What feed is best for old horses?

Natalieshort

Natalieshort

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When i first bought my 20 year old mare, she looked so thin and had no sparkle in her eyes! The previous owner told me she didnt need feed and just gave her haylage. For the past few months ive had her i have been giving her happy hoof and she looks so happy! her sparkle is back and she looks so healthy! Im also giving her a joint supplement which is mixed into her feed but thats another story. But is there any other good feeds which you recommend? Thankyou! :D
 
I use Fast Fibre, Speedibeet, unmollased hay chaff as a base.
Then I add balanced minerals.
Yea-sac
Lysine
micronised linseed
vitamin e
Herbs depending on season and need
turmeric
fenugreek seeds
 
D&H 16 plus! My 32 year old was on it until we had him put down and everyone said he looked good, even right at the very end. Tried all the other veteran mixes etc and nothing made his coat look as good or kept him in such good condition!
 
I think that it depends on the individual horse/pony. Eg. teeth condition, appetite, workload etc.

But, I am a great fan of cheap and cheerful Hi-Lite high fibre pony nuts!. My old mare has a kg a day soaked into an easy to chew mash in cold water within minutes, a good slice of soft meadow hay and 24/7 turnout in a field with a good amount of grass to fulfill her fibre needs on top of her nuts and hay.

I looked into the senior cubed feeds, but they tend to be a little lower in fibre than normal hi fibre cubes on the market. I went with the theory that if in my case, you are looking to put weight on an old horse, then high fibre feeds was a good way to go.

If your horse has no kidney/liver problems, then alfafla pellets are supposed to be good, they are soakable and provide high levels of protein (14-16%).
 
redheadkelj said:
D&H 16 plus! My 32 year old was on it until we had him put down and everyone said he looked good, even right at the very end. Tried all the other veteran mixes etc and nothing made his coat look as good or kept him in such good condition!
Click to expand...

This!!!!!
 
Oberon - I love the sound of your menu!

You could also try Simple System Horse feeds if you haven't done so yet, although it can be hard to get hold of. A lot of their feeds can be be soaked with water into a mash, which is mush(!) easier for the older horse to eat. Obviously the more water you add, the more sloppy it becomes. It depends on what your horse prefer.

Also regular visits by an 'equine dental technician' - not sure if that's the politically correct term to use :)

Plus as much grazing/turning out as possible, and ad lib hay/haylage in the stable - hopefully she's got enough teeth left to chew it.
 
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redheadkelj said:
D&H 16 plus! My 32 year old was on it until we had him put down and everyone said he looked good, even right at the very end. Tried all the other veteran mixes etc and nothing made his coat look as good or kept him in such good condition!
Click to expand...

Ditto that. My 33 year old has been on that since 16 years of age. He has the best feet in the yard, is still shod, does a gentle hack and has better teeth than some half his age.

Good old 16+
 
It definitely depends on your budget and your horses condition - but I would contact one of the feed helplines as they are qualified to tell you what would be good to feed. Try the Saracen feed check form on their web site - I used this and it was so informative - they even sent me a sample.. good luck
 
i found 16+ a total waste of money, as did i most of the other complete feeds for oldies.

this may well be because my oldie is aprox 40, and severely dentally challenged.

she is on fast fibre, veteran vitality and sugarbeet. made a huge difference to her condition, coat and overall wellbeing. she does cost a lot to keep now, as she gets 2 feeds a day to keep her at a good weight, in a day she gets 1.5kg each of ff and vv and 1 kg soaked beet, split into two buckets. i was feeding oil too, but she stopped eating it, so i dont bother anymore!
 
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The only veteran feed I would even consider is Veteran Vitality, and only then if they need to maintain weight, or had challenging teeth!. I would also choose Linseed or Oil above all else.

I have a 19 and 21 year old and they are on a very similar diet to Oberons'


Just because they are older doen't mean you have to feed starch and sugar
 
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