Elderly horse tips

[**puddleduck**]

Thank you everyone for your comments, it’s been so useful. She’s currently fed mollichaff veteran, spillers senior super mash and spillers senior conditioning mix. I make the mash up with extra water and then mix the other two in so that it’s just a big slop and she seems to manage it well but I’m definitely going to look at tweaking things following recommendations on here.

In terms of her teeth, I use a specialist equine only vet practice and they’re amazing. They have vets there who very much specialise in dentals and the vast majority are horse owners too so I trust them 100% with every aspect of my horses health, I will be getting them to do a full MOT on her when they come next week. Her teeth were last done in July so not too long ago and they said then that her teeth were looking good, she has lost a couple of teeth but nothing too major but given her age and the quidding she definitely needs them rechecking which is already booked in.

I’ve just double checked her rug and it’s a 200g full neck that she’s been wearing but I’m going to swap her into a lighter weight one. She’s actually having to stay in today as we’ve got a tree surgeon in the field so she’s got her stable rug on for now but she’ll be out in a LW turnout tomorrow.

Im also going to see if I can find a second hand haybar to trial to see if that helps with her eating also.

many thanks again and good luck to everyone else at keeping these golden oldies well over the winter xx

 

[Getbackboys]

hi all above comments covered all angles correctly but just wanted to add with my veteran 36 years old no upper hind teeth so lowers ones rasped down and front teeth as small as a foal i feed him 1 mug linseed, mole vale fast soak, mole valley hi fibre lite which has vitamins and mins and little pellets and the chaff is extremely small not like other chaffs. he has two buckets ie normal water bucket size of this a day, some hay on the ground which he just sucks and spits out and what grass ad lib is available and he is doing fine at the moment. i found mixes got stuck in his gaps and one time he choked so only mash for him very watery and nice and warm.

 

[Annagain]

Just a quick question. Would any of you test a horse for cushings simply because of age - even if he was showing no signs of it? Other than teeth (and knackered feet, hence retirement) Arch doesn't seem to have any 'old horse' problems but the number of you who say they are medicating for cushings has got me thinking. He's out naked with the coat of a mountain goat, is always warm but not too warm, keeps weight on well, loses his coat appropriately in spring, isn't ribby and has kept a surprisingly good amount of muscle since retiring 3 years ago. He drinks a lot, but he always has. I've always been of the opinion "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" but should I test, just to be sure?

 

[Highmileagecob]

I've tested for Cushings annually since he was 17yo and had his first asthma attack. Always been negative, but have only ever had the ACTH. General opinion was EMS in the days before a reliable test was available.
To people considering a haybar - please clean it out daily, right to the bottom, to stop rats nesting in it!
This is my first year of short chopped forage and no haynets, so it has been very useful to see what quantity others are feeding. Old Dobbin still has his appetite, and if the food offered is manageable he will eat it with no quidding.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Just a quick question. Would any of you test a horse for cushings simply because of age - even if he was showing no signs of it? Other than teeth (and knackered feet, hence retirement) Arch doesn't seem to have any 'old horse' problems but the number of you who say they are medicating for cushings has got me thinking. He's out naked with the coat of a mountain goat, is always warm but not too warm, keeps weight on well, loses his coat appropriately in spring, isn't ribby and has kept a surprisingly good amount of muscle since retiring 3 years ago. He drinks a lot, but he always has. I've always been of the opinion "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" but should I test, just to be sure?

Yes I would. My old lad looked like the show hunter he was in his youth when he was tested and was positive age 17. He had a foot abscess that rumbled on a bit and that was what made us test.

 

[moandben]

My elderly Mare struggles with hay, she eats some, but not enough to live off, she has a bit of grass (tiny amount) she has a big bucket of soaked Lucie nuts, Haycare, purabeet and seems very happy and full and content. She has EMS so have to keep the sugars & starch amounts down, Simple systems who make these feeds have ben great in giving me the actual results for the items I buy. Edited to add to get someone experienced and good to look at the teeth, a vet that specialises in dentistry is the best.

 

[Tarragon]

Just a quick question. Would any of you test a horse for cushings simply because of age - even if he was showing no signs of it?

I did. I gave my pony an MOT when he reached 18 years old as I wanted to know what problems could be potentially coming my way. He had none of the symptoms but had the test anyway as it was free, and the vet was as surprised as I was when the results came back positive! He went on to prascend straight away and has had good levels ever since (now in his 6th year of medication).
The way I see it, he has never had any symptoms as they are surely only there because of the high levels, and I never allow the levels to remain high for long.