Posted 2013-12-06 9:29 AM Subject: Older horse not feeling well ....
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1161
Have an old mare 22 years 1week ago had the vet out had slight colic symptoms, depression, not rolling, drinking, eating some, pooping, et vet did take blood did some tests everything looks good her RBc and ugh is slightly low the vet did say she is slightly animic I have been double dowsing her with her T.H.E. Supplement per vet. We did not treat her for anything she has done well all week she even bucked on the lunge line once. Now today she ate some grain some hay and just stood there. She ate all her hay last night and drank. I am going to order ulser meds today for her I do think she might have them. What else could be going on? Thanks
Posted 2013-12-06 2:44 PM Subject: RE: Older horse not feeling well ....
Veteran
Posts: 139 Location: Abbotsford B.C. Canada
At her age youi may want tp start giving her a nice alfalfa hay at 8-12 lbs a day or even cubes so she can eat good quality forage she can actually easily chew or beak up . She is geeting to the point where jhay cubes may be her friend. The teeth just get smooth and they cannot grind things up as well.
Use a nice senior feed and use some soaked beet pulp as a hay replacer. Maybe try one c a day milled flax.
Old horses may not chew hay well and the long chucks may slightly impact a horse or go into the hind gut and are fermented there and that can be upsetting to them.
The alfalfa should shatter in your hand when you rub it, do not get something like wood twigs but it does not have to be super soft. Alfalfa cubes may be better or even some alfalfa pellets. Her days of grinding up prairie hay may be waning.
Ulcers may be aproblem or parasites so check it out of course, but she is not on an even keel feed wise at this age with the same feed she could handle when younger. Water intake may be a concnern as well but the vet did not see dehydration.
THese old horses need better hay than younger horses.
Older horse not feeling well ....
