28/10/2026
❄️ WINTER WELFARE: FORAGE, THE FOUR-HOUR RULE & DIGESTIVE SUPPORT ❄️
Dark evenings, wet fields and colder weather often mean our horses spend longer in their stables. While we’re keen to get them tucked up for the night, one question deserves a little extra thought:
How long does their hay actually last?
If the evening hay goes in at 5:30pm and breakfast arrives at 7am, that’s 13½ hours between top-ups. A full haynet when you leave doesn’t necessarily mean forage will still be available in the early hours.
⏰ Understanding the four-hour rule
Horses are designed to eat little and often. Their stomachs produce acid continuously, while chewing forage stimulates saliva, which helps buffer that acid.
A useful management aim is to avoid gaps of more than around four hours without forage, with near-continuous access to suitable forage wherever possible.
This isn’t a precise countdown to ulcers or colic. It’s a reminder that prolonged fasting can compromise digestive health and welfare—and that regular opportunities to eat matter.
Enough fibre without excess calories
Every horse needs an individual approach. Bodyweight, condition, workload, health and daytime grazing all influence their forage requirements.
Eating speed varies too, so calculating an overnight ration from a fixed hourly intake can be misleading. Weigh the forage you provide and check when it runs out.
For horses prone to weight gain, focus on suitable lower-calorie forage and extending eating time while meeting their fibre needs. Seek advice before making substantial restrictions.
Does straw bedding help?
Some horses nibble their straw beds, providing additional foraging opportunities. However, bedding shouldn’t be relied upon to fill gaps in the overnight ration: the amount eaten is difficult to monitor, and straw can become soiled.
Clean, feeding-quality straw can be a useful lower-calorie partial replacement for hay for suitable horses. It needs to be introduced gradually within a balanced feeding plan, with good teeth and plenty of fresh water.
Suddenly eating large amounts of straw bedding—particularly after forage restriction—is a reason to review the ration. Excessive consumption and abrupt dietary changes can increase the risk of impaction colic.
How can EASIGastro Pro help?
Winter changes in forage, turnout and routine can make digestive support particularly relevant.
EASIGastro Pro provides daily nutritional support for normal stomach and hindgut function, alongside a suitable diet and good management.
Its ingredients work in different ways:
• Calcified seaweed provides calcium-rich buffering material to help maintain normal stomach acidity.
• Live yeast supports the hindgut microorganisms responsible for normal fibre digestion.
• MOS prebiotic helps maintain a balanced gut environment.
• Peppermint adds palatability, helping make the daily supplement appealing to eat.
This makes Gastro Pro a practical addition for horses requiring nutritional digestive support during changes in forage, travel, workload or their daily routine.
Feed according to the current label directions. Gastro Pro supports normal digestive function; it does not replace forage or veterinary treatment, and it cannot make long periods without food safe.
Simple changes that can help overnight
✅ Give the final forage top-up as late as practical.
✅ Arrange an early-feed or late-night rota with yard friends.
✅ Use a suitable slow feeder or small-holed haynet, fitted safely, and check that your horse can eat comfortably.
✅ Monitor when forage runs out—a stable camera or occasional late check can help.
✅ Keep fresh water available and check for frozen supplies.
✅ Make changes gradually and monitor weight and body condition.
If you notice changes in appetite, behaviour or condition, speak to your vet. Signs of colic need prompt veterinary attention.
Tonight, look beyond the full haynet. Think about the hours it needs to last.
Suitable forage, a consistent routine and appropriate nutritional support all have a part to play in winter wellbeing.
Perry Nutrition
Support Starts From Within.
