My endurance Arab has just turned 16 and I’m re-evaluating his feed.During our off-season ( may thru oct) he is fed 5pats of Tifton a day and a cup of purina horse chow 100 twice a day. I also feed him beet pulp three times a week. During ride season I would mix in some ultium as a boost. This season Ive just been trail-riding, probably as much if I were competing. Now I’m thinking that due to his advanced age maybe he should get a senior feed? Or a ration balancer? He is pretty much an air fern and can get hot if given too much grain. Always has that"well fed" look and nice bloom for an older Arab. I don’t want to give him anything that’s going to affect his demeanor,although I realize that can be a crapshoot ,
If he’s looking good on his current regime, I wouldn’t change it just because the calendar changed.
16 is middle aged for an Arab ;).
I don’t do endurance, so I’m not sure how helpful this will be, but I never switched my Arab to senior feed. He passed away at 26 (fatty tumor), and was eating well right up until the end.
He was a relatively easy keeper, even in heavy work. I’m with the other folks - if it’s working now, don’t change it.
FWIW, I put my Quarter Horse on senior feed and hay stretcher pellets around 18. He’d always been an easy keeper, but started to have a bit of trouble keeping weight on as he got older. He made it to 32.
I wouldn’t consider a 16yo Arab a senior either. I’m in the if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it camp. If what you’re doing is working, stick with it until it quits working.
OMG. He’s not even close to being a senior. 
My 23-yo Arab is on Triple Crown senior, which is beet-pulp based, and free-choice 2nd cut hay (first cut is beneath her refined tastes, apparently). I found TC Senior to be among the lowest NSC complete feeds I could identify, and not based on wheat.
She was just diagnosed with borderline Cushing’s, though, so I am contemplating switching from the TC Senior to TC Safe Starch Forage, which is even lower in sugar. She is on pasture 8 hours a day, when it’s the right seasons for pasture, and is far from “underweight.” (The vet walked in after not having seen her since last summer, and with delicate sarcasm enquired as to whether she was going to foal soon.)
Bad mommy; too much 2nd cut hay, I guess.
16 is NOT old, especially for an Arab! My senior girl is 30 years old and I still ride her! She still tries to dump me at least once. Her endurance isn’t what it used to be but she can still be a handful and she wants to GO!
To answer your question. Senior feed won’t hurt him and if it makes you feel better go ahead and feed it. My 30 year old mare can no longer eat grass or hay and even soaked alfalfa cubes are too much for her lack of teeth soooo we are reduced to soaked beet pulp, alfalfa/timothy pellets and senior feed 3 times a day.
My pony is 32 and still doesn’t need senior feed. Her teeth are still pretty decent and she is on 2 cups of beet pulp pellets and 3 quarts of oats with a little rice bran once a day and a mixed grass round bale. My 20 year old mare is on the same and they are both plump, shiny, and sassy. I have used senior feed and actually found that my horses went downhill on it… If I have to feed a something that is more complete than just oats, I like Nutrena Safe Choice. It’s a pellet that soaks very fast and is low starch.It is also less expensive than the senior feeds available here by about $5-7 a bag. I also feed less of it and add my own beet pulp or chopped hay/cubes because I prefer to have more forage and less concentrate, personally.
