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and cracking or chipping.
When the drier months are over and we do eventually get spring rains and the growth is back in the paddocks, also ensure your horse is introduced back onto lushly growing pastures in short time frames so as to avoid the sudden intake of fructans (plant sugars), one of the major causes of clinical and sub-clinical laminitis.
The trick to feeding sensibly during this period is to allow the horse access to the pastured paddock between the early to mid morning hours then removing them from the paddock and letting them back again in the morning. It is during this period of time the fructans in the plants are at their lowest levels and safest to be grazed.

Supplementary feeding during the winter months does not need to be great quantities of various products, it can be carried out using quite small levels used in conjunction with vegetable oil (I always suggest the use of Canola oil due to Omega 3 : Omega 6 balances being in the correct ratio to enable the anti-inflammatory properties to be kicked in). As long as we maintain energy intake and levels, our horses should not lose condition and will pull through the winter dry months in good condition. This also saves us the expense of having to come from behind and try and play 'catch up' by trying to get them looking good and performing well when it is all over by having to feed them up again from a deteriorated condition.
The feeding of pregnant broodmares is also quite important during these winter months as well, as many dedicated horse breeders are looking for that early August foal, and it is during this last 90 days of pregnancy we must begin to supply the mare with the additional nutrients she requires in order to be able to supply the unborn foal that is undergoing major growth inside the mare. During the last trimester the foal has a size increase of about 66%. and obtaining its nutrient supply from the mother. The mare, unless in fair order, will also be struggling to supply the required nutrients to the unborn foal, and if she is in a really bad way, very few of the additional nutrients will be passed on to the foal, the mare's system using them instead to maintain her in an attempt to maintain homeostasis. Usually these mares in appalling condition will either abort or foal early in the pregnancy, usually within the first 45 days, or present a weak sickly foal usually with bent or angular limbs or in a dismature state. These premature foals are, as can be imagined, never quite right,

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