Feeding an older horse - Help!

Laura-Maybe-IV

Laura-Maybe-IV

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 September 2012
Messages
259
Location
Canterbury
Visit site
Hello all,
I need some help feeding my older horse. I have a 21 year old TB mare who is in light-medium work, but she will go into light work once the winter comes.
She has started to drop weight already! Which is a nightmare as the cost of feed is ever increasing...
I have contacted a few feed companies who have suggested a few different feeds, but some of which they have suggested aren't suitable as she can be fussy and she can't have too much sugar, she won't eat - Happy Hoof or Dengie Alfa Beet.
I'm currently feeding maybe - 0.5kg D&H veteran mix, 1.5kg Dengie Alfa Original and 0.25kg Bran. Alongside this is she has glucosamine, stroppy mare and vitamins and minerals. She also gets 10kg haylage.

I'm thinking of feeding her something like Calm and condition, I have fed veteran vitality but as she is loosing weight so I want to catch it before she drops too much, I was also thinking of feeding her something like healthy hooves or ready grass alongside it. She likes a bit of crunch in her feed! Also her teeth are still good incase people where thinking it might be teeth.

So what do you lovely people feed your golden oldies? To keep them in tip top condition?
Thank you x :)
 
I would suggest a high protein and calorific chaff. Something along the lines of Alfa A Oil or Ready Grass. Elderly horses can struggle to process protein as well as younger horses. The calorie content will assist with weigh as will the fibre as this will generate heat when the temp drops.

Speedibeet is also great! Calorific and easily digestible fibre. It is suggested that beet can help the horses digest other fibres better too. Again this will assist weight and generate warmth.

I would then add micronised linseed to help with joints and weight.

If however you would like to add a cube, there are a few high fibre options. If you would like to feed something calorific then I would recommend Spillers Slow Release Cubes or D&H ERS Pellets.

I would try to avoid mixes as they contain high levels of starch and sugar.

Hope this helps. :)
 
My horse is 33 and just fine on below twice a day

Large scoop spillers high fibre cubes
half soaked scoop (same size scoop) of speedibeet

I alter how much cubes I give him depending on grazing, he wears a muzzle when turned out as has lami few years back

If you wanted more calories you could add up to mug of sunflower/corn oil in the feed, my horse is fussy so will only eat the feelgood 30 garlic and parsley oil, he has 3 squirts per feed, thats the only oil I can get into him he's so fussy. I can add some sunflower oil but he will only eat flora oil and it has to be infused into the cubes overnight otherwise he won't eat it if you just tip the oil in the feed !

Otherwise Alfa A oil is good.

I've never fed calm and condition so can't comment
 
I'm a big fan of the old neddies and have cared for many over the years things i tend to feed are:
Big scoop or 2 of basic mollichop/cheap chop or if need extra vitamins they do a vetran chaff as well
Big scoop of sugarbeet
if horse in work i have used sixteen plus mix/cubes
I discovered allen page feeds couple of years ago when i rescued a youngster who was of poor weight but also highly strung due to her breed and having been badly treated. I had her on a little bit of the calm and condition and she fattend up lovely and quite quickly. there customer service was also excellent when i contacted for advice on what to feed.

Please also bare in mind i have lots of good grazing all year round and feed hay / haylage as required in stable and field.
Another vital factor to consider when keeping your horse up to weight especially in its older years is warmth old horse loose alot of weight shivering away in the cold and also alot of heat is lost when changing rugs. keep you horse toastie warm in at night try leaving the rug on while you brish and just lifitng it off in sections as you groom also use cozy exercise sheets when you ride anything to help keep the heat him and keep the weight on.
 
Thank you all, I think I will try the calm and condition to fatten her up a bit.
Hawks 27 - Thank you for your extra tips. Maybe is currently wearing a rug at night, and will soon start wearing a rug during the day. Our grazing isn't the best so I might have to add some extra fibre. I have had maybe on Mollichaff before the veteran one and it sent her loopy I have no idea why but it did!
 
Hi, rather than calm and condition why don't you try AP veteran vitality? It is more conditioning than calm and condition and I have found it excellent for all horses. My old lad lived on this and looked fab. I have recommended it to a few people and all have said how much there horses love it and how well they look on it. Good luck with your girl, its never easy having a fussy horse who loses weight!
 
Yes ap do a vetran one as well the calm and condition i used was on a youngster who was of poor weight they have several varieties of feed and thier team are very helpful on the advice front mollichaff do all kinds of chops even a calming one which i ahd the same youngster on as she lost her mind when she had to much sugar so she was a strict no haylage no spice no apples poor thing went loopey loo and was fed calming everything to keep her chilled every horse is an individual and needs ffeds to suit thier paticular metabolism.
My mid 30's retired arab is already wearing her shower sheet out and a light rug at night she gets so cold so quick and she was awfully poor when she came to me for retirement livery last winter but we have got her good and fat this year coming into winter and have lots of rugs ready and a cozy stable so hoepfully she'll fare better this winter with us, good luck with yours
 
I am all for calm and condition! My horse went from looking like a rescue case to being fat on the stuff!

I would definitely recommend it, d&h do a feed called '16+' which contains glucosamine for joints and is designed specially for oldies!
Maybe add some cod liver oil? If she is too put off by this (can't blame her!) try linseed/flax oil. It's brilliant stuff! It doesn't make them fizzy or hotheaded, just adds weight and condition to coat.
It is also getting very cold at night where I am, so if she lives out or you haven't started rugging up at night you can try that!
Good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top