Page 6 - XLEquine - Caring for the older horse

Dental disorders
As equine teeth wear down with age, they become less
efficient at grinding forage. It is important to maintain fibre
intake, so you may need to consider:
l steaming hay to soften stems;
l soft meadow haylage;
l grazing young grass;
l ‘forage replacer’: this replaces the hay/haylage
component of the diet with short-chop fibre. Large
quantities are required (feed a total amount of 2%
of your horse’s weight daily) so split the feeds into
portions throughout the day. Introduce slowly,
building up to the required amount over 14 days.
Include a variety of the following:
l high fibre nuts (softened)
l sugar beet (soaked)
l alfalfa chaff or pre-packed dried grass
l molassed chaff
l grass nuts (soaked)
l a mineral and vitamin supplement.
Nutrition
05 Old Friends...
Being overweight is one of the most serious
problems an older horse can have. Weight
gain occurs if a horse’s nutritional intake is
greater than the physical energy demand.
A balanced approach to exercise and diet
is essential.
All equines should be fed a minimum of
1.5% of their bodyweight daily.
Caring for the older horse