All horses are unique, and it is perfectly appropriate for them to have different feeding programs throughout the year. | iStockQ: This summer I showed my horse in the jumpers, and he was working six days a week. However, this winter, he will have a few months of little to no work. Should I make changes to his diet to support this transition and ensure he maintains a healthy weight?A: Im glad your horse is getting some well-earned time off. It is beneficial both mentally and physically for them to get some break in intensity of work, even with todays year-round opportunities to compete. To answer your question, yes (probably).Consider the Data When Making Horse Diet ChangesA 500 kilogram horse in heavy work needs to consume 26,600 kilocalories per day. This drops to only 16,700 kilocalories per day when at maintenance (not in work). That is a large decrease and could account for his entire daily grain intake, or more. (For example, the difference here would be equivalent to about 6.5 pounds of an average-calorie performance feed). However, unless you have consulted the NRCs 2007 Nutrient Requirements of Horses, you will have to make some judgments based on what you know about his typical metabolism and history of weight (and possibly behavior) fluctuations during past workload lulls.Is he a hard keeper that you had to fight to put precious weight on, or is he an easy keeper that will quickly pack on the vacation pounds? A simple approach to start might be to simply cut the number of calories coming from feed (concentrate) in half while keeping forage calories consistent and observing his body condition over time. You can accomplish this by reducing the feed quantity, switching to a feed with a lower calorie density, or even moving to a ration balancer. A ration balancer will help ensure your horse receives the right balance of nutrients while decreasing calories. In the case of the very easy keeper, you might need to evaluate forage calories as well and consider carefully decreasing the amount or richness of forage you pair with the ration balancer.Diet Changes for Hard-Keeping Horses Possible exceptions to all of this would be in the case of a known hard-keeper, one that is going to live outside in a harsh climate for the winter, or a horse that is getting older and showing signs that his ability to extract calories from forage is declining and he needs more special attention. These horses may need to maintain relatively similar calorie intake but there could be an opportunity to shift some of those calories to maximize highly digestible fiber intake.Consider Supplement ChangesIf you have a significant supplement program, now is a good time to reevaluate. Think about what has really made a difference and what you might not need all year. Some items such as calming/focus aids, specific amino acid or muscle builders, or high doses of electrolytes might not be necessary during times of less intense exercise.Take-Home MessageAll horses are unique, and it is perfectly appropriate for them to have different feeding programs throughout the year. This is why it is so important to routinely evaluate your horses body condition score and weight. When in doubt, consult an equine nutritionist or veterinarian to develop a plan for your horses needs.Do you have an equine nutrition question? Do you have an equine nutrition question? The Horses editors want to hear from you! Submit your question via the form below. Name(Required) First Last Email(Required) Submit your equine nutrition below!(Required)CAPTCHA