Feeding a senior horse: teeth, weight and the right feed

Check the teeth first

The Merck Veterinary Manual says dental problems are common causes of loss of appetite or weight. The signs include slow feeding, stopping while chewing, holding the head to one side, dropping partly chewed balls of feed (quidding), and unchewed grain in the manure. Horses that swallow food unchewed can get indigestion, colic or choke.

Kentucky Equine Research (KER), a nutrition company, adds that tooth roots get shorter with age, so teeth should not be floated too aggressively in an older horse. It also notes that a horse that has lost incisors may struggle to tear grass, while molar trouble often leaves pasture manageable. The Extension Horses network, a US land-grant university extension service, agrees that dental conformation worsens with age, so older horses need more frequent teeth inspection and treatment. Our dental care guide covers exam schedules.

Weigh the horse and score its body condition

Merck says to adjust feed to keep a body condition score of 4 to 6 on the 9-point Henneke scale, where 7 or more is overweight. It also says weight tapes tend to underestimate weight but are useful for tracking change. When a horse is underweight, Merck says to find out why first, such as a dental problem or pain, before changing the feed.

For weight gain, Merck suggests slowly increasing calories by 15 to 25 percent, with a gain of 50 pounds taking 30 to 90 days, and checking body weight every 1 to 2 weeks during the process. Our guide on how to weigh a horse without a scale shows the formula. Our own advice is to measure on the same day each month and in the same spot, and to write the number down.

Replace the forage the horse cannot chew

Merck says current recommendations are at least 1.5 to 2 percent of body weight in forage per day on a dry-matter basis, and that forage can include hay, pasture and forage substitutes such as hay cubes, hay-based pellets and beet pulp. For a 1,000-pound horse, that is 15 to 20 pounds. Merck says 2 to 2.5 percent of body weight, forage plus concentrate, is a reasonable goal for a weight-gain diet.

KER suggests alternative forage sources when molars are missing or ineffective: hay cubes, hay pellets, chopped forage or beet pulp, preferably dampened or served as a mash. Extension Horses likewise says cubes, pellets or chop may help older horses with poor teeth. Cubes that are still too hard can be covered with water to soften them, and dampening chopped forage reduces dust. KER notes that many older horses do well on fresh grass but lose weight in winter when they must live on hay.

Senior feed and protein

KER says aged horses often do well on senior feeds, which usually contain forage such as alfalfa meal, soy hulls or beet pulp. It describes a well-made one as having more than 12 percent fiber, 12 to 16 percent protein and, in some, 4 to 6 percent added fat, and says these feeds are fed at higher rates than normal concentrates and in smaller, more frequent meals.

Merck says horses over 20 years old may need protein equal to horses in light to moderate work to keep body condition and muscle, but that liver and kidney function should be assessed before protein is raised. Our advice is to change feed over days, not hours, and to tell your vet before you add protein or fat.

Signs to raise with your vet: PPID and insulin problems

A 2022 review in Veterinary Sciences says pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, or equine Cushing's) is the most common endocrine disorder of older horses and affects 20 to 25 percent of horses over 15 years old. Signs include a long hair coat, muscle loss, a pendulous belly, drinking and urinating more, recurrent infections, lethargy and laminitis, and mild cases may only show late shedding. Only a vet can diagnose it.

The ECEIM consensus statement describes equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) as a collection of risk factors for laminitis, with insulin dysregulation the most important. It says EMS is controlled mainly by diet and exercise programs, with long-term guidance from your vet. KER says horses with Cushing's disease or liver problems should be fed differently from those with ordinary aging, so get an exam before you rebuild the ration.

Water, winter and mealtimes

KER says older horses may drink less in cold weather, which can lead to impaction colic, and that warm-water meals or added salt can encourage drinking. It also says older horses tend to sit low in the pecking order and may be pushed off group-fed hay or grain, so watch how well the horse gets to its feed. Our advice: call the vet quickly for choke, colic, a horse that stops eating, or sudden weight loss.