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The temperature is plummeting, and you’re worried that your horses will get cold. You remember your grandfather saying that corn is a heating feed, so you decide to double their grain ration; that should work, right?

Corn and other grains do provide calories, but actually, it’s the fermentation of fiber in the horse’s hindgut that is the most important factor in keeping him warm in the winter. This built-in heat source is fueled by grass and hay, so the best way to support body heat is to provide plenty of these feedstuffs.

Kentucky Equine Research nutritionist Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., says that the ideal situation is for stalled horses to have hay in front of them at all times. A horse that’s able to grab a mouthful of hay any time he gets the notion probably won’t get bored and begin to dig holes in the floor or destroy the walls of his stall. He’ll also be less likely to develop colic or gastric ulcers if there is a steady supply of ingested material passing through his digestive tract.

“But if I give him that much hay, he’ll get fat!” you say. If this is a concern, try using hay with fewer carbohydrates. Replacing alfalfa hay with grass hay might take care of the problem, and soaking hay for 30 minutes before feeding will reduce the calories while allowing the horse plenty of chewing time.

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