Feeding Answers - FAQs
When should I feed a senior feed? ↓
We always advocate that every horse should be fed as an individual, regardless of age, however, as a horse gets older his digestive system can gradually become less efficient so he may no longer obtain the full nutritional benefit from the feed he gets. If you notice that he’s not looking quite as good as he did on his usual feed, that could be the time to step up to a specially formulated “veteran feed”. These are generally designed to provide readily digestible, non-heating calories so should promote a little more condition than a high fibre, low energy feed and help to give the older horse just that little extra he needs to stay looking and feeling good. If however your horse or pony is still looking good and performing well on his current diet, there is probably no need to change; you will soon know if he starts to lose weight and condition, that it is time to change.
Articles you may be interested in include:
Older & Wiser
Products you may be interested in include:No.8 Meadow Sweet with Turmeric
No.15 Senior MixMy veteran has poor teeth and struggles to eat hay and/or hard feed, what can I do? ↓
Loose and worn teeth can make it difficult for veterans to chew properly, so what is swallowed is less easily digested and can be one reason why a horse is not thriving even on the correct diet. The biggest difficulty for horses whose teeth are really failing, is consuming sufficient forage and fibre to maintain a healthy digestive system. Alfalfa, and other chaffs, may be easier to chew, and can be fed as full or partial hay/haylage replacers but are not ideal for horses with diastomas as they can get stuck in the gaps in the horse's teeth. Soaked fibre sources, Natural Meadow Cobs, Speedi- and Fibre-Beet may be more appropriate, in these cases, and are also useful for adding variety. We recommend you talk to our Nutrition Team when compiling a complete forage replacement ration.
Articles you be interested in include:
Forage Replacement
Older & Wiser
Forage - The Long and the Short of it
Products you may be interested include:
Natural Meadow Cobs
Speedi-Beet
Fibre-Beet
Golden Chaff
Alfalfa Plus OilHow can I keep weight on my veteran this winter? ↓
Most veteran feeds are designed to provide readily digestible, non-heating calories so should promote a little more condition than a high fibre, low energy feed or balancer and help to give the older horse just that little extra he needs to stay looking and feeling good. However, to promote serious weight gain, a conditioning feed, like Top Line Conditioning Mix or Cubes, is the most effective and cost effective choice as these are more energy dense than veteran feeds so will contain more calories per kilo. This means that meal sizes can be kept manageable and you will get better results than adding “conditioning straights”, like barley and sugarbeet, to your existing feed. For those with PPID (Cushing's) and/or prone to laminitis, starch intake must be kept low so low starch, high calorie options, like Ease & Excel mix and Cubes, are a better choice and supply slow release calories from fibre and oil. We'd recommend talking to our Nutrition Team when compiling a conditioning diet for a horse or pony prone to laminitis.
Articles you may be interested in include:
Choosing the Right Conditioning FeedFeeding those with Cushing's Disease (PPID)
Compiling a Low Starch Diet
Products you may be interested in include:
15 Senior Mix
Cooked Cereal Meal
Outshine
Top Line Conditioning CubesWhat do I feed an older horse with Cushing's Disease (PPID)? ↓
Cushing’s (now known as Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)) is most commonly associated with older horses and ponies and stems from the growth of a tumour on the pituitary gland, situated in the brain, which causes hormonal disturbances. Horses suffering from Cushing’s exhibit a number of symptoms including a coarse wavy coat, excessive thirst coupled with excessive urination, increased appetite without corresponding weight gain, loss of muscle and top line and, most importantly, they are more susceptible to laminitis.
For those with secondary problems, like laminitis, the diet must be low in starch and fructans and correct nutrition is vital to provide support to the weakened digestive and immune systems. It may also be worth considering the use of prebiotics and probiotics, especially if the animal is receiving medication. For help and advice on feeding your horse or pony with PPID, contact our Nutrition Team.
Articles you may be interested in include:
Older & Wiser
All About Digestive Enhancers
Compiling a Low Starch Diet
Feeding Sugar Beet to Laminitics
Feeding Those with Cushing's Disease (PPID)Products you may be interested in include:
Ease & Excel
