SENIOR HORSES AND SENIOR FEEDS

SENIOR HORSES AND SENIOR FEEDS- Different Feeds for Different Needs This scene happens frequently in feed stores across the country: Customer: “I need a bag of senior feed.” Clerk (smiling): “Sure! Which one would you like?” Customer (speaking slowly): “The…senior…feed.” Clerk (still smiling): “Okay, we have several different kinds. Do you remember the name?” Customer: “No, it has a horse on the bag though.” Clerk (still smiling, but it’s a forced smile): “Do you know the name of the company that makes it?” Customer: “No, but the other guy that works here knows what I get.” Clerk (no longer smiling): “I’m sorry, he isn’t here today.” Customer: “Then just give me any kind- they’re all the same, aren’t they?” Ok, I hear you snickering. Yes, this really does happen! It illustrates two important points. First, you should know the complete name of the feed your horse is eating and not just “pellets” or “sweet feed” or “senior feed.” While there are many similarities, there are also important differences. That brings us to our second point: senior feeds are not all the same. There are different formulas because not all senior horses are the same. Just what is a senior horse, anyway? There is no single definition. Horses are as individual as people are, so we must view each horse on his own. Some teenaged horses seem old before their time and some in their 30s are still as lively as ever. Certainly, horses in their 20s and 30s are seniors, and some in their teens can be considered seniors as well. Instead of assigning an age, it makes more sense to consider changes in the horse. We look for changes in their body condition, in joints that affect their mobility, at the condition of their teeth, their metabolism, their sociability, and their overall health. There are other signs, many of which are more subtle. As a friend who is an equine nutritionist says, “things work until they don’t.” When your current feeding routine no longer seems to do the job, it’s time to evaluate your horse and his job, and then think about changes. We know that as horses get older, they are less able to make full use of the nutrients that we feed them. This means that they may not be able to absorb all the protein, vitamins, and minerals in the feed. They are also entering a period when dentition, or condition of their teeth, tends to deteriorate. It’s not uncommon now for horses to outlive their teeth. This wasn’t much of a concern when horses were considered old at 20 but now, thanks to increased research, better healthcare, and more advanced knowledge, many horses are still active in their late 20s and even into their 30s. Their teeth haven’t adapted yet though so your old guy can literally “grow out of his teeth.” Horses’ teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetime until they are worn down to a nub (think of a pencil that has seen many sharpenings.) Even if he maintains a full mouth of teeth, they are likely to be rounded and smooth, somewhat like mushroom caps. Smooth teeth aren’t very efficient at grinding and breaking down fibrous forage or hard grains such as corn. Other aspects of equine old age are health conditions such as PPID (formerly known as Cushing’s), insulin resistance, and metabolic changes. Please don’t diagnose him yourself: have a conversation with your veterinarian on a regular basis about your old horse’s health. Let’s start our talk about feed by clarifying a few definitions. There are senior feeds that are complete feeds and there are senior feeds that are not complete feeds. To add to the confusion, there are complete feeds that are not labeled as senior feeds. What’s the difference? Senior feeds provide protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and usually some probiotics. They tend to have higher levels of some nutrients because it’s understood that the horse won’t be able to use the full amount. By over-supplying the amount of the nutrients in the feed, hopefully the horse will be able to absorb what he needs. Senior feeds also tend to be easier to chew and digest to aid those horses with dental issues. It’s important to note here that you won’t find the same level of nutrients in every senior feed. We’ll talk more about that later in this article. Complete feeds also provide protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They provide a lot more fiber though. Their purpose is to increase your horse’s fiber intake, or even replace it, if he can’t chew forages anymore. They are also an option if your horse can’t eat hay because of respiratory issues. If your hay is of poor quality, complete feeds are helpful. Essentially you can use them two ways: you can feed them with or without forage. The most common fiber source in complete feeds is beet pulp, but don’t assume that it is a complete feed just because it contains beet pulp. The only way to be sure is to read the bag. A true complete feed will have recommendations on the bag for feeding both with and without forage. Senior complete feeds are even more specialized. They provide the higher levels of nutrients, and they can provide the forage that he needs if he can no longer eat hay or pasture. They are easy to chew and highly digestible. They can also be mixed with water to aid in chewing and swallowing and to increase water consumption (and as a nice warm treat on a cold winter night.) Let’s review basic feeding guidelines. You know by now that I’m a stickler for how you measure your feed. You should be feeding by the pound, not the container. If you want to use that pretty berry blue enclosed scoop, that’s fine, as long as you know how many pounds you are feeding. Please don’t tell me that you are feeding a pound of feed just because you