Question

I have several older horses (aged 25 to 30; warmbloods and warmblood/Thoroughbred crosses) that just aren't thriving. They're way too thin and just don't put any weight on. Their teeth are fine and have been regularly attended to, and they have been dewormed regularly. In general, their health is fine. They currently get one full scoop of Pennfield Senior in the morning and night and all the grass they can eat. They're not on any supplements. How can I safely put a little meat on their bones?

Answer

In trying to keep weight on your aging population of horses, I believe you are experiencing a common problem: even though they appear to have plenty to eat, they lose weight. I have found that adding more concentrate is not always the answer and that the problem lies in forage intake.

For any number of reason (poor dentition, deterioration in the muscle or bone structure for chewing, suffering from chronic pain, loss of vigor in grazing, etc.), older horses will need forage in another form aside from grass in order to maintain their weight. Common alternate forms are hay cubes, hay pellets, chopped forage, and beet pulp. Senior feeds often include some type of alternate forage like alfalfa meal, soy hulls, and/or beet pulp. For this reason, their feeding rate is usually double that of a normal concentrate feed. With your horses, you can easily and safely feed double what you are feeding now.

When horses reach an advanced age, it is often advisable to serve their meals wet. This would be particularly important if there is any question on the ability to chew hay properly. If you want to increase calories after you are sure they are getting enough forage, you can add some type of fat to the diet like oil (soy or canola, for example) or rice bran. Thoroughbreds can be particularly difficult to keep weight on as they age.