Winter is a time when many senior equines that have maintained condition successfully over the warmer summer months may struggle.
In preparation for winter, it can be beneficial for them to have a general health check, especially if they have had some uncharacteristic weight loss, and also have their teeth checked, ensure their deworming schedule is up to date and that they have adequate shelter and/or are appropriately rugged. Once key management practices have been assessed, it is time to review their current supplementary feed regime.
As with all horses’ , fibre should form the basis of the ration. If pasture is limited, other forms of fibre will be required, remembering that horses require a minimum of 1.5% of their bodyweight in forage daily on a dry matter basis. Taking into consideration the condition of the horse’s teeth, respiratory ailments and individual preferences will help to determine the most ideal forage substitutes. Fortunately, there are a great variety of choices available from hays to ensiled forages to beet products. Haylage will be preferable to hay for horses with respiratory conditions, and beets are a great fibre in the feed bin. Beets are a calorie-dense fibre for conditioning. They are soft to eat and assist with hydration.
For horses that struggle to maintain condition when supplementing forage alone, a suitable hardfeed should be provided. Feeds formulated for the more ‘mature equine’ will have some unique characteristics to cater for their changing nutritional needs.
In older horses it has been shown they have reduced digestibility of some key nutrients including protein, phosphorus and fibre. Dunstan Old Horse encompasses their key nutritional requirements and is formulated with the following considerations:
- It is higher in protein than a mature horse performance feed.
- It has a Calcium to Phosphorus ratio that may vary from a performance or young horse feed, with a lower Calcium and higher Phosphorus level bringing the ratio closer.
- It includes quality fibre sources such as sugarbeet, Lucerne and Soya Hulls.
- It includes a live yeast to aid digestion, particularly of Phosphorus and assists in maintaining a more optimum hindgut pH, contributing to overall digestive efficiencies.
Increased levels of Vitamin C are also suggested in the rations of older horses where synthesis of Vitamin C may be compromised.
To support the older horse in their ability to manage health challenges, Dunstan Old Horse includes elevated levels of the key antioxidant Vitamin E, provided in its natural form, and also a live yeast to aid digestion, as well as Mannan Oligosaccharides to boost their natural defences and support general health.
Once the recommended intakes of a full feed are being fed, if further calories are required, a low intake calorie-dense supplement can be a useful addition to the total ration. Dunstan Muscle n Shine offers the benefit of not only being calorie-dense but also contributing quality proteins and being highly palatable.
Remember to consider going to two or more feeds a day if higher intakes of supplementary feed are required. It is recommended that no more than 2kg of hardfeed should be fed in a single meal. An additional feed will not only allow more feed to be fed but will improve feed efficiency of the feed being fed, which is good for both the horse and the owner.
Adding water helps to soften the feed , making feeds easy to consume for old teeth.
Sometimes catering to the unique needs of the old horse means going a little further, but they’ve earned it.
If you have any queries on the best way forward for your old horse, please contact Dunstan on dunstan@dunstan.co.nz or 0800 438 678.
Alternatively email Dunstan’s Equine Nutritionist, Gretel Webber, on gretel@dunstan.co.nz
