What to feed a veteran in no work?

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hesychia

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Hiya, more questions from me.

I might soon be owning a horse that has taught me pretty much everything I know, and I think it is about time he was retired after over 10 years of being a riding school horse and before that a Grade B sjer.
At the moment he is very thin and has no energy. I was just wondering if anybody had any recommendations as to what to feed him to help him gain weight without too much excess energy as he won't be working? He's 28 years old, 16hh and will just be turned out and stabled when it's cold. His coat is very dull and he finds it difficult to chew (He'll be seeing the dentist ASAP!) so a very easy to chew food would be ideal! He also needs to gain a fair bit of weight. Also, would you feed hay, haylage, Alfa or chaff for roughage if he finds it difficult to chew?

Thankyou,
Coley x.
 
Have you spoken to any of the feed companies? His weight issue could just be down to his inability to chew, so the dentist has to be really high on your list of priorities.

However, as with anything that needs to have weight put on it, it needs to be done slowly. So probably good quality hay to start with, and then moving on to haylage once weight is going on. But again introduced slowly.

Why has no attention been given to his condition where he is at the moment??
 
Once his teeth were sorted I would be inclined to feed alfa a, sugarbeet or something similar and a basic nut or mix. See how he goes on this for a few weeks then change to a conditioning mix if that isn't enough. I would feed good quality ad lib hay and rug well.
 
If it were me he would have ad lib haylage, and be being fed 2-3 times a day, smaller feeds, sugar beet, alfa-a and some nuts. Probably find this is enough to build the weight up. Could add some oil for that dull coat and maybe get some body builder/milk pellets to add to his feed too.
 
Spillers do a fibre cube, that you soak for 30 mins in warm water to turn it into a pulp.
Would help until he has seen the dentist, but you may have to accept his teeth are never going to be great at 28 yrs old.
If he can chew hay, I would be feeding a really good quality hay ad lib. If he balls his hay and spits it out, you will have to use something like spillers fibre cubes or Allen and Page's fast fibre (my choice but hard to get around here!).
 
Topspec senior balance works magic with my old girl
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I feed mine ad lib good hay, haylage if she gets fussy, along with Hi Fi Senior and Allen+Page's Fast Fibre (both fed at recommended amounts). She's 27, a very poor doer, although her teeth are reasonable. This combination even managed to put weight on her in December/January last winter - a time when she would normally be dropping off and I'd be trying every weight gain feed on the market.
 
Thankyou everybody!
Another stupid question: What does 'ad lib' mean? Lol!
I'm not sure why he is so thin where he is, but from chatting to some people I think it's because they can't afford the amount of feed he needs, plus they don't rug him. Also, what they do give him I think he finds it hard to eat, so he might not be digesting much of it. He'll be seen by the dentist and rugged up first thing with me! Lmao
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My mare is 22, i do still ride her but i feed spillers conditioning cubes which are fantastic, and if you mix with water they crumble down so are easier for them to munch on! she gets 2 scoops a day at the moment but is 15hh and not actually in work currently due to an injury.
 
Ad Lib.....never without.
If you are turning up AM to find he has eaten all his hay, you need to leave him more.
If you are worried about digestion give pink powder (infact given the stress of moving I probably would anyway).
 
I used Baileys Outshine, speedibeet and Top Spec Balancer to put some weight on my old boy. Is working a treat. Getting a shine on his coat, and some weight is going on. He is on haylage and in on a night rugged. Out through the day rugged also.
Good luck. xx
 
I would definately get some professional advice if and when you take ownership of this horse.

Vet, dentist, feed companies. Make sure you're on a yard that has excellent grazing, and is going to be able to help and support both you and the horse when you get it.

Don't chuck it out in a herd of unknowns to get bullied, and be prepared to work really, really hard to get them back to health and fitness.

When will you be having it? The sooner you start building it up the better - with winter on the way.
 
I don't know when I will be getting him and if I will be getting him at all. I will be solely looking after him but I'll have someone at the yard to give me advice as he'll be my first horse, but I do have 12 years experience of riding and stable management so I won't be completely useless lol! He'll be in a field on his own or with a very gentle horse as he's delicate now! Already called the dentist and vets, just need to sort out a proper diet for him now. I'm willing to work as hard as I can as he means a heck of a lot to me!
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thankyou
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get his teeth done asap his he wormed to date? if you dont have good quality grass put him on ab lib hay as well i put my old thin ex racer on allen page calm and condition and alfa oil until she put her weight on and know she is on target feeds senior surport!
 
Putting weight on an oldie is never as simple as some people make it sound, especially if he's a Tb type (they have a lot of muscle, but not much fat).
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Firstly, get his teeth done, and make sure he is worm free for encysted small redworm and tapeworm in particular.
Secondly, I'd suggest getting bloods done to ensure he hasn't got any underlying health condition.
Then, stop him burning off the weight he does have by rugging him very well (combo's) and perhaps reducing his workload too.
Give him ad lib (as much as he'll eat) good quality hay (meadow hay is best as it is softer to chew) or haylage.
Find out what the riding school feeds him, and if it seems appropriate, then just gradually increase the amount/number of feeds, perhaps adding linseed or corn oil, a vit/min supplement (mine like Equivite), and probiotics to help his digestion. Sudden feed changes can be fatal - so slow and gradual changes are best, to allow his gut bacteria to adjust.
Most of the feed companies make mixes and cubes specifically for oldies, for example Dodson & Horrell 16 + Mix.
Sugar beet and barley are also nice additions to put weight on.
It might be worth phoning a few of the feed companies for nutritional advice and information about the types of feed available (they even send samples) - but BEWARE regarding the amounts they recommend you feed - they are in the business of selling, after all, so will have you giving huge rations which may cause your oldie problems.
Good luck with him.
S
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