The higher calorie feed may have higher protein. The one that I fed did. If the kidney function isn’t normal the higher protein may send him into kidney failure. I’d he’s having liver issues, you need vet advice on treating that, not just a change in diet.
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While ingredients are required to be listed in descending order by weight, you still don’t know the amount of each ingredient per pound.
Can you post a pic of the ingredient list you have? I can find some online, but it’s always a guess whether it’s a current tag or not.
Feeding instructures for Sr feeds that can be fed as the sole source of food, ARE lots of pounds - it’s their only source of food so yes, potentially 20-25lb. That doesn’t mean that’s how you have to feed it.
If you can feed 10-15lb of hay cubes (soaked in this case) then you don’t feed 25lb of any complete feed.
But no, you wouldn’t be feeding 25lb of any Sr feed twice a day. Once a day maybe.
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14-16% feed isn’t high protein even if fed as the sole source of food. It doesn’t cause kidney issues. Ok yes it’s higher than they need, but it’s not like an all-alfalfa diet which could be 18-20% protein
it’s also not a % of protein (in the total diet) I’d feed a horse with kidney issues.
Absolutely, that’s not something you approach without professional input
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Oh I didn’t know the TC gold was so high, good to know
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?
TCS is like 5/6 lbs daily presuming horse is still eating hay. I believe Purina Senior is fed at a similar rate. Split into two feedings a day that’s like 3 lbs per meal. Horse would have to awful decrepit to not be able to eat that much.
I agree that alfalfa hay is a fantastic addition for a horse that needs more calories.
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Good point.
Depends on the teeth I suppose.
My old mare lost a lot of teeth and it was hard for her.
I soaked her feed until it was a soup. Unlike the OPs horse, she happily slurped it down
A boarder at my boarding barn had an older horse who got senior feed, soaked beet pulp and alfalfa cubes and he just couldn’t finish it all.
But he loved coming in the afternoon and finishing it up. Just in time for the pm feed.
It’s all individual. I think I would rather give a horse more hay than feed.
What is he actually eating?
I’m in NJ as well and know the barns I’ve boarded at locally before in the past were pretty stingy with hay, like 2-3 flakes at 5/6pm for overnight. Every one of them had trouble keeping weight on my TB. He’s at home now and gets about 25-30lb of hay/day in the winter and 4lbs Proforce senior, a small amount of Renew Gold, and 2lbs soaked alfalfa cubes each day split into two meals and he looks great closing in on 20 years old.
Edited to add, I don’t think of my guy as a senior, and he certainly wasn’t when we were boarding, but I always found it interesting how many barns struggled to maintain his weight.
No Sr feed is required to be fed in “so much” amounts. Just because you can doesn’t mean you have to.
And not all Sr feeds are completed feeds (Purina Senior Active isn’t a complete feed), so you shouldn’t feed more than any other average feed
You’re not supposed to feed all 15-20lb, or whatever, in a single feeding. You still have to feed no more than about 5lb, maaaaybe 6 for a really large horse, in a single feeding, and horses eat that much in a meal all the time.
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Well sure! My oldie has more hay than he’ll eat. Alfalfa and a lot of it. Still needs TCS to keep weight. It’s individual like you say.
OP is currently feeding her horse beet pulp. Horse is skinnyish. Swapping from beep to a grain that actually gets some decent calories in him seems like a no brainer. I dunno what the rest of the menu is as OP hasn’t shared that. Perhaps there’s room for more hay, perhaps there isn’t.
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Started blanketing my senior mare once the daytime temps were trending towards the lower 50s and mid 40s at night. She’s got a pretty decent winter coat so I feel pretty good about pulling her fleece sheet and turnout sheet in the morning, but she lies down for a long time at night and I didn’t want to have the colder ground leeching body heat.
Supposed to be in the mid 30s this week and rainy so I’ll probably breakout the midweights for her and my 22yo gelding (he’s trace-clipped) and decide if I’m going to leave those on during the day or if I swap their zero fill sheets.
Depends how much work I wanna make for myself.
My senior mare has been in a soaked diet for 2 years now. She does get a flake of hay in a nibble net, but she usually takes 3 or 4 days to empty the bag as she picks at it more than anything (and the small holes keep her from gloming a big mouthful that makes her quid).
Had her on hay cubes for a long time. Darned near killed myself soaking the things, and then lugging them to my car in the mornings (not to mention having to get up at 2 AM to get them to soak enough to break down). Afternoon feed was easier since I could do it at the ranch. So I eventually changed to feeding alfalfa pellets for her evening feed mixed with chopped alfalfa. She loves the stuff and I don’t have to prep it at 2 AM anymore.
Had her on Triple Crown Senior, but she kinda got tired of it and decided she preferred Triple Crown Complete instead. She gets 5 lbs of that a day (2 in the morning, 1 at “lunch” aka afternoon when I get there and 2 at night). She also gets 1/2 lb of Renew Gold Senior 2x/day. I think she’s looking the best she’s ever looked as a senior these days. Great weight, good jiggly fat in her butt.
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We just got our coming 25 year old pony back from a lease (picked him up in a hurry) as we were told he was not doing well. Body score of 2 and was pretty much being starved.
Anyway, I worked with a Purina rep (Canada) and my vet as drew blood to ensure his kidneys and liver was ok so we could sedate to do his teeth.
He’s been home for 3 weeks now and eats like a mad man and has put on weight already. I do feed him grain 3 x a day but he get Excel HD grain (not a Sr feed as this has more fat/calories), Optimal, Athlete, pro biotic, Mad Barn Amino Trace and Omneity, and Camelina Oil. I give him about 5lb of soaked alfalfa cubes with his lunch grain and about 15lb soaked alfalfa cubes for the night when he comes in. He also gets a small amount of hay to nibble on once hes done his cubes for the night.
