How does this OAP look to you?

[JackDaniels1]

Late twenties (could be older!) struggles to eat hay or haylage due to his teeth which are regularly looked at by a fully qualified dentist. He spits bigish balls out on the floor. He has 2 feeds per day (unfortuntely not possible to feed more than 2 times per day). He has Fast Fibre and sugar beet (or speedibeet) + oil plus there is ad-lib haylage and hay put out. He lives out with shelter but you never see him in it. A friend said his coat looks a bit like cushings related?

Taken summer 2012:

His hooves:

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

He's looking pretty good, his coat doesn't look too cushings-ish to me but could be worth getting him tested? If he's struggling with hay how about a big bucket of chop as a hay replacement?

 

[Magicmillbrook]

I would say he looks quite good for his age too. My old girls is started to look old now as she has been retired from ridden work for about 16 month now and is loosing her muscle and top line and back end a bit like this chap. Mentioned it to the vet who told me to stop being silly and that she looked fine for her age.

Re cushings, If he doesn't loose his coat or it stays coarse in the spring then perhaps test for chushings. I have a sec A who didnt get a long curly coat, it just stayed dense and dull. She got strange fat pads too. The test showed an extremely high positive to cushings.

If you wanted to try alternative foods, my girl likes soaked grass nuts and dried grass chops.

 

[AmyMay]

I'd say he was looking 'lean', and would prefer him to have as much weight on him as he did in the summer.

 

[Wagtail]

Looks good to me. It would not surprise me if he had cushings though because he has a bit of a dipped back and pot belly. But looks exceptionally good for his age.

 

[JackDaniels1]

Looks good to me. It would not surprise me if he had cushings though because he has a bit of a dipped back and pot belly. But looks exceptionally good for his age.

I am really shocked by all these answers tbh - i thought you were all going to say he looks dreadful. Maybe i see him in a different light as i can compare to when he was younger.

What chaff would you add in?

Also, any opinions on his hooves?

 

[stencilface]

Have you tried him on micronised linseed? We used to feed ours linseed oil, but I think the amounts we're giving of the micronised stuff this year is much better for them. Our now 29yo is looking really well on it this winter, shiny and beady eyed as ever. I think mine has a bit more weight on him than yours, but I think yours still looks fine given the time of year and age. Plus we've just got rid of his manky sarcoids by cable tying them (after the ok from the vet) - worked a treat (now hoping they don't come back)!

ETA our oldie gets sugarbeet, dodson and horrel 16+ and micronised linseed

We used to feed my old pony a mash of fast fibre and stud cubes and that seemed to keep him going well, the best he ever looked was when we we able to give him 3 feeds a day. so if yours drops more weight I'd try to do that I think

 

[scarymare]

I think he looks good tbh, I have a similar aged one I suspect although mine passported at 20 but suspect much older from teeth.

I wouldn't want him any slimmer though.