Feeding a veteran.....????

[Baldybear]

Have a 13.2hh pony, WelshxArab, now 21 years old. Lives out 24/7 all year round. His summer field is now looking a bit bare and we wont be moving into the winter field for a month or so now. When they do move it wont be so bad straight away as there is tonnes of grass there, but for now he looks ok with his weight but am scared he will drop weight too much before he moves fields.

Currently he gets Hi-Fi and D&H 16+ mix and gets fed everytime he is ridden (only usually at weekends) and at the moment also about once or twice a week extra. We have also started to feed him some green horsehage. About 1 section a week, but he doesnt always seem to finish this so he cant be that hungry, he is a very food orientated pony!

Any ideas or tips would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Clodagh]

My 20 year old welshy, still in work, is on Topspec senior, I swear by it. A bag lasts forever so isn't expensive and it has joint stuff and everything in it. I feed her it everyday, with some hi fi and she has pony nuts as well if shes ridden.

 

[wildpoppywild]

well i feed abby (18yo TB out of work, loses weight easily in the winter) beet pulp, conditioning cubes and some mix if shes struggling twice a day. i try and watch what i give her cause she gets super fizzy in the winter being in......... its a tricky one to figure out and i think its each to there own with horses. some people might not agree with what i feed her and might feed theres something totally different.......... but she thrives off it

keep her coat nice and shiney and keeps her well covered through winter

i also give her soya oil and super flex

 

[Porkie]

I wouldn't stress too much at the mo if his weight is looking ok right now. If he starts to drop weight then change his diet. My oldie (28) is still on basic feed, no special veteran stuff as vet always says to us that if they are doing ok don't mess with their diet.

He is in light work still and has two meals a day of hi-fi lite, pony nuts and benevit advanced and a few supplements to help his joints and breathing etc.

Are his teeth still ok?

If the paddock is bare can you put out some hay? That's what I am doing at the moment.

Or you could just change his hi-fi to hi-fi senior (the purple bale) - it is slightly higher in calories etc to help oldies keep weight on if necessary. xx

 

[kellyeaton]

Feed him every day with the food you give him at weekends that should keep the weight on if the grass gets to little before you leave to go into winter paddeock give him ablib hay!