Maintaining Weight for Your Performance and Older Horses in Winter

The best way to maintain a horse’s weight during winter is to prioritize adequate forage intake, as horses generate body heat and maintain condition primarily through digesting fiber. Providing free-choice, high-quality hay is essential, since pasture grass is limited and hay digestion helps keep horses warm. If a horse struggles to hold weight, adding calorie-dense feeds such as beet pulp, hay cubes, or a fat supplement can help without overfeeding grain. Ensuring constant access to unfrozen water encourages proper digestion, while appropriate blanketing in cold, wet, or windy conditions reduces calorie loss from staying warm. Regularly monitoring body condition and adjusting feed as needed allows weight issues to be addressed early, keeping the horse healthy throughout winter.

What's the difference between feeding an older horse and a performance horse? Difference between older horses and performance horses when trying to keep weight on during the winter because their nutritional needs and challenges are not the same. Older horses often have dental issues, reduced digestion efficiency, or metabolic changes that make it harder for them to extract nutrients from hay, so they may need softer, more easily digestible feeds such as soaked beet pulp, senior feeds, or hay alternatives. Performance horses, on the other hand, usually have higher calorie demands due to continued training and work, requiring additional energy from fats or concentrates to maintain weight and muscle. While both types need increased forage in winter, older horses focus more on digestibility and ease of eating, whereas performance horses focus on meeting higher energy demands without compromising health.

Different grains are especially important in winter because horses have different nutritional needs based on age and workload. Performance horses require higher-energy grains with added fats and quality proteins, such as Nutrena Empower Boost or Bluebonnet Intense, to support stamina, muscle recovery, and consistent performance while also helping them maintain body condition in cold weather. These feeds provide concentrated calories that fuel work without requiring large meal sizes. Older horses, on the other hand, benefit more from easily digestible feeds like Triple Crown Senior or Nutrena ProForce Fuel, which are formulated with higher fiber, softer textures, and balanced protein to support aging teeth, digestion, and muscle maintenance. Providing the right type of grain for performance versus senior horses helps ensure each horse maintains healthy fat and protein levels, stays comfortable in winter, and receives nutrition that matches their physical demands and stage of life.

Adding targeted supplements during winter can be highly beneficial for maintaining a horse’s weight and overall condition when forage quality declines and energy needs increase. Supplements such as Equine Mega Gain Oil provide a concentrated, easily digestible source of fat that boosts calorie intake without increasing feed volume, helping horses maintain body condition and coat health in colder weather. Bloom DAC vitamins and minerals help fill nutritional gaps commonly seen in winter diets by supporting digestion, immune function, and metabolic efficiency, ensuring the horse can properly utilize the nutrients it consumes. Additionally, Mana Pro weight supplements offer balanced calories, proteins, and essential nutrients designed specifically to promote healthy weight gain and muscle maintenance. Together, these supplements support energy levels, nutrient absorption, and overall resilience, making them valuable tools for keeping horses healthy and well-conditioned throughout the winter months.