How to Save Money on Horse Feed in Winter

As horse owners we know that winter can be one of the most expensive times of year. Pasture growth can slow down for those on reticulated paddocks, hay use goes up, horses may need more calories to maintain condition, and feed wastage becomes much more noticeable. The good news is that saving money on winter feed does not have to mean feeding less or compromising your horse’s health. In many cases, the biggest savings come from feeding more efficiently, reducing waste, and making sure you are only paying for what your horse actually needs. 

The first place to start is with forage. For most horses, forage should form the foundation of the winter ration. It is recommended building the diet around hay or other forage, with many horses consuming around 1.5% to 2.5% of body weight per day depending on their condition, workload, and the quality of forage available. Before adding extra pellets or supplements, it makes sense to ask whether the hay itself is doing the job. Buying better quality hay can sometimes look more expensive upfront, but if your horse can maintain condition on it more easily, it may work out cheaper than feeding poor hay plus a long list of extras to make up the difference. 

One of the easiest ways to save money is to reduce hay waste. Lost hay is lost money, and waste can be surprisingly high when hay is fed on the ground or in poor conditions. Horses will typically waste a lot of hay when it is not fed in a feeder. Hay that has been placed in a slow feeder net, or hay rack and has been sheltered from the weather, will not be wasted as much as hay that hasn't.  That means a decent feeder, hay rack, or slow-feeding setup can pay for itself far quicker than many people expect. 

Storage matters too. If hay is stored badly, you can lose money before it even reaches the horse. Hay stored on wet ground is at risk of major spoilage. Keeping hay under cover, off the ground, and protected from moisture is one of the most practical cost-saving steps a horse owner can take going into winter. 

Another smart way to save is to feed to body condition, not habit. It is very easy to keep feeding the same winter ration year after year or to increase feed the moment the weather cools down. But not every horse needs the same amount of extra energy. Body condition scoring is one of the best tools for avoiding overfeeding and underfeeding. A horse that is holding weight well may not need the extra hard feed that another horse on the property needs. Monitoring condition regularly lets you adjust before a horse drops too much weight — which is usually cheaper than trying to put condition back on later with large amounts of added feed. 

For many horses, especially good doers, the cheapest winter feeding strategy is not adding more concentrates at all, but making the most of forage and monitoring condition closely. Horses generate heat through fermentation in the hindgut, so hay is not just feed — it also helps support warmth in cold weather. Horses often need more forage in winter, and that extra hay is usually the first place to increase calories before automatically turning to grain-heavy rations.

That said, winter feeding should also be targeted. If a horse genuinely cannot maintain weight on forage alone, then adding calories makes sense — but choose the addition carefully. It is often more economical to add a feed that is nutritionally balanced for the horse’s age and workload than to throw in multiple separate products trying to “boost” the ration. Young horses, seniors, horses with poor dentition, and harder keepers may need more than hay alone, especially if forage quality is only moderate. The key is to add feed for a reason, not just because it is winter. 

A surprisingly overlooked money-saver in winter is water. Horses often drink less when water is very cold, and reduced water intake combined with higher forage intake can increase the risk of dehydration and impaction colic. Horses will often drink more in cold weather when water is kept more palatable, including by offering warmed water. Keeping water available and appealing is not just good care — it is also good budgeting. 

It is also worth looking at rugging and shelter as part of the feed budget. Healthy horses in good body condition with a natural winter coat, access to shelter, and time to acclimatise often cope well with winter without heavy rugging. But wet, windy weather, clipping, poor body condition, age, and lack of shelter can all increase a horse’s energy needs. In simple terms, if your horse is burning extra calories to stay warm, you may end up spending more on feed. Sometimes a well-timed rug or better access to shelter is the cheaper solution compared with constantly increasing the ration. (

Another way to save money is to take a hard look at extras and unnecessary add-ons. Winter often seems to encourage more tubs, powders and “just in case” products, but not every horse needs them. Before spending on supplements, ask whether the base diet is actually right. Better hay, less waste, enough salt, good water intake, and a balanced feed where needed will usually give you better value than adding multiple products to a weak base ration. Practical horse nutrition advice consistently points back to the basics first.

Finally, plan ahead where possible. Estimating winter hay requirements early can help avoid panic buying later in the season, when availability may tighten and prices may be less favourable. Buying smart, storing well, and reducing waste usually saves more money than trying to cut feed once winter is already underway. 

The bottom line is that saving money on horse feed in winter is rarely about feeding less. It is about feeding smarter. Focus on forage quality, reduce wastage, store hay properly, monitor body condition, keep water intake up, and only add extra feed when your horse genuinely needs it. In many cases, the cheapest winter ration is the one that is simple, balanced, and efficient — not the one with the most products in it.