My retired TB is starting to look old.

My veteran TB is very fussy and a poor doer. Her teeth are in very good order though :)

She has two feeds a day, every day - I found feeding her like this keeps her weight constant - if you knock the feed back in spring she drops conditions and it becomes difficult to get it back.

Her feeds are Happy Hoof (not ideal but she won't eat Alfalfa or anything that's rough or stalky), Top Spec feed balancer, Top Spec conditioning Cubes, Dengie Alfa-Beet, linseed (can't recommend this enough) and carrots. She loves carrots.

Usually it's a matter of seeing what she likes - she will eat lots but only if she likes it.

Ad-lib hay and haylage over the winter - she picks an chooses what she wants.
 
If horse is losing condition you need protein not just calories

eg full fat soya, grass pellets, Alfalfa pellets (both soaked) with Speedibeet or try Alfabeet
 
24 yr old (looks half that age now) got new lease of life on lucie nuts & red bag grass nuts from simple systems. Now back doing 30km endurance rides where no-one believes her age. Until she sused diet had major condition issues & kept tweaking things. red bag nuts have higher protein levels, that's been the key.
 
Faracat said:
I have one super-rich lush field that she isn't allowed on as she gets footy and there's no way that I'm letting her get laminitis.
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If she is sensitive to grass you will have to be careful about anything that contains sugars as alot of the veteran and conditioning mixes do and grass based chop or nuts.

You could look at high fibre timothy haylage which is safe and would add extra but based on forage.


The Hi Fi is alfalfa and straw, more alfalfa as that is the first ingredient listed and the speedibeet is good. Alfabeet and fibrebeet are just premixed alfalfa and beet so not a huge difference to what you are already doing.

Going to two feeds a day and adding maybe linseed is a good start and poss either brewers yeast or a probiotic given her ulcers, I'm always wary about throwing too many new things at once so I would stick with this at first.

If that isn't enough then look at what you can add.
one option you could look at Coolstance Copra which is safe for laminitics but high in protein and calories. It's coconut based and quite palatable.
 
I think that the main reason that this has worried me so much is that my old pony went from being full of beans at 26, to looking 'old' and then had to be PTS six months later as his body just failed. The Vet said that it was old age - nothing could be done.

The TB doesn't look awful, she's not suddenly lost loads and loads of weight, but I can see the small changes creeping in.
 
Consider testing for Cushings.

Obi started to be 'old' in 2010 and had a couple of health problems. Fast forward to 2012 and he has been healthy but just looked 'crap' this spring. Found out now he has rampant Cushings that we are struggling to get under control.
Knowing what I do now - I would have had him tested in 2010 and saved us the problems we are having now.

Get teeth checked every six months. They get gaps where the odd tooth has dropped out and then the matching tooth has nothing to grind against. If their teeth are impaired they will be missing out on the nutrients that their body needs more than ever.

You need to provide extra Vitamin E for an oldie - dentition plus poor absorption may deplete their ability to get enough from the grass, which will affect their immunity.

For Obi (who has dodgy teeth) I use Fast Fibre and unmolassed beet (in winter) as a calorie and fibre hit alongside the forage. He gets Spiller's High Fibre cubes for taste.

You can also use Readigrass for a chaff - but beware the sugar in it. I use unmolassed hay chaff in a separate bucket in winter as an 'easy chew haynet' alongside his night tub of haylage.

I give Obi Pro Balance + for his minerals and amino acids. It contains 1000mg of vitamin E also - but I want to provide 1800iu a day, so I also add a 1000iu human gel cap as well. It also contains lysine (an essential amino acid) to aid protein synthesis.

Micronised linseed has the omega oils to the same ratio as good grass (so the magic of Dr Green without the sugar level). It works as a joint supplement, coat conditioner, gut muculage, hoof moisture balancer and it contains methionine (amino acid). I would be feeding a coffee mug a day at least.

I use herbs depending on the season for immunity, cleansing, circulation etc.

Yea-sacc is very helpful to aid digestion and absorption of nutrients. I find Obi does much less poops when he is on yea-sacc.

I like to give Global Herb's Restore as a liver tonic, twice a year and/or around worming.

Don't overlook oats for her - they can be very helpful for an oldie.
 
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