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Expert
Posts: 1549
  
Location: Southwest Louisiana | I've got a 27 year old horse who is dropping weight. I've had him since he was 7 years old. Always an easy keeper, used to stay fat on minimal feed and grass or hay. Over the last year, he's been slowly dropping weight no matter what I feed. The last few months have been the worst, and I'm afraid this winter is going to be really hard on him. ?Right now he's on 12 acres of good grass with two other horses. He gets 5lbs of SafeChoice Senior in the morning and the same in the evening. He's on a regular worming schedule and teeth are good. I've added things like rice bran and oil to his feed (used to eat that back when he was being used a lot and was fine on it), but nothing is working. His topline has really dropped and his butt has that pointy look to it now. He doesn't get ridden anymore, is pretty much retired and maintained. He also lost an eye last summer, but has seemed to be okay without it since he has is favorite pasture buddy with him 24/7.
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Expert
Posts: 1343
Location: East Texas | My old guy has lost most of his teeth and can't really chew hay or the nice green pasture he is on. I supplement with either soaked alfalfa pellets or cubes. Put good weight on him! |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | It seems they reach a point where soaked mush is the only way to keep weight on them. Just not enough teeth to process the hay/grass they eat. Some people are ok with this, but it is like having a milk cow around. You have to be there to do it morning and night. Some call it good and put them down. I think I am on #4 of the soaked mush diet. I keep it really simple and it is also cost effective. Alfalfa pellets and beet pellets (no molassas) soaked twice a day. On the 2 past horses I gave oats with it, but our ancient pony gets Purina Active Senior. I don't usually like bagged feeds, but this Active Senior works miracles to keep weight. When it gets cold you can always add Amplify. Mine get THE Muscle Mass to keep the topline filled in as much as can be and to make sure they get all the vitamins/minerals they need.
Mine also have access to hay or pasture grass, but I really don't think any of them could eat enough to matter as they got older
Edited by wyoming barrel racer 2016-09-19 9:34 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1549
Location: Southwest Louisiana | I do add alfalfa pellets to his feed. I've got another one who is 28 years old, but his weight is fine. But I give them both the same feed with the alfalfa pellets.
?I've given beet pulp in the past, but they don't like it. Do yours tolerate the beet pellets better? I'll get some today and start him on it. |
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Rocket'sMagicGirl - 2016-09-19 8:34 AM I do add alfalfa pellets to his feed. I've got another one who is 28 years old, but his weight is fine. But I give them both the same feed with the alfalfa pellets.
?I've given beet pulp in the past, but they don't like it. Do yours tolerate the beet pellets better? I'll get some today and start him on it.
Might up the amount? I use roughly 3/4 of a coffee can dry pellets of each and dump in a bucket. I add the oats or grain (whatever I am using) and cover with water. Mine don't like it soupy, but enough that all the pellets are broken up to be mushy. Then I use a spoon and mix it. Never had one have an issue with the beet pellets, but I think it is because it is blended. |
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
Location: Texas | Mine is 27 also. He really has problems chewing grass hay, but he does well with alfalfa. He also does really well with beet pulp shreds and his pellets mixed in with that. When he eats his grain/beet pulp mash, I don't worry too much about him getting senior feed because he gets his fiber from the beet pulp.
Good luck!! |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Our 28 year old hasn't been able to chew hay well for a couple of years, and now grass is going straight through him too. He looks good on soaked alfalfa cubes and rice bran, but is not as heavy as I would like going into winter--he's usually fatter at this point, but I think the heat we've had this year has affected him. He hasn't been used but once all year and lost a lot of his muscle too. He's still perky and feisty and bossing everyone tho, so I will keep trying, and maybe the cooler fall weather will help.
Edited by Three 4 Luck 2016-09-19 12:17 PM
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 Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | I have a 28 and 29 year old that look fantastic this year...but 3 years ago I thought they were going to starve to death with all the feed they could eat. They just didn't have enough teeth left.
They have been on Purina Equine Senior for years, but, we began soaking it. And we no longer bother to give them hay. They have 25+acres of Bermuda/crabgrass pasture in the summer, and in the fall we plant them 10-15 acres of triticale/wheat pasture to have for the winter months. |
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Expert
Posts: 1207
| I have my 29 year old on Bluebonnet feed, Omnis cubes and THE MM. He seems to be doing OK. He has access to 20 some acres pasture and will have hay once it turns cold. But right now he is doing good on the Omnis cubes for his forage. THE MM keeps them drinking a good amount of water also. |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Tdove - 2016-09-19 10:58 AM There is not much of anything better for a geriatric horse than Omnis cubes. It does not need soaking and has saved more than a few old horse's lives like this. You can give it up to free choice and I think it will help. I am not sure where you are located but if it is in your area, I would recommend that you give it a try.
For whatever reason, my 24 year old does much better on the Mustang Sally Cubes. |
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 Saint Stacey
| It's the heat that causes our old mare (29) to really drop weight. Doesn't matter what I feed her in the summer or how much, she gets thin. Once it cools down she picks back up. |
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 Wide Darn Open
Posts: 2141
| just went through this on 29 yr old...infection caused her body to dump protein rather than use it. |
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Veteran
Posts: 150
Location: Okla | I wish I'd have know about Forco when my 41 yr old needed help, it's great, gets the gut working like its suppose to, not pricey, I keep all mine on it now, such a difference !! |
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I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | old timey barrel rac - 2016-09-19 8:28 PM I wish I'd have know about Forco when my 41 yr old needed help, it's great, gets the gut working like its suppose to, not pricey, I keep all mine on it now, such a difference !!
