Ask The Doctor

Many horse owners feed extra grain during cold spells in an attempt to help their horses stave off the cold. While extra grain seems logical, feeding more hay will do much more to help your horse keep warm.

Grain is composed of starch or carbohydrates which are broken down by digestive enzymes and absorbed as sugars in the small intestine. The resulting increase in blood sugar provides energy for muscle contraction and powers most other body systems. Roughage (hay) on the other hand is composed of more complex carbohydrates that resist enzymatic digestion in the small intestine. These large molecules are passed into the large intestine and become the food for a variety of bacteria and protozoa. If you have ever stuck your hand intro fresh grass clippings that have been setting in a pile for a few hours you know first hand that heat is a significant by product of fermentation. This same process occurs in the colon of your horse. While heat is considered a waste product when feeding a horse is work or lactation it is very beneficial in maintaining body heat during periods of cold weather.

Feeding additional grain will help your horse maintain weight and give him more energy to shiver but feeding extra hay will cause additional heat production from digestion. So this winter when one of our notorious arctic cold fronts sweeps into the valley feed him his usual amount of grain and throw out an extra flake or two of hay. It will help his body generate extra heat to keep him warm. It is also a good idea to