Feeding advice please. Preparations for feeding an oldie this winter.

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myhorsefred

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Can I pick your collective brains please?

One of my horses (Fred) is 18 this year. He is 17hh Oldenburg and a lovely chap!

He is a good doer, but if I'm not careful, can drop a bit of weight over the winter. He always comes out of the winter with a shine and a good covering, so I am doing ok.

This was his feed and management last winter:
- adlib haylage
- two feeds a day of alfa a oil, allen and page calm and condition and a balancer. Plenty of carrots too to add interest!
- out in the day on good grass with access to a field supplement lick
- stabled at night
- good rugs and not clipped

I was pleased with how he came out of this winter and now he is getting older I would like to ask is there anything I could add feed wise to his diet. I have never fed an 'oldie' before and although Fred is not considered really old, I would like to make sure I have thought of everything for him well before the winter is upon us. As I say, I've not fed an oldie before.

Fred will be stabled at night and turned out in the day. I should add that he is not in hard work. Only light work, hacking twice a week, mostly walk (don't trot on the road much) and two light schooling sessions a week.

I've started to research a few new things and was thinking of changing the calm and condition to these two:
- Allen and Page Veteran Vitality mix
- Fast fibre

I've not introduced a joint/mobility supplement as, so far, he doesn't have any signs of stiffness/lameness issues at all. Do I need to add a mobility supplement before I see signs, or wait until I notice lack of mobility etc?

Sorry for all the questions! and sorry its a bit long winded!
Any body offer any tips please? thanks.
 
A thumbs up from me for a&p veteran vitality and fast fibre. Used both last winter for approaching 30 yr old pony. He kept a good weight and came out of winter looking really well.
 
Last winter I fed my 21 year old TB Dodson and Horrell 16+ mix, alfa A original and speedibeet as well as adlib haylage. He came out of winter looking a bit too well!!
I have been giving my mare Rowen and Barbary Readymash Extra and she has gone from
this when she came out of hospital. It's the one feed which did anything to put condition on her...

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To this

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My 44 year old is on Rowan and Barbury Ready mash and I can't rate it highly enough, you can make it hot or cold which is a big bonus and it onlt take 25mins to soak which is the same amount of time it takes me to muck out so its brill :p
 
one of my mares is a 25 year old tb who is terrible at keeping weight, she lives out with her herd of 7, and does not do well in the stable for more than a few hours, but ive got 60 acres with plenty of shelter and good rugs and she comes in for 4 hours with her herd during the day in winter, to be fare there is only grass that puts any kind of bloom on her, but for the last few years ive fed alpha a and oil because it has vit e in it which is an anti oxident and much needed with older horses, and micronised linseed,from charnwood milling , with speedy beat, and global herbs restore good at helping getting rid of toxins in muscles etc, however ive been researching copra which is a coconut derivative , coconut is mainly built up of what they call long chain fatty acids
easier for horses/and humans to digest its my theory that oldies have a compromised digestion, where as other oils and feed with oils added have short chain fatty acids so harder for oldies to break down, i believe copra is a product that you would soak much like speedy beat , so just for her im going to add it to the apha a and oil and add extra vit e into her diet, she is boss mare in the herd and gets to stand at the hay feeder all day long so manages to keep nion most of her weight till feb/march time, i cant feed her cearels not that i would any horse, but for oldies they can also be hard for them to digest, just a note about copra there are 2 types avialable in the uk and the one from oz is the least fave ,i cant blooming remember the name of the one im about to buy, :rolleyes:
 
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My guy is 28 yrs young (retired). He does have arthritis and (possibly - under investigation as we speak) Cushings. He's a Westphalian.

I feed him ad-lib hay, Equijewel, Fibregest and Top Chop original. He is also not a great doer - never has been. I include herbs also - Milk Thistle, Spearmint (his personal favourite!!!), Comfrey and Agnus Castus.

In the winter I will be giving him Pink Powder and Linseed.

I used coprameal on one of mine (was given some) - cant say it was a favourite...
 
We've had a few oldies here in the last 19 years - 2 x 31 year olds, 1 x 30,1 x 27, 2 x 24, 2 x 18 years.

They've actually all been fed very simply in winter - owners' wishes and my advice combined: NB the horses ranged from TB s through hunter types, cobs, Welsh x Arabs and natives:-

Hay/haylage ad lib

2 feeds per day of molassed Mollichaff, cool mix, pony nuts and sugar beet with 'proper' linseed mixed through it (this means slow-cooking the linseed overnight and then adding it to the already soaked sugar beet, but adding boiling water to the mix to get it to a really warm temperature. Serve it sloppy over the other ingredients. All horses love it, and for the oldies it's a real comforter, especially when teeth are not all they used to be.

If they need a booster that is easier to eat than hay we give themk Aldwyck Court Pure Dried Grass. It is cut to about 2" long, and so is very easy to chew.

Apart from that, myowners always rugged sensibly, and were good about changing them, e.g. from a l/m or m/w for day to a m/w or h/w at night. Leave them with full coats unless there is some urgent reason for clipping.

One of my liveries used to take her oldie out in hand to graze along the lane verges in winter. The grass can be quite nutritious so long as you watch out for any rubbish - but these were little used country backroad.

Eighteen is no age for a horse these days, and I'm sure you'll have lots of happy years (not to mention winters) with your 'youngster'.
 
My 31 year old lost loads on veteran mixes. What ur feeding sounds good. For extra weight i'd maybe add a bit of sugar beet.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. Its given me a few things i'm going to look into. Will look into copra, boiling my own linseed and a few other ideas you've given me.

HollyHocks - your horse is gorgeous! And what a difference the rowen and barbary feed made. I will look into that feed.

CrazyFreisian - your horse is also a stunner.

Thanks for all your help. I'm glad to know that I'm on the right track with feeding Fred, but I think its always good to ask for ideas, just to check I'm still in the 'know'. I'd hate to miss out on something for him just because I was too ignorant to ask.
 
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