A horse pawing in the snow for food is not an indication the animal is starving; pawing is a common way for horses to access grass under the snow during winter months. It is important to note horses will eat more, and require additional feed, just to stay warm during colder temperatures.

As horses are grazers, grazing up to 18 hours a day, they expend a great deal of energy on this activity. Winter grass, however, often lacks the nutritional quality that spring and summer pastures offer, and supplemental feeding of hay may be necessary. It is therefore highly recommended horse owners get their feed tested to ensure it meets the nutritional requirements for their animals.

Horses do have the ability to consume snow as a water source in the winter, but it is not ideal. Horses require approximately 40 litres (10 gallons) of water a day, and ten times that amount if their water source is in the form of snow. A liquid water supply is a critical part of keeping horses healthy in the winter. Further, it is important to note, feed in the form of alfalfa cubes and pellets hold very little moisture and lead to a need for increased water.