Podcast #31: Mash, Carrots & Oil – What Does Your Horse Really Need in Winter?

As temperatures drop, feed rooms become busy with mixing, soaking, and preparing special winter meals. Warm mash, a splash of oil, or an extra helping of carrots are often given to provide energy, keep horses warm, and supply important vitamins. But does your horse actually need these extras during winter?

In this episode, Christina Fritz explains why many well-intentioned winter feeding habits are based on misconceptions about how horses digest their food. After all, what makes sense to us humans during the colder months isn't necessarily what's best for our horses.

You'll learn:
✔️ Why warm mash doesn't necessarily help your horse stay warm from the inside
✔️ How hindgut fermentation contributes to your horse's ability to stay warm
✔️ Whether adding oil to your horse's feed is really a sensible way to provide extra energy in winter
✔️ Why feeding large amounts of carrots doesn't necessarily improve your horse's vitamin intake
✔️ What really matters when it comes to meeting your horse's nutritional needs during winter

We all want to give our horses a little extra care during the colder months. But adding more supplements and special feeds doesn't automatically mean better nutrition. What matters most is understanding how a horse's digestive system works and which nutritional needs actually change as temperatures fall.

So is that warm bucket of mash really doing your horse a favor – or does it simply make us feel better?

🎧 Listen now to discover which winter feeding myths are worth questioning and what your horse really needs during the colder months.

Listen now on Spotify!

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