Fiber Sources for Senior Horses

male rider comforting dark brown horse representing Fiber Sources for Senior HorsesThe health and well being of senior horses are important topics to horse owners as these horses are frequently considered treasured members of the family.  There are many different criteria that are applied to determining when a horse would be considered a “Senior Horse”.  Once a horse is considered a senior it is important to consider introducing different forage options.  Quidding (spitting out unchewed wads of hay) is one of the signs we look for in making this determination.  Inspection by a veterinarian may confirm that the condition of the teeth requires an adjustment in fiber sources.

Complete Diet Options: Senior Horse Feeds with Fiber Sources for Gut Health

There are now a variety of Senior Horse Feeds available that can be fed as a complete diet. These feeds are designed with sufficient fiber to help maintain gut heath as well as providing the required energy, protein (amino acid balanced), minerals and vitamins for the balanced diet.  They will also normally contain added pre and probiotics to help maintain gut health.  For horses with extremely poor teeth, these feeds can be made into a mash as well to make consumption very easy.

Dehydrated Alfalfa and Grass Pellets: Ideal Fiber Sources for Senior Horses

Dehydrated alfalfa or alfalfa/grass pellets may also be used as a good fiber source. While not a complete balanced ration, these products work well for senior horses as they require minimal chewing.  They can also be soaked to form an easily consumed mash for horses with limited chewing ability.   Diet balancer products work well with this type of product to provide the addition amino acids, minerals and vitamins that are required to provide a balanced diet.

Adding Beet Pulp to Senior Horse Diets: Highly Digestible Fiber and Energy Source

Beet pulp is also a good highly digestible fiber source and is a good source of calories. Again, beet pulp is not a balanced ration, but may be added to a diet to provide energy.  Beet pulp pellets or beet pulp shreds can also be soaked for ease on consumption.

Soy Hulls: Digestible Fiber for Senior Horse Feeds

Another good highly digestible fiber source are soy hulls . Soy hulls are more likely to be used as a part of a Senior Horse Feed rather than being offered as a separate product.

Monitoring Body Condition Score and Topline Evaluation Score in Senior Horse Diets

Monitoring Body Condition Score and Topline Evaluation Score can help determine what changes may be needed in the total diet.  Loss of Body Condition Score tells us that our senior horse needs more Calories.  Loss of muscle mass may tell us we need a better amino acid profile in the diet.

Ensuring Hydration and Mineral Intake for Senior Horses: Salt and Water Needs

Senior horses also need access to salt, preferably loose salt, free choice and free access to fresh, clean water.  Water temperature is important to senior horses as water that is too cold may cause discomfort to badly worn teeth and may limit water intake, which can contribute to other problems such as impaction colic.

At Nutrena, we believe proper nutrition plays the biggest role for a lifetime of health and happiness for every horse. That’s why Nutrena horse feeds are specifically formulated for every life stage and activity level. 
 
Learn more about our feeds formulated specifically for Seniors to ensure your horse is getting the optimum nutrition at feeding time, every time.

Feed Selector tool

2 Replies to “Fiber Sources for Senior Horses”

  1. I have a very senior horse, 39 1/2 years old, who is getting over EPM.. She has been on Nutrena SafeChoice Senior since I rescued her 5 years ago, she was eating 18 lbs of grain per day, her only source of food, no hay, she does minimal grazing .. Since coming down with EPM she has only been averaging 4-5 lbs per day. She also gets DAC Oil & DAC Digestive Aid with each feeding.. Her Topline is not good & she has lost weight.. what more can I give her to help her gain weight before winter comes. Thank you very much..

    1. Hi Jill,
      Thank you for your interesting question regarding your very senior horse, 39 ½ that is recovering from EPM. She must be a pretty tough horse! She clearly needs to increase her Calorie (energy) intake with increased feed consumption to gain some weight. I am guessing that at her age, pretty limited chewing capacity. You may have to start making a mash of the SafeChoice Senior by soaking it with some warm water for a few minutes before feeding to see if she can consume this more readily. If it is available in your area, you might also consider switching to ProForce Senior and mixing in some alfalfa pellets, soaking to make a mash as well. If she does not consume readily, a little flavor bribery make be required to increase aroma and taste. When I used to take care of some picky eaters, I found that mixing in something like a bit of blackstrap molasses or applesauce would spice it up a bit. You may have to experiment a bit with mash consistency to find the combination that she likes so she will increase intake to gain weight.

      Best wishes,
      Roy J.

Comments are closed.

Privacy Policy | Terms