How to Feed Senior Horses
- Calories and Energy. While it’s good practice to assess and address body condition score (BCS) at all life stages, weight management is particularly important for senior horses.
- Water. Water is the most important component of any horse’s diet. ...
- Forage. Good-quality forage should be the basis of the horse’s diet. ...
- Other Key Nutrients. ...
- Take-Home Message. ...
What is the best feed for senior horses?
Things to Consider When Choosing a Feed for Senior Horses
- Non-Structural Carbohydrates. Non-structural carbohydrates, or NSC, are the big buzz in horse feeds. ...
- Ingredients. One look at the ingredients list of any horse feed can tell you a lot about it. ...
- Fiber. Fiber is essential for maintaining proper digestive health; especially as your horse gets up in years.
- Protein. ...
- Joint Support. ...
- Immune Support. ...
- Fatty Acids. ...
Which feed is right for your senior horse?
- If the horse cannot eat hay (leaves wads of hay by feeder): Feed complete feed with highly digestible fiber. ...
- Assure high quality sources of protein, vitamins and minerals.
- If the horse cannot chew well, one can make a slurry of complete (and/or) extruded feed.
- Feed at least 3 times a day.
What to feed your senior horse?
“That’s what ‘senior’ feeds are: hay, grain, minerals, and whatever else the horse needs, ground up and formed into pellets that dissolve in the mouth, with no need to be chewed any more. You can stretch the life span of a horse well beyond the point where he doesn’t have any teeth by feeding him correctly.”
Can you feed senior feed to a young horse?
Since most senior feeds have fewer carbohydrates and more fiber, they may benefit younger horses that have a nervous condition, or those that are too thin and have trouble maintaining their weight, such as our Scarlet. Your vet or nutritionist may also recommend senior feed if your younger horse has digestive issues.
What is a good feed for senior horses?
The 5 Best Senior Horse FeedsTribute Equine Nutrition Seniority Horse Feed – Best Overall. ... Buckeye Nutrition Safe N' Easy Complete Senior Horse Feed – Best Value. ... Buckeye Nutrition Senior Balancer Senior Horse Feed – Premium Choice. ... Bluebonnet Feeds Horsemans Elite Senior Care.More items...•
What can I feed my senior horse to gain weight?
Ultium® Competition, Omolene® #200 and Omolene® #500 are also calorie-dense feeds that may be helpful to help an older horse gain weight when fed with appropriate good quality hay and/or pasture.
At what age should a horse be fed senior feed?
15As a general rule, senior feeds usually become appropriate for horses when they reach the age of 15. That said, however, it's possible that a much younger horse with digestive and nutritional challenges will benefit from senior feed.
Do senior horses need grain?
Typically, no grain is required but if desired or needed, choose one with restricted starch/sugar and contains added fat (4-7%). In these horses, forage based pellets or cubes could replace 10 to 50% of the long stem/chopped forages.
Why is my old horse so skinny?
Older horses don't have to become underweight horses. If senior equines begin to lose weight, there is usually a reason for the change such as dental inadequacy, gastrointestinal inefficiency, immune dysfunction, or the stresses associated with pain.
What do underweight senior horses eat?
Common alternate forms are hay cubes, hay pellets, chopped forage, and beet pulp. Senior feeds often include some type of alternate forage like alfalfa meal, soy hulls, and/or beet pulp. For this reason, their feeding rate is usually double that of a normal concentrate feed.
Are alfalfa cubes good for older horses?
Alfalfa cubes are an excellent source of nutrition for horses, and can be used for everything from putting weight on a skinny horse, to maintaining weight on a pregnant, nursing, or heavily worked horse, to ensuring an older horse receives the nutrition he needs.
Are Oats good for senior horses?
Yes – if your horse needs them! Of all the cereal grains (e.g. corn, barley, wheat, etc.) oats have the most appropriate nutritional profile for horses. They are an excellent source of calories, and have a better protein and amino acid profile than many other grains.
How do you keep an old horse healthy?
Make sure your saddle fits properly as your senior horse's topline changes. Feed your horse a high quality diet that meets all their nutrient needs. Watch for early signs of cancer or Cushing's syndrome for best treatment outcomes. Keep senior horses up-to-date on vaccines and deworming to prevent infection.
What should I feed my 16 year old horse?
A combination of Alfa-Beet, Grass Pellets and a High Fibre Cube/Mash can be the best senior horse feed options for for those who can't even manage to chew short chop fibres any more.
How much hay should I feed my senior horse?
For older horses with dental problems who can only eat a limited amount of hay, use these guidelines: provide 0.5% of the older horse's body weight daily in chopped forage or hay cubes or pellets (five pounds daily for a 1,000-lb horse) and provide up to 1% of the older horse's body weight in senior feed (ten pounds ...
Do old horses need supplements?
While you can get supplements to support specific areas of your horse's wellbeing, such as joint supplements or digestive supplements, some companies also make supplements for older horses that are formulated to support their all-round health.
What is the best diet for a senior horse?
Generally speaking, healthy senior horses might require higher levels of protein, phosphorus, and restricted (but not below normal) calcium and crude fiber than younger, mature horses, Ralston said. If you’re unsure whether your horse’s current diet meets his needs, consult an equine nutritionist or your veterinarian for help;
What is the best supplement for horses with arthritis?
An anti-inflammatory product and/or glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supplement might benefit horses with arthritis issues. Discuss these with your veterinarian.
Do older horses need shelter?
