Super Seniors

Mar 8

Written By Rachel Mottet

3/9/20

“Feeding senior horses is a big part of my job!”

Take a look at the senior citizens pictured. Notice the black horse running through the field.... how old do you think she is? How about the chestnut horse, George. Can you guess his age?

Answers below…

The black horse, Denali, is 37 years old! The chestnut gelding, George, is 33 years old. Both are loved, amazingly well cared for and are still full of so much life! Their herd has 20+ other horses over the age of 20 that I am honored to be able to work with. Not only do I develop their feeding program, but I also go to their farm monthly to evaluate their body condition and make sure they are getting the best nutrition possible.

So how do horses live this long?!

Three main reasons... advances in senior horse nutrition, advancements in veterinary medicine and incredible care! When I was a kid (and I'm really not that old I swear. Ok fine, I'm 35 so now you really know I'm not that old!) an old horse was one in their early to mid 20's. At that age they were retired and likely had a just a couple years of life left. Now I work with horses in their 30's that are still being ridden 5 days a week! You have to admit, that is pretty astonishing!

So what does a horse in his or her 30's eat?

While it is possible that a horse hits their 30's and is perfectly healthy, many horses at this age have compromised dentition to some degree and may have missing teeth altogether, they may suffer from Cushing's or metabolic issues, in addition to a whole gamet of other health woes. They also sometimes struggle to properly digest and absorb nutrients from long stem forage due to an aged digestive system. In result, they may rely heavily on the nutrition provided by a complete feed.

A complete feed designed for seniors provides the grain and hay in a pellet. Some companies will even make this pellet slightly smaller and softer than traditional feed pellets to ease digestion for seniors. The smaller particle size and easy to chew diet makes nutrient absorption possible and optimal for these seniors. There are quite a few senior horses that I work with that rely entirely on complete feed to keep them alive! (See how cool nutrition is?! One of the many reasons I love it!)

The horses pictured are still offered mostly free choice hay year round. While they eat some, quid/ball up some, drop much and sleep in it, we know with good certainty that the hay isn't doing them any nutritional favors! We know this because when on a diet of only hay and a small amount of grain, these horses lack muscle, drop weight and fail to thrive. When this occurred years ago it was their body's way of 'telling us' it was time for a senior feed. The results below speak for themselves! And even though that hay they're offered isn't providing much in terms of nutrients, it is providing a flow of fiber through the tract which is ideal for them, especially since both have functional teeth that have not presented choke concerns.

Like many other seniors in their 30's, (depending on the horse) these horses receive 8-15 lbs. of a high quality senior feed per day split into small meals. Depending on their condition or time of year, sometimes they require a 1/2 lb. of a fat supplement on top of each meal to maintain good body condition. We experience very harsh winters here in Minnesota and have only a few months of pasture, so their feeding rates may be higher than seniors in warmer climates with better access to pasture. I have met horses in their 30's who thrive and maintain weight on less feed, an owner in this situation just needs to pay close attention to their body condition. Watch for their body to 'tell you' (muscle & weight loss) if they would benefit from a complete senior feed at this higher feeding rate.

Sometimes these seniors keep us on our toes by changing their minds about what kind of feed they like, skipping meals here or there, or going on strike against their grain altogether.... so then we get creative in how the feed is offered (soaked/unsoaked, sprinkled with other tastier feed, trying different feed altogether, etc), which is a full post on it's own!

Take-aways: Many* (not all) horses in their 30's rely on a complete feed to maintain condition. In these cases, aim for 1.2-1.4% of their bodyweight in a high quality senior feed per day to meet their nutrient and calorie needs. Continue to provide access to hay or pasture as long as their teeth do not present a choke risk from long stem forage. A fat supplement on top of their grain can be useful to target weight gain. Split their feed into 3 small meals if the amount fed surpasses 10 lbs. Some seniors will need more, some will need less, use the body condition scoring system to evaluate whether they are in need of more calories or getting too much.

Lastly, if you have a moment, check out the page for This Old Horse. They are a horse sanctuary who owns all the horses pictured in this post and they are incredible! Beyond these horses, over 300 horses are under their umbrella and oversight. The care, love and quality of life horses receive from this group is unreal. I have worked with hundreds of their horses since 2015 and feel strongly about their mission to do everything possible for the well-being of all their horses. You can also find more info here: https://www.thisoldhorse.org/ Thank you This Old Horse for making me part of your team!