34 year old Veteran feed advice

[1blondemane]

My retired 34 year old pony, 14hh is struggling with weight and has now started to look 'old' . He has teeth, mostly at the front, ones at the back are quite worn. he can eat hay but quids alot. He lives out in summer, in at night in winter. he started to drop weight in april this year. He was on Dodson & Horrell Safe & Sound with speedibeet but i have moved him on to Alfa A, high fibre nuts, mug of oil, garlic, glucosamine, global herbs old age. mobility herbs..He has arthritus in his pelvis and lower fetlock joint but is now on a bute a day to make him comfy. He has put on a bit weight on this combo but his coat is a bit lack lustre and i would like him to put on a bit more..he has had laminitus in the past but about 5 years ago...he is happy and still bosses he other horses about and he does enjoy eating his feeds! Can anyone help with something they have actually used and really recommend from personal use please? Many thanks in advance

 

[snaffle]

I've a 28yr old, recently changed him onto 'old faithfull' and 'quick fibre' which is soaked for 1min before feeding. I feed everythign pretty sloppy to help with chewing.
I was feeding speedibeeet but most of it was being chucked out the bucket, so no more.

mine doesnot have the conditions yours does, but he is a t/b and crib bits, hene teeth are pretty worn! but at present he looks well, nice acnd round, though belly is a bit too large if he was in work.

 

[Perissa]

I fed my old girl Dengie Alfabeet

http://www.dengie.com/pages/products/additional-products/alfa-beet.php

 

[Diggerdog]

I use Baileys Outshine for my old boy, and it has definitely improved his weight and coat condition.

 

[Puppy]

Spiller senior mixes are excellent for older horses, and can be soaked to reduce to pulp for those with poor teeth.

Senior topspec has done magic for my old girl - last summer she was casing me sleepless nights, this summer she is winning vet prizes

Again, can be made to a pulp.

Dengie senior is excellent (and smells yum

!) as a forage replacer for horses who can't/don't eat enough forage

For arthritic ones you can't beat cortaflex and (granules!!) of devils claw

 

[buffy2]

Hi
I give my oap in winter, a trug full of suger beet/barley rings and high fibre cubes and a mug of oil,she does ok no this,hope this helps.

 

[TGM]

If he is struggling to eat hay then you need some sort of hay replacer. We used Spiller's Happy Hoof for my old pony - it is quite a fine texture so easy for them to eat and is Laminitis Trust approved too (our pony found HiFi Lite too coarse). Put a big tub of it in the stable overnight for him to munch. If you ring the Spiller's helpline they can give you the correct amounts to feed as a hay replacer.

If he struggles even with the Happy Hoof then you need to look at soakable hay replacement feeds like fibre cubes. I think both Dengie and Spillers have hay replacement info on their websites, so either look on those or give them a ring.

 

[kellyeaton]

I WOULD TRY ready mash extra by the soft and soak range it is fab it is a porriadge mash it has no cerals all the conditioning and weight oils in it plus essitinal oils for coat shine well being and joints. it smells absolutly lovely! so need for you additional oil. they do a ready mash aswell witch is 100% pure fibre with is easily digestite and no need to chew witch will be good for you old girls teeth so basically if you feed the recomend diet all you would feed is ready mash extra as a sole food ready mash for your hay replacer and that is it! if you need the number pm me!

 

[1blondemane]

Cool thanks for responding, was thinking of using Outshine Is it really good?quite pricey at £35 a sack but should last 6 weeks they said. Do you much of it-they said 2 mugs a day to start with? How long did it take for u to notice a difference?

 

[billy2]

My 33yo gets Allen & Page Calm & Condition, Topspec Leisure Time and Fibrebeet since my vet thought he looked a bit light coming out of winter 2007. He's positively fat now! (But he does have his all his own teeth - worn, but still there!)

 

[1blondemane]

Ah calm & condition was on my list too! how much are u feeding of it? My pony was on top spec too but didnt make much diff as he was getting all the vits he needed from the nuts..so was a waste of money! I think ill try either calm & condition or Baileys Outshine..many thanks for the advice!

 

[billy2]

oops sorry! Went to bed. He gets 1 pint saucepan (sorry I don't do technical!) twice a day 1 mug Topspec twice, and enough soaked Fibrebeet to make it fairly sloppy. Good luck whatever you use