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If an old horse is not prone not laminitis or is a very good doer, then using lots of time eating grass will be an easy way to feed them. Leafy grass is softer and easier to chew than hay or haylage so many older horses maintain their weight more easily on spring and summer grass. Cushing’s disease is most common in old horses and can have a strong impact on oral health. The high cortisol levels associated with poorly controlled Cushings lead to protein breakdown in muscles and connective tissues, including the small ligaments which secure the teeth in position within the bones. This breakdown leads to tooth loosening. Divide hay replacersinto a minimum of 4 meals for those without access to grazing. Try to ensure the first and last meals of the day are given as early/ late as possible to avoid long periods without forage overnight. Hi-Fi Lite can also be fed as a hay replacer. Naturally lower in sugar than hay, Hi-Fi Lite can be fed on a weight for weight basis as a low sugar alternative to hay or haylage.

This cookie is used by the WPForms WordPress plugin. The cookie is used to allows the paid version of the plugin to connect entries by the same user and is used for some additional features like the Form Abandonment addon. The following tables are combinations of suggestions that can be used as part or total replacement of hay and grass for a 450 – 550 kilogram horse. Note that table one is suitable for horses that are not prone to laminitis. There are fewer options for horses prone to laminitis because it is essential to keep the combined levels of starch and simple sugars under 10% in the total diet. Why do we recommend the use of straights for old horses? YouTube sets this cookie to measure bandwidth, determining whether the user gets the new or old player interface. Remi is a para dressage horse who is on the World Class Para Programme and was long listed for Tokyo 2020 along with rider Amanda Shirtcliffe. Remi has always been a chunky horse and was diagnosed with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) last year. Unfortunately, Metformin, the veterinary medicine which is often used to manage EMS, isn’t allowed under FEI competition rules so his condition had to be managed through dietary changes and weight loss strategies.Leah Grange was concerned about giving her ex-racehorse Colin too much sugar in his diet and it “blowing his brains”. After a chat with the Dengie nutrition team she realised that his current ration was completely wrong for him in other ways too. Karyce realised she was going to have to make some drastic changes to the lifestyle of Della her Welsh Section C mare – she had to lose some weight as she was at risk of getting laminitis. Adequate chewing is absolutely critical for exposing the interior of hays and cereals to digestive enzymes.

Avoid grass based products for laminitics as they may contain high levels of water soluble carbohydrate. If you can’t test, then understanding the effect soaking has on hay and choosing to soak for short periods of time, will preserve the nutrient status of the hay. It is important to use a protocol which will not leach high levels of water-soluble nutrients from the hay. We covered the whys of dental health affecting older horses at the start of this article. A basic rule is that as a horse progresses into their mid to late twenties the power of the teeth’s grinding capabilities will reduce. In general, we would always encourage owners to avoid soaking hay if possible. Where a horse has COPD then spraying and damping the hay should be sufficient. The latest research into steaming hay suggests that protein quality may be affected, so if steaming is carried out, additional protein may be required to compensate for this. Although some laminitis-prone horses will tolerate Copra, the starch level in Copra is sometimes too high for it to be a good choice for all laminitis-prone horses. Where an elderly horse has well-controlled insulin levels, then Copra can be used, but care must be taken with this feed.Ageing in other species of animals is known to be associated with an increased risk of low production of stomach acid. This can cause incomplete digestion of protein, failure of mineral supplements to dissolve properly and possibly overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the intestinal tract, as stomach acid provides a barrier against infections. In elderly humans, poor absorption of minerals has been linked to an increase in bone fracture. The decision to carry out scientific analysis on the grass and hay an elderly horse eats, depends largely on whether you have control over the forage eaten and the amount eaten each day. The final consideration is to make sure the horse has sufficient time to consume his meals, in an environment where he will be protected from other horses. If a total replacement diet is needed then an area to munch, for an hour or two, in peace will be needed. This could be in a stable or in a fenced-off area. Although difficult to manage, this is the only way that a horse, which needs a considerable percentage of its diet as a soaked feed, will be able to consume enough food to maintain weight and health.