Badly worn or missing teeth can be common in older horses and will reduce their ability to chew hay or haylage effectively as these are more fibrous than soft summer grass. Weight loss during the winter could be sign that your horse’s teeth are not functioning optimally. Low fibre intake results in the normal microbial balance in the hindgut becoming upset, which can lead to loose droppings and reduced digestive efficiency.
A dental examination by a qualified equine dental technician or vet would be advisable to correct uneven wear and misalignment. A useful indicator of dental function, which is also worth monitoring, is the length of fibres in your horse’s droppings. If more than 20% of the fibres are longer than 1cm, hay or haylage is not being chewed effectively. Replacing hay and haylage with soft, short chopped grass may help for a while. Before long pre-ground fibre, such as a high-fibre mash, will become necessary to keep your elderly horse healthy and in good condition.
In view of the fact that older horses are gradually able to eat less fibre, and therefore may suffer from disturbances in the hindgut microbial balance, cereal-based products that are high in sugar and starch should be avoided.
Base your horse’s hard feeds on a nutrient-dense top specification feed balancer. The best balancers will supply amino acids, vitamins, minerals and yeast products, which improve the utilisation of the rest of the diet.
Most top specification conditioning feed balancers contain very high quality protein sources for a horse. Protein promotes muscle development and topline when horses exercise in the correct outline, topline often wastes away in older horses.
If more calories are required for your horse to gain weight, adding a low starch, conditioning blend to a top specification feed balancer, with pre-ground fibre e.g. a high-fibre mash, as a hay replacer if necessary, will provide a very successful solution for your veteran horse.
