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Feb 12, 2018
Winter Weather Tips for Your Horse
This educational article is brought to you by Standlee Hay Company, the Official Forage of the USEA.
Horses do not like ice in their water. During winter, many owners notice their horses becoming dehydrated, despite the fact that they've provided their four-legged friends all the H20 they can drink. When a horse drinks cold water, it causes their bodies to become colder. This means they have to expend additional calories to heat their bodies back up. Horses will naturally drink less water if it's too cold. Warming water using insulated or heated buckets will allow your horse to drink more. Research has shown that horses drink the most water when the water temperature is between 45 and 70º F.
Fiber plays an even larger role in a horse's diet. Fiber obtained from hay is necessary to keep the digestive system of your horse functioning properly which helps your horse keep warm during cold weather. Without enough fiber, horses literally become possessed beavers. They'll start gnawing the wood off anything from fence post to bedding in order to make up for their lack of fiber.
Horses should be eating at least 1.5% of their body weight in fiber per day. That means about 15 pounds for a normal, 1,000-pound horse. If the fiber is high quality, your horse can consume up to 3% of their body weight per day (30 pounds for 1,000-pound horse). That's why here at Standlee, we carefully manage every aspect of the growing and harvesting process to ensure our fiber is of the highest caliber.
Your horse also needs protein, trace minerals and vitamins. Pastures are often a great source of these essential nutrients for your horse, but during the winter, most pastures will disappear. A common source of supplemental protein, vitamins and minerals comes from fortified grain concentrates. However, when choosing a product, it's crucial that you choose the feed that is intended for your type of horse. Make sure your horse is getting adequate nutrition with the Standlee Feed Calculator.
Mar 06, 2025
News
Weekend Quick Links: March 8-9
Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered!
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ATC
USEA Adult Rider Program Hosts Team Challenges Again in 2025
Are you an Adult Rider looking to set new competition goals for 2025? Do you want to experience the excitement of team competition while connecting with fellow riders who share similar life experiences? Consider competing in a USEA Adult Team Challenge this year! Build camaraderie and gain valuable competition experience at your Area’s Adult Team Challenges. Then set your sights on the ultimate event—the USEA Adult Team Championships (ATC) at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds (AEC).
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Interscholastic
Aiken Awaits: The 2025 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships are Almost Here!
The 2025 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships are officially two months away! Collegiate and IEL athletes from across the country are gearing up for what has been coined the “Happiest Horse Trials on Earth,” and the USEA can’t wait for the fun to begin. This year’s championships will again be hosted by Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, and will now be hosted across three days on Friday, May 2 through Sunday, May 4 to give the students even more time to enjoy all that the event has to offer.
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News
Exciting Finishes at Twin Rivers' First Horse Trials of the Year
Entering the 25th year that the Baxter family has owned Twin Rivers Ranch, the 2025 eventing season in California’s wine country kicked off with the Twin Rivers Winter Horse Trials from Feb. 28 to March 2—the first of five USEA-recognized events to be held in Paso Robles, California, this year.
