As fall approaches with winter soon to follow, horse owners should be thinking about their horses' diet and meeting nutritional needs in the cooler months. There are a number of different options to ensure that the needs are met. Overseeding pastures, hay, concentrates and supplements or sometimes a combination of all three will work to ensure your horse is getting what they need.
The least cost method is likely putting them on pasture. During the cooler months, warm-season grass will go dormant and overseeding the pasture with a winter annual may be an option to allow for winter grazing. Rye, Ryegrass, Oats, and Wheat are common to plant and are usually planted during August through mid-September depending on the geographical region. There are other varieties of plants that can be planted. Determining the needs for your operation and what you expect of your forage will be the deciding factor in what to plant.
Supplementing hay can also help meet the needs of your horse. Good quality hay is essential. The best way to ensure that you are feeding quality hay is to have it analyzed. The NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) will analyze forage samples for $10.
Feeding concentrates and supplements in addition to hay is also a possibility. Concentrates mostly refer to cereal grains. Most commercially manufactured concentrates have the essential vitamins and minerals, but plain concentrates lack vitamins and minerals so adding supplements that contain vitamins and minerals can also be done and fed together.
The current body condition and age of the horse, quality of the pasture/hay, and if feeding concentrates will determine the amount to feed. The take-home message is to assess your goals and make a decision that would be most suitable to meet those goals and your horses' needs. Talk to your local extension agent to help you make the best decisions for your program.
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