Thanks to advances in veterinary medicine and equine nutrition, horses are living longer than ever.
While thats great news for horses and their owners, it often comes with nutritional considerations. Depending on a variety of factors, senior horses may require dietary changes to ensure they stay happy and healthy throughout their golden years.
The hindgut in older horses, especially, is very important, said Abby Geick, an equine veterinarian with New England Equine Medical & Surgical Center in New Hampshire. One of the best ways we can support it in a clinical setting is by providing good, accurate nutrition.
What makes senior horses senior?
While there’s no set definition, most experts agree horses 15 or older are generally considered senior. Some horses may show signs of aging earlier, while others stay youthful and spry well into their 20s.
Many factors can impact nutritional needs, including activity level, body condition, seasonal climate, genetics and more. Some key changes to watch for include poor dentition and less efficiency absorbing certain nutrients.
Nutrition solutions for seniors
If your horse is showing signs of aging, you may find benefits from Sentinel® Extruded Horse Feeds. These feeds are specially formulated for easier breakdown and to optimize the absorption of vital nutrients in the equine digestive system.
The cooking process gelatinizes starch and sugar in the extruded particle, said Dr. Randy Raub, Sentinel Director of Research and Nutrition. That makes it very difficult to get any significant amount of starch and sugar into the hindgut, which can lead to things like colic, laminitis or founder.
Extruded feed for extraordinary nutrition
Extrusion takes high quality, finely ground ingredients and pressure cooks them with moisture into light, airy nuggets. Lighter and larger than feed pellets, these nuggets have more volume, which encourages more chewing and slower eating.
The cooking process also allows extruded feed to break down faster and easier, as soon as a horse takes their first bite. This makes ingredients easier to digest, releasing more essential nutrients where theyre meant to be naturally absorbed in the stomach and small intestine.
We use extruded feed as a preventative measure, particularly for older horses that have poor dentition or a history of choke, Gieck said. It breaks down nicely in a mash, and it also contains adequate vitamins and nutrients, which really is key for older horses.