Also, older horses tend to be less tolerant of temperature extremes, so ensure they have adequate shelter, she said. Shelter from wind and snow in winter (run-in sheds, wind blocks) and high heat (shade!) in the summer will help, she added.
Can horses with kidney problems eat soybean meal?
So, for example, if the horse with kidney dysfunction turns his nose up at grass hay in favor of alfalfa, or the one with liver problems will only eat one feed that happens to contain soybean meal, it’s better to let them eat what they will rather than drop weight because they’re not a fan of the perfect ration.
Do you have to change your old horse's rations?
Your old horse’s rations might not need to change just because he’s got a few more gray hairs around his eyes. Still, owners should consider some key points when feeding their seniors.
Can horses have low vitamin C?
Horses with thyroid or pituitary dysfunction could have reduced glucose tolerance and/or low vitamin C levels and, as such, could require a different ration; Ensure the horse is on a regular deworming schedule. Ralston said her research in the 1980s and ‘90s suggested that chronic gastrointestinal ...
Age is Just a Number
When people turn 50 years old they are presented with their AARP card and start becoming eligible for various senior citizen discounts. Defining what makes a horse senior is a little more complicated. There is no standard definition for classifying whether or not a horse is a senior.
Feeding the Senior Horse
Your horse is nutritionally a senior horse, now what? It's time to switch your horse to a senior diet.
Southern States Senior Options
Southern States offers a variety of feed options for your senior horse including Legends ® CarbCare ™ Senior Feed. Legends ® CarbCare ™ Senior Feed contains 14% protein, 7% fat and 18% fiber.
Senior Nutrition Management
Here are some additional tips that can help make sure your horse gets the most benefit from the feeds listed above:
What to feed a horse for energy?
Good-quality forage should be the basis of the horse’s diet. If forage alone does not meet a senior’s energy requirements, consider feeding beet pulp, a commercial senior feed, or a fat supplement to increase calorie intake.
What percentage of horses are over 20?
Twenty percent of the U.S. horse population is now over the age of 20. And with age comes increasing risk for several conditions, including colic, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, aka equine Cushing’s disease), dental disease, and weight loss/gain. Fortunately, nutrition can aid in managing these issues. After all, “age is a number, not a disease,” said Megan Shepherd, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVN.
What to feed a senior horse?
For this reason, we think it’s vital to offer your senior horse a feed that includes specific joint support, including vitamins and minerals, as well as supplements like MSM.
How much protein is in a senior horse?
But as your horse ages, its protein needs continue to increase, which is why some of the best senior blends contain as much as 32% protein.
How do horses meet their nutritional needs?
Most of a horse’s nutritional needs are met through foraging for hay and grass. The remainder is usually taken care of by feeding the horse grain. But as horses age, their nutritional requirements change. More supplementation is necessary than when the horse was young to help them remain in peak health. Joint support becomes important and it can become difficult for horses to consume enough with teeth that are often worn down or damaged and digestive systems that are slowing down.
What to do if your horse can't forage?
But if your horse can’t forage anymore or isn’t getting enough nutrition from its foraging, then opt for a total feed solution instead.
What is the best fiber for horses?
Fiber is essential for maintaining proper digestive health; especially as your horse gets up in years. The best blends contain a minimum of 20% crude fiber, though they also often contain other types of fiber, such as neutral detergent fiber, which is considered a structural carbohydrate.
What is the best supplement for horses?
Omega 3 and 6 are essential fatty acids that your horse needs to consume. These fatty acids help reduce inflammation, aid in muscle contraction, and also keep your horse’s coat looking shiny and healthy.
Why is supplementation important for horses?
More supplementation is necessary than when the horse was young to help them remain in peak health. Joint support becomes important and it can become difficult for horses to consume enough with teeth that are often worn down or damaged and digestive systems that are slowing down.
What is the nutritional requirement for a senior horse?
Research studies have shown that “Nutritionally Senior” horses require additional protein, phosphorus, and certain vitamins. Proper protein intake is particularly important in senior horses. Senior horses with inadequate protein intake will break down muscle tissue to provide essential protein for other body functions.
What is a senior horse?
A nutritionally senior horse is one that can no longer eat its normal diet and maintain proper body condition. Nutritionally senior horses typically have one or more of the following conditions: decreased nutrient absorption, dental problems, ...
How does a horse digest food?
Horses begin the digestive process in the mouth by reducing the physical size of feed to a suitable size for proper digestion . Without proper chewing of feed, the horse will not effectively digest its feed.
Why are older horses so sensitive to cold?
Old horses are particularly sensitive to changes in temperature, predominantly cold temperatures. Sensitivity to cold may result from decreased fat cover that acts as insulation to the cold. Sensitivity to cold could also be a result of the senior horse’s inability to chew and take in adequate amounts of fiber.
Why do senior horses lose weight?
Senior horses are also sensitive to changes in their surroundings. Changing paddocks, stalls or routine tend to cause weight loss in senior horses. Adding horses to, or taking horses out of, a pasture containing an old horse changes the herd dynamics and sends the old horse to the bottom of the pecking order.
What happens if a horse gets a parasite?
Exposure of horses to intestinal parasites causes scarring of the digestive tract. These scars result in damage to the lining of the intestine which decreases nutrient absorption. Improvements in de-worming products have delayed and minimized damage from internal parasites, but over a lifetime this damage still occurs.
What are the requirements for a horse?
Protein requirements: Older horses in good body condition have protein requirements that are similar to those of horses at maintenance. Horses that are underweight or have lost muscle mass require higher quality proteins and often increased quantity.
