Buy Feeds for Senior Horses in the UK
When do horses become 'senior'? This is highly individual, with most owners using a combination of chronological age and physiological age to ‘judge’ if their horse is ‘getting old’ and needs a change in feed and/or management.
Regardless of age, fibre is the most important part of every horse’s diet and is vital for good digestive health. Unfortunately as horse’s age their dental condition will naturally decline, often making it difficult for them to graze and chew hay efficiently. It is then necessary to provide alternative sources of fibre that can be easily chewed and digested by the veteran horse. Weight loss is also a common problem that affects horses as they age and for this reason most specific veteran feeds, are high in calories to help older horses gain weight and maintain good condition. The quickest way to help them gain weight is to feed soaked hay pellets or cubes in addition to their hay and pasture. Hay pellets and cubes have a higher feed utilization than hay, since they are 'pre-chewed' in a sense. However, not all senior horses lose weight, many that have been good doers all of their lives will remain so in their later years. For these horses and ponies, choosing a low calorie veteran feed will help to ensure they receive an age appropriate, nutritionally balanced diet without promoting unwanted weight gain. Another important factor when feeding a senior horse is to choose a feed low in starch and sugar - a good veteran feed will be one that is high in fibre and low in starch and sugar as this is more natural for the horse. Feeds which contain cereals and molasses will be higher in starch and sugar, which can not only cause fizzy and excitable behaviour, but can also make the horse more susceptible to developing laminitis or colic.
Soaked Feeds
Veteran feeds should also be palatable and easy to eat. A senior horse with poor teeth is more at risk of suffering choke and colic because he is not able to chew his food properly. A feed that can be soaked to form a soft, palatable mash is easy to eat and using warm water also releases more flavours from the feed - helping to tempt even the fussiest of feeders. Feeding a soaked feed will also increase a horse’s water consumption, something that is particularly useful during the winter months when many veterans can be reluctant to drink enough water.
When feeding a senior horse, you can also consider things like:
Digestive health: As horses age, their digestive systems can become less efficient. You can help maintain digestive health by providing a variety of fibres and feeds that contain prebiotics and probiotics. These ingredients support the hindgut microbiome and can help with fiber digestion. Easily digestible feed: Expanded pellets and mueslis are easier for senior horses to digest. Meal frequency: Feed senior horses multiple meals throughout the day, with each meal no more than 2kg. Separation: Separate senior horses from other horses during feeding to ensure they have access to food. Protein: Feeds with quality protein can help promote improved muscle tone. Avoiding sudden changes: Avoid making sudden changes to your horse's forage or concentrate ration, or to their turnout time.
Here are some senior horse feeds to consider:
Allen & Page Veteran Vitality: Designed to provide easily digestible calories. Dodson & Horrell Sixteen Plus Mix: Ideal for older horses and ponies that are losing weight or condition. Dengie Hi-fi Senior: A low calorie, sugar and starch fibre feed. Mollichaff Veteran: A high fibre, soft, short chop; ideal for horses that struggle to chew their feed.
This is just a small selection of our large range of Senior Horse Feeds available from SPR Centre. Whatever your horse's nutritional needs, you will always find a high quality feed when you shop online with SPR Centre. You can also expect a great service along with fast delivery - wherever you are in the UK.
