Senior horse feed brands

[Palm_Beach]

@Bluemoonranch

I have various recommendations on which brand of senior feed to use for my 30 year old gelding. It seems to be either Triple Crown, Purina or Nutrena. I would like to hear what you folks on the forum recommend. Basically he still has pretty good teeth and is on pasture 24/7 but in the winter of course he receives hay. And for the 3rd winter now when I put him on hay he develops diarrhea and loses weight, quite a bit this year. Right now I have him on about 4lbs nutrena senior with rice bran, alfalfa pellets and soaked beet pulp divided into am and pm feedings. He has good mixed grass hay 24/7.

You should link the product you are using - Nutrena has several lines and several senior products. Read the feeding instructions. Are you feeding within the recommended range? Read the ingredients list - it probably contains rice bran, alfalfa and beet pulp (most senior feeds have those ingredients). So you are taking a balanced product and adding more stuff to it that are already in the feed, and possibly affects the balance. Why not just feed more of the senior feed?

The diarrhea is probably due to the hay. Some horses react to a change in diet even if the products are good quality. I’d add probios as soon as the horse starts getting hay, and add the hay to the diet in small amounts, increasing over time.

[lorilu]

@Janet

If he is having trouble chewing normal hay, you could try chopped hay or soaked hay cubes. You could also add rice bran (or other oil), but may not be a good idea if he already has diarrhea issues.

My 33 yo (16 h) gets about 12 lb of Pro-Elite Senior per day, plus rice bran oil, chopped hay, and hay cubes, as well as pasture. But she quids both pasture and normal hay.

Soaked T/A cubes will also add water to the meal… never a bad idea. Everyone gets it on my farm in the winter. CUbes have some longer fibers whereas hay pellets do not…

[FatDinah]

A big fan of Triple Crown Senior. When my shop was out, I did use the new Purina Senior, liked it better but still not same quality as TC.

[walktrot]

There are more choices these days beyond “senior” feeds. My 25 y.o. gelding gets Blue Seal Sentinel Performance LS. The Sentinel line is pressure cooked (extruded) so the digestibility is comparable between the different formulas. LS is high fiber, high fat, low in sugars and carbs. It is a fixed formula. It can be used by performance horses but is also good for rescues and hard keepers. The local Blue Seal store says it is their best selling grain.

His teeth are still good but he needs a few more calories. Senior and LS are very similar but Senior is much lower in fat and doesn’t have quite as much fiber. LS also has more nutrients concentrated in a smaller serving. He gets about 3 pounds per day.

Blue Seal is about $5-10 per 50 pound bag cheaper than Triple Crown or Nutrena, about $18. Our local Blue Seal store is company-owned and has a rewards program. There are frequent $10 coupons and rewards for points. They have sent a coupon for a free bag every December. They also order my cat food and they have my cats’ favorite toys: Rosie Rats.

[fourfillies]

I’ve been feeding Pro Elite Senior. It’s a Cargill product distributed through Southern States. Bit less spendy than TSC and consistent quality.

[Chief2]

I use Blue Seal Sentinnel Performance LS and Poulin Fibre Max in a 50:50 mix. I used to use TC SR instead of the Poulin but found out the Poulin has almost the same formula in an extruded pellet, is easier to manage in the freezing weather, and costs about $9 less per 50 pound bag. My horse likes it better, too. The BS Sentinnel Performance LS (extruded pellet) has more fat in it than their senior formula does, which cemented that choice for me, as well. My horse is 26 years old and doing well on the mix.

[SMF11]

I feed either Poulin Fibremax, or TC SR. The Poulin is better for hard keepers; but it’s NSC level is higher than TCSR and thus not a good choice for Cushings horses.

[muddybanjo]

I rescued a Tennessee Walker mare… it’ll be two years in January when I got her. Skin and bones… diarrhea, bad hooves, and her teeth had to be floated. She had a high count of the small strongyles. After getting her over all of that she has gained around 500 pounds. Was on Excel senior feed but her squirts continued so I slowly switched her to TC Senior active + several months ago.The vet thought by using a feed that has extruded pellets… it would be easier to digest. Since I have had her, she gets diarrhea. But… her stools look great but when she passes gas she squirts. We… my vet and I have tried everything to get her over this. She clears up in the summer when she’s on pasture but as soon as I start feeding hay she starts in again. Fecal water syndrome is what the vet says is going on. She’s been tested for EVERYTHING!!
I am getting ready to slowly switch her feed to something other than the TC senior active + only because I have such a hard time finding it and also the last bag I got was awful!! Two different colors of pellets and it was moldy!! I may just go to TC senior and not the active +. There are so many brands out there it’s hard to decide what is good for a senior horse!! Finding something that’s easy for her to digest and keeps her weight up. Oh these horse!! They can drive ya crazy when it comes to their feeds!