High Quality Senior Mix

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Stenners

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I have had advise from the vet to put my mare on a high quality Senior Mix. Does anyone use these? Any recommendations?

She's only 8 and if you'd seen a previous post she's had a gastric impaction so she needs a feed that easily digestible for older horse and with all of the vitamins and minerals that she needs.

I've seen Baileys and Spillers do one.
 
TGM said:
Did he specifically say a 'mix' or just a high quality senior feed? Personally for a horse who has had an impaction I would be looking at mash type feeds for veterans (such as Veteran Vitality) to increase water consumption.
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He said a mix, she's starting off on a mash for a week and grass nuts soaked but wants to see how she copes with a hard feed.
 
I used to feed Veteran Vitality to my elderly shetland in his 30s. Fibre based, easy to eat and digest. To add more bulk I'd just add chaff to it, or consider Pure feeds. I'm not sure I follow the vet's logic, here, as 'hard feed' to me is anything not forage based, but if he's adamant that you need a mix, Saracen Relieve is like horse crack, and has always gone down VERY well!
 
I used both Bailey's and Spillers with the old boy - proper mix of all sorts and good for keeping weight on.

Mashes Rowan and Barberry were good.

Is the vet trying to work up slowly to different types of feed to see if something specific is causing a problem?
 
I would be very cautious about feeding a dry mix if she definitely has megaoesophagus as well as the gastric impaction, especially if she has a diverticulum in her oesophagus. I was recommended to give baileys no1 to mine as it has a high energy level. Soaked grass nuts, alfalfa pellets or any kind of nuts/pellets were OK. Vitamins and minerals can be added as a supplement if necessary.
 
I have recently put my 31 year old pony on Equerry Veteran Mix. It seems really nice quality, and he's definitely put a bit more condition on. He wasn't really in poor condition, I just wanted something that filled in his 'corners' if you know what I mean. His is soaked as he also has some pink mash as well.

www.equerryhorsefeeds.com

Equerry Horse Feed - Veteran Mix

The Equerry horse feed range specialises in equine health and nutrition. Producing a full range of high quality horse feeds
www.equerryhorsefeeds.com www.equerryhorsefeeds.com
 
nutjob said:
I would be very cautious about feeding a dry mix if she definitely has megaoesophagus as well as the gastric impaction, especially if she has a diverticulum in her oesophagus. I was recommended to give baileys no1 to mine as it has a high energy level. Soaked grass nuts, alfalfa pellets or any kind of nuts/pellets were OK. Vitamins and minerals can be added as a supplement if necessary.
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This is a very good point - I will ask the question tonight. He also wants her on grass nuts along with it.
 
Britestar said:
Spillers senior super mash is very well received.
They also have a senior condition care which is a mix.
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I'm using spillers senior mash for my ridden horse, he looks fantastic on it!! Just trying to find something a bit cheaper for the oldie. Just started him on fibre beet and linseed so will see how that goes!
 
I would feed the saracen recovery mash and really leave it to soak for a long time most horses love it and it really absorbs water.

I would also question grass nuts I'm sure they caused impaction colic when fed to Arabi, I just feed very soaked unmolassed sugar beet now I avoid any soaked grass pellet now.

Both my horses love the spillers fibre mash I often fed it warm in winter it smells of apples.
 
Pinkvboots said:
I would feed the saracen recovery mash and really leave it to soak for a long time most horses love it and it really absorbs water.

I would also question grass nuts I'm sure they caused impaction colic when fed to Arabi, I just feed very soaked unmolassed sugar beet now I avoid any soaked grass pellet now.

Both my horses love the spillers fibre mash I often fed it warm in winter it smells of apples.
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The Saracen Recovery is not balanced with vits and mins. It is a fabulous way to get fluid in though. I have to manually give fluids to a mare who doesn't drink anything by herself. 500g of recovery in 10 litres of warm water x 4 times a day keeps her well hydrated.
 
AdorableAlice said:
The Saracen Recovery is not balanced with vits and mins. It is a fabulous way to get fluid in though. I have to manually give fluids to a mare who doesn't drink anything by herself. 500g of recovery in 10 litres of warm water x 4 times a day keeps her well hydrated.
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I know I agree it's not but as you say it's a good way to get fluid into them and you can feed vitamin and minerals in powder form or a pellet in a much smaller quantity.

I just thought feeding a horse prone to blockage or impaction it may be a solution.
 
Flowerofthefen said:
I'm using spillers senior mash for my ridden horse, he looks fantastic on it!! Just trying to find something a bit cheaper for the oldie. Just started him on fibre beet and linseed so will see how that goes!
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Its the olds who have it there. Look around at different stockists as they often have it on offer.
Before Christmas one had it for c12.99 a bag (bought 3), and another this month has it at 16.50 so buying 2 or three.
 
