What do we feed our golden oldies??

laura7981

laura7981

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As per the title really! I'm interested to know what people feed their veterans for weight gain, especially those with few teeth. My 32 yr old gets two feeds per day of readymash extra, fast fibre, hifi senior and sugar beet. She can still manage a small amount of haylage but not enough to get any weight gain from it. my old girls looking amazing for this time of yr, the weathers doing her great :-)
 
Mines a relative youngster, he's only 18 but he's a big lad at 17 hands and is prone to colic.

But had to say I agree with you about condition with the mild autumn, we are in Cairngorms and had had a month of snow by this time last year! Oldish chap is looking shiny and full of beans this year in comparison.

He gets lo cal haylage and hay (he's if anything a bit overweight), some HifiLite and Healthy Hooves (he's unshod) with pink powder and a scoop of Spillers H&P nuts (cos he loves them and has had them every day since we got him as a six year old :-)))))

Teeth are good and strong but tend to sharpen easily so six monthly check/rasp. Only has tet injection as he became very ill from flu one a while back; he doesnt compete/mix. Worm count other than annual encysted small redworm dose ; is blood tested for tapeworms and wormed for that only if positive.

here he is... we need a piccy of your lovely oldie tho (teeth or no teeth :-)))))
P1020212.jpg
 
My lad is also 17hh, prone to colic and 18 nearly. He is, however, a poor doer so gets 2 buckets a day containing A&P C&C, Loads of FibreGy , scoop of beet, carrots/apples/pears etc.( a lot, he is very picky and will leave a whole feed if no carrots etc) Also Cornecruscine and Coligone supplements, he is on ad lib very good quality haylage as well.


FDC
 
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Veteran Vitality is very popular as you feed it like a mash or even soup if like ! :)

16+ cubes you can soak too and has some added goodies in it but a fiend of mine who's 32 year old has now sadly passed and was very colicy used to get fast fiber soup a diet pretty much like yours really

I feed 16+ cubes speedi beet and hifi but mine is only 18 and has all her teeth - If you go into picture gallery I started a show me your veterans thread - there are some super oldies in there and I amagine folk would love to help
 
Mine are relative youngsters compared to yours (TB of 21 and KWPN of 16) but they get:

- sugar beet
- alfa A
- a little conditioning mix
- Codlivine supplejoint supplement
- Linseed
- Ad lib grass (and hay at night when they start coming in, but so far they're still out)

A friend of mine has a 36 y.o. pony with no teeth and she gets huuuge buckets of soaked simple system nuts and alfa-beet.
 
If teeth are preventing much haylage being consumed, then some sort of hay replacer will be needed - either short chop or something that can be soaked to a mash.

Soaked grass nuts are one of the cheapest options - but not suitable for laminitics.
 
Our 28 year old has fast fibre, happy hoof and hi fi nuts. Looks well at the mo and has soaked hay at night or Equilage and still manages her haynet fine.
Food is just sloppy at mo but would obviously adjust to make it wetter if she struggled.
 
My oldie gets a soaked combination of Ready Mash, High fibre cubes, Grass nuts, Speedi beet and Fibergy plus Thunderbrook base mix. He has his entire diet replaced as no teeth. I have been building him up to face off his 36th winter but if this mild weather continues for much longer he is going to be on the diet list :cool:
 
my oldie is 32 next spring. She still has all her teeth though!

She has a medium sized net of hay over night, reasonable turn out everyday and 2 feeds a day each one is half large scoop chaff, half small scoop topline cubes and small scoop soaked beet, night she has small scoop alfa too.

In summer she has one of these feeds and no hay, just good turn out, unless in on restricted hay for her weight!

I am reducing her feeds a bit more now though as too fat, have to walk fine line as arthritic so too fat = uncomfortable just as much as too thin.

What I do feed, and swear by, no weightloss or discomfort since she's been on it - equine america's buteless. I've tried cheaper other brand versions and not so pleased, but this stuff is ace, she's sound even with her arthritics, and very happy and forward going. Off it she is quite stiff and cranky. Means I still have Bute to try when this wears off. Been on it for 2 years though and still working. Had a break off it this summer on a cheaper alternative and sore and cranky again.
 
My 30 yr old TB is currently on one scoop Veteran Vitality for breakfast, one scoop for tea with instant linseed and simple systems 'total eclipse'. Also has one scoop fast fibre for tea, and ad lib hay/haylage mix. He is looking good too, I think becuase I am moving over to winter levels of feed but its still warm!

Lives out.

My 24yr old native has a small amount (ie a bit nicked out of the other hroses) fast fibre mixed with a handful of alpha oil. She is a good doer!

@Spotsrock - my boy has one bute a day and has done for some years now - would you recommend changing to the buteless? He is stiff and a bit arthritic.
 
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