Preventing Winter Weight Loss in Horses: Forage Strategies to Keep Your Horse in Good Condition

December 9, 2025 by Kelly Vineyard, MS, PhD EquiVine PhD Nutrition

As cold weather rolls in and temperatures fall, horses must burn more calories simply to stay warm. This increased energy demand can quietly chip away at body condition, especially when winter coats and blankets disguise early signs of weight loss. Even horses that are typically well-fed can lose condition if their winter ration doesn’t match their changing calorie needs due to seasonal weather changes.

When the Temperature Drops, Pay Attention to Body Condition

The foundation of preventing winter weight loss in horses is high-quality forage. Consistent access to nutrient-dense, palatable hay supports gut health and weight maintenance throughout the cold months. Standlee forage products offer a reliable way to ensure horses receive the high-calorie fiber they need for winter feeding success.

Why Winter Weight Loss Happens

Maintaining body condition during cold weather requires more energy, and when calorie intake doesn’t rise to meet this demand, weight loss follows. Contributing factors include:

• Higher calorie burn during cold weather.
• Reduced pasture quality.
• Questionable and declining hay quality
• Hidden weight changes due to thick coats or blankets.

Core Strategy: Forage Foundation for Condition and Warmth

The main source of calories in a horse’s diet is their forage, but it is more than just a calorie source. Forage serves as the fuel for a horse’s internal, built-in furnace. Hindgut fermentation generates internal heat, helping horses regulate body temperature. Providing constant access to forage helps generate internal body heat, maintain weight, and support gut health. If the only forage available is mature or overly-stemmy hay, substituting part of the ration for leafy alfalfa or a quality, early cut grass hay delivers more digestible energy per pound to help offset winter metabolic demands. Dust-free forage pellets, cubes, and chopped hay also provide respiratory support for horses spending more time indoors.

Read our nutritonal paper - Managing Body Condition with Forage.

Best Standlee Forage Options for Winter Conditioning

Alfalfa Forage

Calories for Performance and Condition – Alfalfa is naturally high in digestible energy and quality protein, making it ideal for hard keepers, seniors, and performance horses. It supports body condition, muscle development, and healthy gastric pH. Standlee offers alfalfa in pellets, cubes, chopped formats, and compressed bales. Mixing alfalfa with grass hay is a good strategy to boost calories while maintaining steady intake.

Timothy and Alfalfa Mixes

Balanced Energy for Easier Keepers – These blends combine Timothy’s digestible fiber with alfalfa’s nutrient density, providing moderate energy support while promoting gut health. They are well suited for horses that maintain weight easily but still require consistent, high-quality forage through winter.

Timothy Grass Mini Cubes

Small Bites, Big Benefits - Timothy Mini Cubes offer convenience and consistency, particularly useful when forage quality or availability fluctuates. They are dust-free, easy to soak for hydration, and ideal for travel or limited storage environments.

Winter Feeding Tips for Maintaining Weight

• Increase total forage volume by 10 to 20 percent during cold weather.
• Incorporate calorie-dense forages like alfalfa for horses that need calories.
• Monitor body condition weekly by removing blankets.
• Support hydration by feeding soaked forage pellets and cubes and ensure water temperature is between 45 – 65°F.
• Allow access to shelter to keep horses dry.
• Use hay feeders to reduce wastage.

Explore Standlee’s premium forage solutions to build a reliable winter forage plan that keeps your horse well-fed, comfortable, and in consistent body condition all winter long.

Read our nutritinal paper - Fight The Cold: Feeding During The Winter.