Hi!
I’ve been deep in the forum looking for my answers and while I’ve gathered some great ideas, I think I should just ask directly:
One of my family’s older horses is having a hard time eating. For the longest time I assumed he was just aggressive, keeping his place as the boss, but now I’m thinking he’s just really hungry. He is about 27 and I thought he was just using his night hay as a padding for his stall but while enjoying the weather today, with him and the other horses, I noticed that he’ll chew the hay, start to swallow it and then basically spit it out. No actual eating. I’m heartbroken.
I’ve just moved back to the area and I’m taking over a lot of their feedings and maintenance but I am a novice with senior care. What kind of senior feed, hay stretcher, or oils would be a great place to start to help him gain some weight back and that will make all involved happy?
I’m leaning towards a soy bean oil and hay pellets but his teeth are very worn down. So, what do you think?
Sounds like the horse is quidding his hay. He may have tooth loss or teeth issues and should be seen by an equine dentist to make sure everything is OK in his mouth.
How is his body condition? Are ribs visible? Is the coat really dull? If not, he’s managing to get calories somehow. Soaking an elder horses feed is best when tooth loss and other dental issues start to be a problem. Older horses often require more calories via feed/supplements because they can’t get enough hay down to supply enough calories/nutrients. And as they age, they just don’t process/digest things as efficiently either.
A picture of the horse may help. And what exactly is he fed now - hay, grain, supplements. etc. each day?
I’m unable to upload a photo but his coat is still thick, long and not patchy. so I can’t see his ribs but he is boney, especially in his hips.
Right now he’s getting a scoop of grain, select plus from southern states, two quitt scoops (using the scoop that comes in the packaging) and three flakes of dry hay in his stall twice a day. Also, the fence line is near a creek and some lightly wooded area.
I did have a conversation with my uncle about his teeth and that we might need a dentist. So maybe I’ll push for that.
I am not familiar with Southern States feed. I think a great many on COTH really like Triple Crown’s senior best. I use Pro Elite Senior for my old guy (no triple crown in my immediate area), and it is very similar to the Triple crown. There is nothing wrong with Purina’s Senior feed - I used it for years. I switched to the Pro Elite because there is a big difference in fat content between the two (TC and ProElite have nearly twice the fat of Purina).
Oil is a simple and inexpensive way to add calories when you are caring for your own horses at home (not so much in a boarding situation). I just buy the huge restaurant sized corn oil container at Sams or WalMart. Just remember to add oil gradually, or you might give the horse digestive issues. Start with a few tablespoons and slowly work up to a 1/2 cup or so over a week to 10 days. Corn oil is about 2,000 calories per cup.
Soaking a seniors meal can really help when they have tooth issues - but it has got to be feed that will dissolve. Hay pellets are a great way to add calories, forage and they dissolve easily in hot water. As does pelleted and textured senior feeds. I use a 3 gallon bucket filled a little over 1/2 way with hot water, then add the senior feed, then his alfalfa pellets (my senior horse is quite large and gets 3+ quarts of each) and 15 minutes later, have a perfect warm mash that I dump in his feed bin. Always put the hay pellets in the bucket last, because if they are on the bottom, they won’t adsorb water and expand as well because they are so heavy.
If you don’t have hot water at the barn, cold water will work to make a mash, it just takes longer.
I’d start with a vet call to check his teeth and other possible issues. If you can isolate him for morning/evening feeding - do. That way you can monitor what he’s actually eating. Try cutting up a bunch of carrots with his senior feed.
If he’s eating his senior and not eating his hay - up the senior. But, do get the vet in so you know what you’re dealing with and how to treat it.
I don’t know what kind of horse he is. My guys are Arabs. They get one flake morning and again at night. At night, one gets pellets and carrots. One gets senior and pellets. One is 31 and one is 16. The 16 year old needs to go on a summer diet. They have corrals off the stalls and are turned out daily for exercise. Six flakes a day seems like a lot to me. I am not experienced in feeding the larger breeds.
As others have said, sounds like a dental exam is in order. Sometimes older horses need to see the dentist every six months rather than annually as their teeth start to go. It wouldn’t hurt to also have the vet check him out. They would be your best resource for how to manage his weight gain and feeding protocol. I second upping his grain if he’ll eat that better than hay. Sounds like he could use the weight. He might also like soaked hay cubes or dengie, I think those are easier to eat than regular hay when they have bad teeth.
My TB is 18 and has been on Triple Crown Senior for almost a year, previously was on ProForce Senior for a few years. I have seen a HUGE difference in him even though the feeds aren’t vastly different. He is shedding his winter coat and there are dapples underneath for the first time in ages (also added flax meal and flax oil at the start of winter). He has kept his topline and muscle condition all winter with minimal riding. So, if you can get TC Senior near you, I’d recommend it for sure. It also is made to soak really well and be digestible for old horses.
I also second the idea of oil but corn oil can be inflammatory, which in young horses might not be an issue but in older guys it can cause problems. Not necessarily, but just something to watch.
Oh yeah, I definitely recommend trying to feed him separately as long it doesn’t stress him out. He might eat better if it’s less of a “competition” and then you can monitor what he is actually eating.
I have an old gelding who is on a mash diet. He has PPID (cushings) and is a pony, so I have to be careful about what I feed him. He currently gets a mix of soaked alfalfa pellets, cubes, beet pulp, and a vitamin/mineral supplement - With about a cup or so of TC senior to make it more palatable. He is 32 and knock on wood doing really well! He has been on this diet for almost 5 years now. He had initially lost a lot of weight before we discovered that his teeth were failing him. It took him about 2 months of slow and steady weight gain before he was back to a healthy weight. It took a while longer for his topline to return, but it did through nutrition and light work.
My suggestion is to see if you can get hay pellets and/or cubes in bulk at a local mill. This will save you a lot of money. A mill in my area recently started selling alfalfa pellets by the bag, half ton, and ton, and has cut my costs nearly in half (vs buying at the feed store). Pellets do not provide long stem fiber, so that is why I feed alfalfa cubes in addition. He can be a finicky eater and so I’ve had to tweak things over the years, but currently he is eating everything with gusto!
Ditto dental exam. Could just need floating. At that age, likely may be one or more loose teeth or may be missing teeth. If after dental he’s still quidding (chewing it but spitting out wads) his hay (and eventually will quid the grass too), I’ve used soaked hay cubes with soaked beet pulp mixed in instead of long stem flake hay (make a mash).
- Hay cubes can be grass hay (timothy, orchard grass, alfalfa blends with grass hay) or straight alfalfa. Alfalfa has more calories per pound than grass hay.
- Soaked beet pulp can replace up to half of the normal amount of hay (weigh it when it’s dry) and typically has 1.5 times the calories as grass hay (pound for pound).
- Triple Crown Sr can replace grass/hay altogether if necessary but always nice to have some longer stem fiber that the hay cubes provide if you can.
Make all diet changes slowly. You will need a way to separate him so that he can finish his meals. My childhood pony lived to 37. He had to be separated from the mare I had at the time pretty much 24x7 as by the end he had virtually no teeth and got 3-4 meals of mash a day (2% of his desired body weight per day).
I prefer to make sure they’re getting all the fiber/senior feed needed first and then if calories are still needed, try oil. If you decide to add the oil, start slowly. And you can only add so much before you run the risk of diarrhea.