Britestar said:
Its the olds who have it there. Look around at different stockists as they often have it on offer.
Before Christmas one had it for c12.99 a bag (bought 3), and another this month has it at 16.50 so buying 2 or three.
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We have had a local feed shop open which is great as it saves time and diesel trekking to the others which are 45mins away. The down side us it's slightly more expensive!
 
A local vet practice recommends Top Spec Senior. I realise that it is a pellet, but presumably it can be soaked.

I put mine onto it late spring as his coat was awful, his summer coat hadn't come through and despite baths his winter coat wasn't coming out, he looked moth eaten.

The Top Spec had a very good effect. He lost his winter coat and the summer coat came through, all nice and shiny. He looked well on it, although sadly he continued to loose weight, which is what got him in the end.

I found a bucket of grass pellets in the feed room and have been feeding them to the pony, only 1/2 cup at a time which is a good big handful when soaked. They have done him good, he eats up his chaff, with added vitamins, much better and his droppings look the best ever.
 
Ok so having done research and spoken to my vet again he's advised a high quality senior mash - he suggested initially the Spillers Senior Super Mash. Does anyone else have any other recommendations?
 
No, but my horse has just ended up with some of that as Fast Fibre was sold out, and he loves it. I find the apple smell a bit artificial - he clearly disagrees.
 
I had my oldies on spillers super senior mash. I liked it.
Allen and Page Veteran vitality also looks good. Cousin put her oldies on the lite version and their coats definitely improved being on even a little bit.
 
Stenners said:
I've had clarity from the vet - it's to be a mix and not a mash but then i make it really wet.
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Stenners said:
Ok so having done research and spoken to my vet again he's advised a high quality senior mash - he suggested initially the Spillers Senior Super Mash. Does anyone else have any other recommendations?
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nikicb said:
I have recently put my 31 year old pony on Equerry Veteran Mix. It seems really nice quality, and he's definitely put a bit more condition on. He wasn't really in poor condition, I just wanted something that filled in his 'corners' if you know what I mean. His is soaked as he also has some pink mash as well.

www.equerryhorsefeeds.com

Equerry Horse Feed - Veteran Mix

The Equerry horse feed range specialises in equine health and nutrition. Producing a full range of high quality horse feeds
www.equerryhorsefeeds.com www.equerryhorsefeeds.com
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Not sure now whether you are looking for a mix or a mash as your two most recent posts conflict, however as I said previously, I use the Equerry Veteran Mix. I took a photo of it this morning for you, so you can see what it looks like. There is no dust and the old pony eats it all and has added condition since I started feeding it to him a few weeks ago. I feed him pink mash as well so it is well soaked.
 

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My oldie is on Veteran Vitality, Ease and Excel cubes and linseed and does pretty well on it for a 30yr old. He's lost a bit of weight this winter but they all have as the fields are so wet, there's no grass and he's never been a massive consumer of hay.
 
Stenners said:
Ok so having done research and spoken to my vet again he's advised a high quality senior mash - he suggested initially the Spillers Senior Super Mash. Does anyone else have any other recommendations?
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Top Spec linseed mash was recommended to me by the equine hospital. I have had success with Veteran and Vitality and the Spillers senior super mash, both very palatable and have calories. I add more calories with equijewel for my 30 year old horse who won't eat huge big quantities of feed. I also use old fashioned sugar beet and add vits/mins.

The new A&P Care and Gain (no soya and aimed at ulcer horses) has proved very successful with another horse with a very sensitive gut, not fed at optimum though so I add vit E and top spec senior lite balancer.
 
nikicb said:
Not sure now whether you are looking for a mix or a mash as your two most recent posts conflict, however as I said previously, I use the Equerry Veteran Mix. I took a photo of it this morning for you, so you can see what it looks like. There is no dust and the old pony eats it all and has added condition since I started feeding it to him a few weeks ago. I feed him pink mash as well so it is well soaked.
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Thank you. He inititally said a mix as most mashes don't provide the extra nutrients she would need but he found the Spillers one does.
 
could you try a mash with a senior balancer? that can be soaked in with the mash. or a powdered balancer. She may need a lot of mix/mash to get the required nutrients and that may not be what you want?
 
m1stify said:
could you try a mash with a senior balancer? that can be soaked in with the mash. or a powdered balancer. She may need a lot of mix/mash to get the required nutrients and that may not be what you want?
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She has to have a lot of food at the moment as she's not allowed hay so for now she will be getting the required amount - it hopefully won't be long term, maybe a month or 2 and seeing how she goes.
 
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