Every older horse I’ve ever cared for always got their senior feed soaked. It doesn’t take long at all. Most premium brands soften to gruel in 15 minutes and if you want soup just add more water. The additional benefit was the added water especially for oldies that tend to colic from dehydration during temp changes.
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I board retired horses and soak all their feed. My default feed is Triple Crown Senior. However I have some horses in their 30’s, and keeping weight on them is tough. Those horses I feed Ultium, with a cup of Empower Boost (rice bran) each meal (again soaked). Depending on where you are, it can be hard to put weight on in the winter.
My vet has also had me feed Well Gel (from the vet; about $250/month) for a horse in bad shape. It did the trick!
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I soak absolutely any concentrate I feed- hay pellets, cubes, senior, etc. Besides the reduced choke risk, it gets extra water into them and makes sure none of the powdered supplements go uneaten
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Was the choking recently? And was it TC Senior Gold?
about 1-2 months ago, the barn got into a new shipment of TC SG and 3 horses that had never choked before, choked within a couple weeks. BO called the TC rep and she said they had a batch of the TC Sr. Gold that went out that they’ve had several complaints about and it seems something was not quite right in the making of that batch.
My vote is for TC Senior Gold if you can get it. In my experience, it soaks a little faster and breaks down better than the original, My elderly gelding has never looked better on it, and at one point was actually getting too fat - I had to cut back!
He also gets a 1/2 cup of TC flax 2x daily mixed into the senior feed for omega 3 benefits. I have found that it makes the mash “slippery” and often wondered if it made it easier for him to swallow. No scientific evidence to support this claim of course.
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No. He choked on Nutrena senior but I don’t think it was soaked then.
