Veterans & Senior Horses
Horses are living longer nowadays but are often healthier for longer too – so just because a horse or pony is in their twenties or even their thirties, it doesn’t mean their nutritional requirements have changed. If your horse is just old in years but not in condition and has no specific health issues, then you can continue to feed them as you would any other horse. Choose a horse feed most suited to their bodyweight and workload and continue to make sure the diet is balanced. If your horse has any age-associated problems such as poor dentition or PPID (Cushing’s Disease), then they will need some adjustments to their diet to offer them some additional support. More information on feeding the senior horse or pony can be found here.
Dengie have several feeds that are particularly suitable for many older horses and ponies.
Hi-Fi Lite
- 5 MJ/kg Digestible Energy
- 7% sugar
- 5% starch
- A short chopped fibre feed with no added pellets to provide increased chew time whilst remaining low in calories
- Includes a light molasses coating to tempt fussy feeders
Click here to learn more about Dengie Hi-Fi Lite.
Ulser Lite
- 8 MJ/kg Digestible Energy
- 6.5% sugar
- 2% starch
- Contains grass for natural sweetness with straw and herbs
- Includes prebiotics and yeast through the inclusion of the Protexin In-Feed Formula, as well as added alfalfa pellets to support gastric and digestive health
- Approved by BETA for horses and ponies prone to Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome
Click here to learn more about Dengie Ulser Lite.
Hi-Fi Senior
- 8.5 MJ/kg Digestible Energy
- 10% sugar
- 1.6% starch
- A straw-free formulation, made with a blend of soft grass and nutrient-rich alfalfa with a light molasses and rapeseed oil coating
- An easy-to-chew, highly digestible fibre feed for all horses and ponies, particularly those with poor teeth
Click here to learn more about Dengie Hi-Fi Senior.
Healthy Hooves Molasses Free
- 8.5 MJ/kg Digestible Energy
- 2.5% sugar
- 1.5% starch
- Nutritionally balanced when fed to recommended quantities, so no need to add a balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement
- Ideal for those prone to laminitis or with PPID
- Contains MSM and biotin for stronger joints and healthier hooves
- Includes garlic to tempt fussy feeders
Click here to learn more about Dengie Healthy Hooves Molasses Free.
Pure Grass Pellets
- 10 MJ/kg Digestible Energy
- 12% sugar
- 2% starch
- 100% naturally grown meadow grass with no added sugar
- Naturally sweet so are ideal for tempting fussy feeders
- Soak to a tasty mash before feeding
Click here to learn more about Dengie Pure Grass Pellets.
Alfa-Beet
- 10.5 MJ/kg Digestible Energy
- 5% sugar
- 2% starch
- A high-fibre feed combining alfalfa and unmolassed sugar beet pulp, two sources of highly digestible fibre, which should be soaked before feeding to make a tasty mash
- Ideal for aiding hydration and promoting weight gain
- Perfect for older horses or for those with poor dentition who struggle to chew
- Low in sugar and starch so works well for older horses prone to laminitis or with PPID
Click here to learn more about Dengie Alfa-Beet.
Alfa-A Molasses Free
- 5 MJ/kg Digestible Energy
- 5% sugar
- 2% starch
- An ideal option for horses prone to laminitis or with PPID who struggle to maintain weight and condition
- Pure alfalfa – helps to support digestive health
- Mint, fenugreek and added alfalfa pellets are perfect for tempting fussy feeders
Click here to learn more about Dengie Alfa-A Molasses Free.
Healthy Tummy
- 5MJ/kg
- 5% sugar
- 2% starch
- A nutritionally balanced fibre feed based on alfalfa with high specification ingredients to promote gut health – when fed to recommended levels, there’s no need to add a balancer
- A tasty herbal blend aids palatability whilst a light rapeseed oil coating has been included for slow-release energy (calories) and coat shine
- Approved by BETA for horses and ponies prone to Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome and is also suitable for poor doers with PPID
Click here to learn more about Dengie Healthy Tummy.
For more information or if you would like the Dengie nutrition team to review your older horse or pony’s diet and help you select the most appropriate feed, get in touch by calling us on 01621 841 188 or by completing our feed advice form.
Frequently Asked Questions
My horse is older. Do I need to feed a senior specific feed?
If your horse is just old in years but not in condition and has no specific health issues then you can continue to feed them as you would any other horse. Choose a horse feed most suited to their bodyweight and workload and continue to make sure that the diet is balanced. If your horse has any age associated problems such as poor dentition or PPID/Cushings then they will need some adjustments to their diet to offer them some additional support. For horses with PPID/Cushings for example, they would benefit from a low sugar and starch feeding regime. Senior horse feeds do however often have extra added ‘goodies’ to offer support for the senior horse and so are a great choice if they are appropriate for your individual. Dengie Performance+ Balancer, which is also suitable for the senior horse, not only supplies a broad-spectrum of vitamins and minerals for a balanced ration, but also has added glucosamine for joint support and prebiotic for digestive support both of which can be beneficial for the senior horse or pony.
My pony has PPID and is struggling to chew hay? What should I use as a hay replacer?
If your pony hasn’t had laminitis to date then it is likely that not being able to consume enough forage is the most pressing issue as weight loss will soon ensue if this isn’t addressed. It is also much harder to put weight back on an older animal compared with trying to maintain it. A grass and alfalfa based chopped fibre feed such as Hi-Fi Senior would be a good base to start with alongside some soaked Alfa-Beet which is very low in sugar and starch so will help to bring the overall sugar intake down. Although Hi-Fi Senior does contain grass, the overall sugar content is comparable with a grass hay so presents no greater risk than using hay.
For horses and ponies with a history of laminitis, feeds such as Hi-Fi Molasses Free mixed with Alfalfa Pellets or high fibre cubes can be a lower sugar option than those based on grass. However, they won’t be as digestible and so a horse or pony may not do so well on them which may require some additional oil to be added to help maintain bodyweight safely.
My horse has had laminitis in the past but now also has liver disease? What should I feed to help him hold his weight as he is starting to look poorer than I would like?
When a horse or pony has multiple issues then we have to establish which is the greatest or most imminent threat to their health and welfare. Historically, the advice for horses with liver disease has been to avoid oil as an energy source and keep protein levels low. As your horse has had laminitis in the past, oil would be a safer energy source to use in preference to cereals which contain lots of starch. More recent advice such as that by Andy Durham Bsc BVSc CertEP DEIM DipECEIM MRCCS writing in Equine Applied and Clinical Nutrition suggests that inclusion of oil at 0.1ml/kg bodyweight is perfectly acceptable for horses with liver disease and that levels up to 1ml/kg bodyweight might be required to safely maintain or promote weight gain.
With regard to protein intake, it’s most definitely a case of low protein but not no protein as protein is needed as part of the immune system, hormones and building tissues such as muscle. Although the level of protein in pure alfalfa horse feeds often looks high and deters people from using it, it is important to consider that a large Stubbs scoop only holds 400grams of Alfa-A Oil so the actual amount of protein supplied is not excessive by any means. Given that alfalfa is so low in sugar and starch naturally, it is a really useful way to help horses maintain their weight, particularly those with a history of laminitis. Therefore, feeds such as Alfa-A Oil are suitable when used in moderation for your horse.