Ageing can alter any animal’s nutritional requirements and this needs to be considered when choosing the most suitable feeds for older horses and ponies.

To promote general good health, a regular worming programme is important, and teeth should be checked regularly too by a vet or reputable equine dental technician.

At what age does a horse become a veteran?

Horses age at different rates and although they are often considered to be senior at 15, as veterinary and nutritional science continue to improve, the age we consider horses to be a veteran is changing.

Where some horses will be struggling with their weight and have dental problems in their late teens, others will still be going strong into their mid-twenties and beyond.

This means it’s hard to determine exactly when a horse should be considered a senior, but the key thing is to look for changes in the individual.

If you notice differences then it is an indication that they require some special attention. However, if a veteran horse is still in good health, then as with a horse of any age, simply choose a ration that is best suited to their bodyweight or workload.

Although there are many senior specific mixes and cubes on the market, not every elderly horse or pony needs them, especially those that hold their weight well.

Senior-specific problems

Poor dentition and weight loss are just some of the problems that a senior horse may encounter. In practice, this means they may require a more specialised ration all year round.

Feeding horses with poor dentition in the winter months can be particularly challenging, as the reliance on conserved, long-stem forage such as hay increases.

Monitoring bodyweight and condition by regular use of a weigh tape and body condition scoring is good practice for any horse owner, but it is especially important for those with older horses.

This will provide plenty of opportunity to alter the feed ration before any weight changes progress too far.

Feeding the underweight veteran

Just because a horse is old, it does not necessarily mean that they are going to be thin. However, for those that really are underweight, it is important to ascertain the reason why and not just put it down to old age.

Run through a checklist including dental check, vet check and worming check to identify any problems.

Also check the horse’s diet. In particular, ask yourself whether they are eating as much hay as they used to? It may be time to consider moving onto a more senior-specific, higher-energy feed or a hay replacer product if they are now struggling to chew long-length forages.

Remember to proceed with caution, as the best feed for veteran weight gain may not actually be a senior-specific mix or cube, especially for horses that require a low sugar and starch diet.

Alfa-A Oil is Dengie’s highest calorie fibre feed and has a calorie level equivalent to a conditioning mix or cube, but without the high sugar and starch levels.

This makes Alfa-A Oil a very suitable feed for older horses that need to gain weight, but who require a low sugar and starch ration. 

Feeding the veteran with poor dentition

Older horses often have poor dentition, which can result in weight loss as they are unable to properly chew their feed.

Ensuring the horse has a high fibre diet which is easy for them to chew is vital for ensuring they don’t lose condition, particularly over the winter months.

Dengie Hi-Fi Senior combines nutrient rich alfalfa with soft grasses, making it ideal for veterans with less than perfect teeth.

Hi-Fi Senior can be used as part of the bucket feed or as a forage replacer for horses who are no longer able to eat hay or haylage.

Soaked fibre feeds such as Dengie Alfa-Beet can be fed alongside or instead of a chopped fibre feed.

Alfa-Beet is made from alfalfa and unmolassed sugar beet, two highly digestible fibres, helping to promote weight gain and condition even for those with no teeth at all.

Alfa-Beet is also ideal for aiding hydration, which is particularly helpful over the winter months when horses can be reluctant to drink.

Case study: a 31-year-old’s calorie-controlled diet

Kizzy is a 31-year-old ex-riding school pony who has numerous health conditions that affect her diet and management.

The mare has diastemas (gaps in the teeth) and recently had a front tooth removed due to a longitudinal fracture. This means she needs a soaked bucket feed without any short, chopped fibre in her ration as this gets stuck between the gaps in her teeth.

Kizzy can also suffer periodically with digestive health issues, which are evident in her droppings and are worse if her hay is coarse and stalky.

As she is a good doer and prone to laminitis, Kizzy is kept on a very strict calorie-controlled diet that is also low in sugar and starch.

Daily turnout

When Kizzy was first weighed in 2010, she was overweight and weighed around 320kg. With a strict diet and management plan, she gradually lost the necessary weight and has maintained a healthier body condition — weighing in around 260kg — for the last couple of years.

This has positively impacted her health in lots of ways and Kizzy’s owner, Tracey, works very hard to manage her various health conditions to keep her happy and healthy. It can be difficult dealing with more than one issue at once.

Kizzy doesn’t go out to grass anymore, but she is turned out in her own wood chip paddock every day with various buckets of soaked hay to encourage her to forage.

She also has a bucket feed of Dengie Alfa-Beet with an added vitamin and mineral supplement to provide her with a balanced diet.

For more information about the Dengie range, or for advice about your own horse or pony’s diet, visit dengie.com.

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