmental Orthopaedic Disease, or DOD, is a disease that reaches foals. DOD is a major concern to ranchers. Bad nutrition of a foal can lead to higher risks of DOD. Other factors include genetics, confirmation and injury.

DOD has been linked to high starch diets that foals are given. There was once suspicion placed on diets that were rich with protein caused DOD developments, but that has since been ruled out because of lack of evidence. It is very important to keep a well balanced diet for foals so they develop healthily and correctly.


Since 1952, AA Callister has proudly featured some of the bestwestern wear, clothing, western tack, boots , and horse and rodeo equipment made. AA Callister 3615 S Redwood Road Salt Lake City, UT. 84119 (877) 784-6773 www.callisters.com

---

Orignal From: Taking Care of Your Horse's Feed Needs During the Wintertime