He is turned out with some other ponies all day and gets hay from 4am and I bring him in for lunch around 2pm and then he goes back out to hay and then in around 8pm for the night for his grain and hay cubes. He has a ton of hair as he was living outside with no shelter, or a blanket and very little food. I live in Ontario and we are just below the freezing mark right now and I have a medium fill blanket on him. When he comes inside for the night, I do remove it as he has been sweating. I do susupect he may have Cushings but we havent tested since so many things have changed in his life recently. But I will be testing for it at some point. I also did have to do a trace clip on him since he was sweating at his neck, chest, elbows and stifle and I was worried he would not do well once he was turned out in freezing temps (even though he has a blanket on for outside).
So far this has been working really well for him, and he looks ridiculous with his clip job, but it works! He’s been putting on weight and is moving around a lot better outside (was quite depressed looking and his bloodwork showed low red blood cells and protein due to his poor condition). I’m starting to see some fat on him and hes trotting and cantering around and has a lot more life in his eyes.
You could always look into some amino acid supplement as I find they work great for topline if its missing in the diet. Camelina oil has been great for all of my ponies as well. Helps keep weight on and nice shiny coats! Hay cubes have been amazing as well. I feed it to one of my younger really picky eaters as well and both he and my senior have been doing really well on it.
Hi, cant find which person, or where, asked questions. Location is at home in NJ. He’s the only senior horse here, but he is also the “boss” horse. Nobody pushes him around. Comes in a stall at night. Run in sheds during the day. I had him on a 14.5% protein, 5.5 fat, 17 fiber feed. Vet said go for higher fat feed so he got switched to same protein but a 7% fat. hay is free choice orchard grass. He will eat what he wants of that and then wander around the pasture grazing on whats left of summer grass, coming back to the hay several times during the day. The vet suggested the beep pulp. So I had been adding that to his feed, but he hates anything in his feed, especially if its “wet” (soaked beet pulp, oils, supplements). He’s had his teeth floated and I was told theyre all there, nothing loose, mouth looked good and he has no problem eating hay. From reading all the comments and other peoples experiences. It looks like I may try switching to the Triple Crown and instead of beet pulp, add in some alfalfa pellets. He’s not “bad”, just looking thinner in spots and the weight tape showed he’s lost a little. I just don’t want him to GET bad. thank you again everyone
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I don’t blanket persay, but I always toss a really waterproof sheet on my senior (34yrs old) when it is below 30, and below about 45 and windy/damp/raining. Otherwise he gets hot but he has a really full winter coat. He is also gray, now white basically lol. My 2 guys get stalled with doors shut at night if it is below 30.
OP, If he hates the wet food is he leaving it and letting the other pasture mates eat it? If cost is an issue, granted Triple Crown is amazing, but I feed Nutrena Senior to my guy and use their coupons whenever they are available. I soak it with just enough hot water to soften it extra when it is cold out and to add little hydration but it is pretty chewable as is. He gets 2lbs am, 1 to 1.5lbs for lunch, and another 2 lbs at dinner.
Have you tested for Cushings? That’s a biggy for weight loss in seniors. Is he in any pain? That can cause weight loss too. I have seen a huge difference in my senior after starting a quarter tab of 225mg Previcox daily at dinner. Is he drinking enough? My 2 get just cheapo Dumor Tractor Supply apple flavored electrolyte powder sprinkled on their feed. Yes they have pink salt licks, the spoiled punks lol, but sprinkling the electrolyte powder on their feed means I know it is going in their system. My senior goes straight for the water bucket after eating every time.
Good luck and happy holidays/merry xmas/ cheerful quanza/ect ect to all!!!
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Triple Crown has an ongoing rewards program if you save the proof of purchase on the bags.
12 proofs gets you a $25. Gift card usable anywhere like cash.
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That will be higher fat (10%) though I can’t say it’s more calories/lb, as it’s not a high calorie feed (1540/lb) But a LOT of horses do really well on it.
I think they just changed the criteria a bit. Double check but I think it’s 15 POPs for $30
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yes, you’re right. The new criteria for 2022 is 15 proofs for $30.
12/25 til end of year.
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I keep my horses like you describe: out by their choice, with access to stalls 24/7.
My 18yo TWH started looking ribby this Fall. So, long before any real cold weather.
At vet’s advice, I added a cup of TC Sr to his grain (4# whole oats & 2T BOSS 2X daily).
He’s looking good now, no ribs felt beneath his plush Winter coat.
Previous vet (retired his equine practice after 20yrs with me 
) had suggested adding Nutrena Empower Boost for my 17yo WB with the same weight issue.
I did not feed that solely, continued with oats/BOSS as above & added a cup of the Boost 2X daily.
Put him in good weight in less than a month & he kept it on through Midwest Winter.
I blanket very infrequently.
Generally only if we get a heavy blizzardy snow & that is melting on their backs.
Blankets stay on until they’re dry beneath, then come off.
If temps stay Negative-F for more than a couple days, I will blanket.
Temps in the teens & even single digits w/sun, they’re nekkid.
I check for warmth:
Brisket
Belly
Flanks
Ear tips
Even my 27yo TB grew enough coat to keep him toasty on this program.
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If my horses grew enough coat to keep warm in your temps they’d heat stroke out here lol! It’s supposed to be mid 70s again later this week with full sun. I may have to clip horses so they aren’t sweating to death 
If you can source the Gold line locally, I’d try that. Here it’s just $1.50 more per bag and has more calories per lb.
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