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Feeding hay to older
horses
Feeding The Older Horse
 One
of main reasons that horses are able to live into their thirties and
forties these days is improvements in senior horse nutrition. As horses
age, their abilities to chew and digest feed materials decline.
Nutrient requirements also begin to change. Commercially available
complete feeds and feed supplements have been designed to meet these new
requirements of your aging horse. Simple changes in feeding management
can also improve the health of your long-time equine friend.
Since older horses are more prone to dental abnormalities, causing
dropping of grain while trying to chew, inadequate chewing leading to
inefficient digestion of food, and choke, routine
dental care is
an important aspect of equine nutrition. For horses that are missing
teeth and dropping their grain, water can be added to make a mash that
they can swallow and digest more easily. The addition of water to the
grain can also benefit a horse with heaves that coughs when eating dry,
dusty feeds. Horses with chewing problems can also be fed chopped
forage instead of hay because its smaller, softer stems are easier to
chew than the long, thick stems of baled hay.
Several feed manufacturers have added a senior formulation to their line
of feeds. (Compare
Senior feeds) The features of a quality senior formulation are that they
contain a higher percentage of easily digestible proteins and fiber, a
higher fat percentage, balanced levels of vitamins, minerals, and amino
acids, are highly palatable for the finicky eater, and can be mixed with
water to create a mash. These feeds are often advertised as being a
“complete feed,” meaning that they meet the roughage requirements for
horses without access to grass or hay, or who cannot properly chew
and/or digest grass and hay.
Supplements can also be added to the diet when necessary to address
specific problems. Weight gain can be achieved by adding fat such as
corn oil, rice bran or rice bran oil, commercial products such as Weight
Builder, or feeds that are especially high in fat. Fiber can be added
with beet pulp- a dry, flakey feed material that must be soaked in water
for several hours before feeding it so that it can “plump up” like rice
does when it is cooked. For horses with poor hoof growth or quality,
supplements containing biotin are available to improve the quality of
the new hoof that is produced. Supplements containing chondroitin
sulfate, MSM, hyaluronic acid, and glucosamine are available to aid in
treating joint health problems such as arthritis. For horses that are
prone to sand impactions, or for general prevention of sand impactions,
supplements containing psyllium are available to use regularly. Feed
stores and mail-order catalogs offer a variety of supplements for all
types of problems- check with your veterinarian to see which products
might benefit your horse.
Another management decision that your veterinarian can assist you with
is frequency of feeding. Since older horses may have digestive
problems, an increased risk of colic, and metabolic problems such as
those affecting blood sugar regulation, feeding smaller meals more
frequently during the day may be better than feeding one or even two
meals per day. More frequent meals are also necessary if your horse
cannot eat grass or hay since the horse’s digestive system operates most
efficiently when there is access to roughage continually throughout the
day.
One final, and arguably the most important, aspect of equine nutrition
is unlimited access to fresh, clean water at all times. Water buckets
and troughs should be cleaned and rinsed frequently to avoid algae
growth, especially during the summer months. During the winter, horses
are more prone to becoming dehydrated because of ice and decreased
interest in drinking. Ice in buckets and troughs must be broken at
least two to three times daily to allow the horses to drink. Warm water
can be offered if possible. Horses seem to like the warm water during
the winter and it will take longer to freeze. Heaters for buckets and
troughs are also available. Automatic waterers are another available
item, however, this makes water consumption difficult to assess. If
your horse needs to be encouraged to drink more, access to a salt or
mineral lick will increase his thirst, and adding water to the grain and
hay can increase water consumption.
Please remember that each horse is an individual. Specific feeds
and supplements that work wonders for one horse are not necessarily the
best choices for every horse. Amounts, optimal ingredients and
feeding frequency will vary according to metabolic and digestive tract
health. To determine what may work best for your equine
elder, consult closely with your veterinarian, then remember to make
dietary changes gradually.
Run-in shed partitioned to make separate
feeding bays.
Between meals, gates are fastened back
against interior walls.
NOTE: Material presented by
Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary on equineelders.org or in any
other manner is for information purposes only. It is in no way
intended to replace the services or advice of your veterinarian.
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FEEDING TIPS
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Senior horses with dental problems will
eat much more easily if their feed is well soaked. The degree
of "mushiness" is an individual preference, but most horses do not
like the food "soupy." If your horse is accustomed to dry
food, the new texture may put him off a little at first. Make
the change from dry to soaked meals gradually.
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Soaked food may sometimes end up nicely
distributed over the horse's face by the time the meal is over.
To avoid some of the mess, feed in a wide, shallow pan or dish,
rather than a narrow deep bucket. If the horse does end up
wearing some of its meal, clean his face as soon as possible so he
won't be quite as attractive to flies.
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If your senior eats slowly or is in any
position other than the top of the "pecking order,"
separate him
from other horses at meal times. Make sure he has ample
opportunity to eat his entire meal in peace.
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Many horses with marginal dental
problems cannot eat stemmy hays, like first cutting timothy for
instance, but do pretty well when offered a leafy, tender, second
cutting orchardgrass, for example.
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When chewing hay is out of the question,
offer a chopped grass forage product. Chopped forages
containing alfalfa are often much more coarse than those that are
exclusively grass.
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When offering even the most tender hay
to dentally challenged seniors, presentation is everything.
Some horses, when offered a whole "flake" of densely baled hay, will
take too much into their mouths at once and must eventually spit it
back out. By shaking out the flake of hay to make a loose pile
of individual strands, you make it easier for the horse to take in a
few blades at a time.
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Some older horses do not voluntarily
drink as much water as they should. Soaking all meals,
including the forages, will help increase water intake.
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With your veterinarian, determine your
horse's daily nutritional requirements. (Do not depend on the
feed bag. Those are guidelines - averages - and may not
be 100% appropriate for your horse.) Divide the total amount
of feed into several meals; 3 or 4 servings if possible.
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When serving soaked feed be careful
about allowing leftovers to sit for long periods of time. In
warm weather, leftover food will attract flies and can quickly
spoil, making it unfit to eat later. In winter it will freeze
solid and go to waste.
(Compare
Senior feeds)
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