I agree...FORCO is a great product. I've been feeding it since around late 2005. My dogs do great on it also. |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | My Dan is 37 and I think he's too thin going into winter. Arthritis keeps me on the line of what I think is thin and what he needs to be comfortable tho. He's dropped weight the last part of the summer, so he's getting fed twice a day now. Started about 2 weeks ago. He has no teeth to speak of, so if grass is really really good he can eat some of that, but hay is mostly quidded and just gives him something to do. He gets 6 lbs of Sr Active, 6 cups of beet pulp, 3 cups of rice bran, and 2 scoops of Platinum CJ in am; in pm he gets same amount of Sr Active and beet pulp. (He's been retired for years.) If, by the end of October, I'm not seeing weight gain, I know I've got to make some tough decisions. . .
I've asked on another thread what the max rice brand amount folks feed, but I'll ask here too! |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Tdove - 2016-09-19 10:58 AM
There is not much of anything better for a geriatric horse than Omnis cubes. It does not need soaking and has saved more than a few old horse's lives like this. You can give it up to free choice and I think it will help. I am not sure where you are located but if it is in your area, I would recommend that you give it a try.
I've not seen them down here in SE Arkansas---do you know if they're near me anywhere?? |
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 Maine-iac
Posts: 3334
Location: Got Lobsta? | My 32 year old has had Cushings since he was 10 and he's really bad now. However he had made a turn around in the last month. He gets 1.5 pound Renew Gold, 1.5 pound Purina Ultium, 1 pound Rice Bran, and hay stretcher in the evening. He is also on Smart Pak Digest and Cool Calories. We just added Forefront Colostrum to all our horses and it really made a difference on him. Its the only change we made and I'm liking the results. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 582
Location: Wherever They Send Me | My 24 year old dropped weight when we moved to Louisiana about a year and a half ago. I finally have him looking pretty good...he gets a heaping 3qt scoop of Purina Equine Senior and a heaping scoop of Omnis Cubes twice a day, along with SmartSenior and AE Detox (I weighed the feed once, but I cant remember the pounds). He takes his time eating hay and if it is "stem-y" he wont eat it...I figure he has done enough for me he deserves to be picky.
It seems the vintage ones are hard to find the right feed combination...good luck in your search!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | Beet pulp, renew gold, and alfalfa pellets soaked and topped with Animal Element Foundation Detox keeps my senior looking good. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 103
Location: Georgia | Soaked beet pulp. I also soak alfalfa pellets in it. I use Nutrena Safe Choice Senior but don't soak it but it can be soaked. This has helped my 32 year old for years |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | amandacamarano - 2016-09-20 9:13 AM
My 24 year old dropped weight when we moved to Louisiana about a year and a half ago. I finally have him looking pretty good...he gets a heaping 3qt scoop of Purina Equine Senior and a heaping scoop of Omnis Cubes twice a day, along with SmartSenior and AE Detox (I weighed the feed once, but I cant remember the pounds). He takes his time eating hay and if it is "stem-y" he wont eat it...I figure he has done enough for me he deserves to be picky.
It seems the vintage ones are hard to find the right feed combination...good luck in your search!!
You're right, they deserve it. I can't tell you how many people tell me to just "put him down, he doesn't do anything anymore except cost you money." Seriously??? He's teacher, confidante, psychologist, confidence builder, and friend. My question is, what doesn't he do??? |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Tdove - 2016-09-20 4:49 PM
Chandler's Mom - 2016-09-19 11:47 PM
Tdove - 2016-09-19 10:58 AM
There is not much of anything better for a geriatric horse than Omnis cubes. It does not need soaking and has saved more than a few old horse's lives like this. You can give it up to free choice and I think it will help. I am not sure where you are located but if it is in your area, I would recommend that you give it a try.
I've not seen them down here in SE Arkansas---do you know if they're near me anywhere??
I don't have any current dealers there. We are expanding and accepting new dealer applications for Arkansas, Florida and everything North and West of Texas, all the way to California.
Thanks for the info. Sounds like most folks love them! |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | I'm in the same situation--my 29 year old has always been a super easy keeper up until these last few years.
He's now on 3 1/2 lbs of soaked alfalfa pellets + 1 lb of Renew Gold in the morning and 4 lbs of Purina Equine Senior active + either a flake of alfalfa or the equivalent in soaked alfalfa cubes. He has free choice coastal hay and grass when it grows, but he doesn't chew it well, so the soaked alfalfa is essential.
He actually winters pretty well (I'm in north Texas so winters aren't too bad), it's the hot summer that gets him and I have to keep an eye on his weight.
Soaking is going to be very important, whether it's beet pulp, alfalfa pellets/cubes/ etc. You can even soak his feed if he has trouble with it. Whatever makes it easier to eat and digest. Soaking is also great because it gets more water in them. |
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Old horse dropping weight