feeding an old gent?

[TequilaMist]

Friend has old pony 30 plus.He stays in in winter.He can't seem to eat haylage/hay this year.
Tried soak readigrass but hasn't eaten this either.
Anyone any ideas?Looking for a substitute for hay at night not a feed.
Has been mentioned that well if can't find something he can eat well...............
Thanks

 

[Ladylina83]

Sorry last sentance doesn't make sense

My friends oldy survived for 4 years with very few teeth on 'fast fiber' made into soup that he drank / slopped everywhere 3 times a day to the grand age of 38

you could also try veteran vitality or adding speedibeet all fiber based

 

[forestfantasy]

http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/help-advice/faqs/feeding-the-veteran-with-poor-teeth.html

http://www.veteran-horse-welfare.co.uk/preparing_for_winter.html

hope these links help, there is plenty you can feed, definitely no need to consider...yet!!

 

[TequilaMist]

Sorry just that if pony can't eat he would be pts which would be gutting esp at the moment.
Yes thought there would be heaps just haven't had a real issue with this myself so thought a thread here may give some ideas that could give her.

 

[stencilface]

We used to feed my old pony a slop of high fibre cubes and stud cubes (don't think the veteran feeds were as around much at the time) with sugarbeet and some alfa a (I think to the last one). At one period we could get three feeds into him a day, which made a massive difference, worth doing if you can do it, really helps the ones that can't eat hay.

I woudl also look at some supplements/balancers that have some pre-biotic in, they might really help. I would contact both allen and page and topspec and ask them what they think is the best - allen and page sent us a sample of their veteran vitality food and a voucher We used to feed our current oldie allen and page old faithful mix, he is now on TopSpec Fibreplus with sugar beet and alfa - but he can still eat hay. He will be moving on some veteran vitality if he starts dropping too much weight (as a little weight loss in an oldie in winter I think is realistic, nothing wrong with a little, its a natural process after all, don't want too much weight on old bones )

 

[TequilaMist]

Thanks for those.Very helpful.Have prinited off the feeding etc and will give them to her.Will put a smile back on her face.She's had him since he was 4 and having a hard time right now and tbh would struggle with anything like this at moment.
Thanks

 

[stencilface]

Can he eat things like readigrass? Might be worth giving him a bucket of that overnight if he can't eat hay

 

[Archangel]

The key is to make sure he is getting the right food and enough of it.

My toothless wonder gets the following (he is 13.3 and 36 yrs). All soaked. In order to get enough food in to him he is on his own during the day and trickle feeds himself
2kg high fibre nuts
2kg speedibeet
1kg fibergy
500g Ready Mash
150g Thunderbrook base supplement
dash of bran

He then gets another feed of
1kg high fibre nuts
750g speedibeet
250g ready mash
75g Thunderbrook base supplement
dash of bran

Then I put his friends back in with him for the night

The things that have made the difference are the Thunderbrook base mix and Ready Mash. He gets plenty of interesting fibre from the other ingredients so these two 'extras' put the bloom and topline on him.

I bet your friend is worried, it is quite a science feeding very old horses. I experimented a lot but the above diet suits him very well. People kept recommending Ready Mash and Thunderbrook, I wish I had tried them earlier. He is going into winter with plenty of condition in hand. I worried giving such large looking feeds but they are mostly fibre and the equivalent of a haynet in a bucket!

Hope it all goes well.

 

[Oberon]

I feed my old boy (in addition to haynet/grazing) with poor teeth:
Fast Fibre
Speedibeet
Minerals (copper,zinc, biotin, magnesium, salt)
Lysine
2000iu Vitamin E
Herbs
Oats
Micronised linseed
Yea sacc.
Chopped hay or Readigrass in a seperate bucket (he doesn't like them mixed)

If you want to feed a commercial mix, I have heard good things of Ready Mash Extra
http://www.rowenbarbary.co.uk/horse_feed_products/dietary_needs/16