Where to Start?
The process in determining the right feeding program for a senior horse is not much different than the process to determine the right feeding program for an average adult horse. Start by taking note of what you do know:
- Body Condition
- Age
- Dentition
- Medical or Metabolic Conditions
- Work Level
AGE
How old is the horse? On average, age is just a number. However, when looking at the big picture average, by the time a horse reaches the age of 15 their body’s efficiency in digesting and utilizing nutrients tends to decline. This is important to recognize because, even if they still have decent dentition, you may need to support them with added calories and nutrients to maintain their body condition and health.
DENTITION
What is the state of their dentition? What truly defines a senior horse is their dentition; or their ability to digest and utilize the forage and feed they consume. Typically, as horses age, their teeth wear down. Maintaining regular dental care can help to make chewing comfortable and functioning properly.
Digestion starts with prehension, mastication and salivation; which means, their ability to gather forage and feed material into their mouth, chew it up well and coat it with saliva before swallowing. When their teeth deteriorate to a state where proper chewing is affected, and the forage and feed material does not get broken down enough before entering the stomach it can through off their entire digestive tract. In turn, resulting in choke and/or decreased consumption/absorption/utilization of nutrients.
HAY ALTERNATIVES
On average, horses should consume 2% of their body weight in forage a day (depending on their individual needs), thus making forage the foundation and most important component of their diet. For horses with poor dentition, consuming adequate amounts of fresh grass and hay can be challenging. In these situations, hay alternatives can be used to fulfill their daily forage requirements. Hay alternatives such as:
- Chopped Forage – Soft, easy-to-chew fiber with a longer stem
- Hay Cubes – Compact fiber with small stem. Soaks well to soften cubes and boost hydration.
- Hay Pellets – Pelletized forage. No stem, but mashes well for those needing a true, easy to consume slurry.
- Beet Pulp – Super fiber! Absorbs a lot of liquid so excellent for meeting both fiber needs and boosting hydration.
Ideally, the longer the stem of fibrous material, the slower its rate of passage through the digestive system; allowing the body more time to digest and utilize its nutrients. Whether due to poor dentition or individual preference, these hay alternatives all succeed in increasing the fiber content of the diet.
BODY CONDITION
What is their current body condition? If anything, what needs improvement? Is the horse overweight? Are they too slight? If they are lacking, are they lacking in their topline or rib coverage.
OVERWEIGHT
For horses that are overweight, many think the solution is to restrict anything and everything they consume. While many of us can empathize with others in managing overweight horses, starving them is most definitely not the right answer. While they may not need additional calories, they still have other daily dietary requirements. Plus, their digestive tract is designed to consume frequent, small meals. When these two things are not met, you end up with a horse that is falling apart with ulcers, gastric upset, poor hoof and coat quality, among other, more serious medical complications.
Solution - Provide them with a diet balancer and feed according to the specifications on the feed tag/bag. This will fulfill their daily requirements of vitamins, minerals and amino acids without the unwanted calories, sugars and starches. Additional options to help manage overweight horses are:
- If they are turned out on pasture or have access to free choice hay, utilize a muzzle to slow the rate of forage consumption
- Utilize a slow-feed hay net when horse is confined in a stall or small turnout.
- If available, use a dry lot to completely control the type and amount of forage access.
- Provide a lesser quality hay to allow them to satisfy their frequent gut fill needs without packing on lots of calories. To be clear, lesser quality does NOT mean compromising the safety of the forage, but rather its caloric density. Typically, overly mature hay offers less nutrition. This is what is meant by lesser quality hay; not hay that has been compromised with mold or deemed unsafe in any way.
UNDERWEIGHT
Are they lacking in their topline, rib coverage or both?
If lacking in their topline and muscling, this is common for older horses as their activity diminishes. Additionally, around the age of 15 years, most horses experience a decline in their body’s ability to digest and utilize the proteins in their diet as efficiently as they did in their younger years. The term ‘sway backed’ is often used.
Solution - While part of this is the natural progression of aging, you can help by increasing activity, when appropriate, to help build more muscle. You can, also, provide more of or opt for a better-quality amino acid package. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and are required for such things as:
- Muscle Development and Repair
- Overall Growth & Development
- Hoof & Coat Quality
- Immunity
- Metabolism
- Healthy Digestion
While many amino acids are produced by the body there are several limiting amino acids that can only be obtained through a horse’s diet. Therefore, it is vital to ensure they are provided, at minimum, their daily requirements of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, along with adequate, quality forage and water.
If lacking in rib coverage, additional calories and/or fat supplementation may be needed.
Solution
- Start with their forage by increasing the amount and/or quality. Generally, alfalfa has a higher caloric density than grass hays making it a good option for helping horses gain weight.
- When evaluating a feed concentrate, opt for gut-friendly solutions like beet pulp based, high fat, high fiber formulas and feed the horse according to the manufacturers feeding instructions on the bag or feed tag. (Generally, a 10% or more fat content is considered ‘high-fat’; and the high teens or higher percentage of fiber content is considered ‘high fiber.’)
- Additional fat supplements can be added and usually come in the form of an oil or extruded nugget. A little added fat can be helpful at times but use caution to not overdo it. Too much fat can back a horse out of the feed tub and/or cause loose manure or diarrhea, effectively working against the goal of helping them to gain weight.
MEDICAL OR METABOLIC CONDITIONS?
As with any horse, the answer to this question can dictate everything about the horse’s ideal diet and feeding program.
- Maintaining regular veterinary and farrier care can support longevity and vitality.
- Run fecal egg counts and stay on top of parasite loads.
WORK LEVEL OR RETIRED?
While most senior horses are living their best life as a pasture pet, some aged individuals are still working. A horse working at a heavy to moderate level will require more nutritional support than a horse in light work or at maintenance.
ADDITIONAL MANAGEMENT TIPS
- Feed forage before grain and supplements. The longer stem of the forage slows the rate that consumed feed passes through the digestive tract. The gives the body more time to digest and fully utilize the nutrients. This is a great way to maximize your feeding program.
- Feed frequent small meals. Horses were created to be grazers in the wild. Consequently, their digestive system functions best when we adjust our management practices to mimic what is natural for them. Instead of feeding just once or twice a day, consider ways to break their daily feed allotments into 3-4 meals. The smaller amounts don’t overwhelm their systems as much as large meals do; which, in turn, allows for better digestion and absorption of nutrients. Free choice forage is ideal, but in situations where free choice is not an option, don’t let them go more than 2-4 hours without gut fill. When there are long periods with no gut fill, the acid buildup in their stomach can cause ulcers. Slow feed hay nets can be useful to prolong their hay. Additionally, as in the wild, horses spend hours and hours each day roaming around and covering a lot of ground in search of the best forage. If injury or illness is not a cause for concern, provide ample space for your horses to move about and/or implement exercise into your daily routine.
- Soak beet pulp-based feed or hay alternatives for added hydration.
- Consider high quality Vitamin E supplement for antioxidant and immune support.
- Individualized attention
- Feed separately to ensure access to full meals
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Provide necessary protection from the elements
- Wind breaks
- Shelter from the rain, snow and beating sun
- Fans in heat
- Body clip if metabolic or has difficulty shedding coat during the warm months
- Appropriate blankets, if necessary, when cold
- Protection from flies and gnats
- Congenial company – Horses are herd animals which means they find safety and security in numbers.
Balance your horse’s diet to ensure they are getting the energy and nutrients that they need. If you have any questions or would appreciate some guidance, contact the equine specialists at The Mill.
