Horses are individual and can age at different rates, still being able to lead very active lives. It is certainly more common now to see horses in their late teens and twenties still competing at high levels of competition with no signs of slowing down. By leading an active lifestyle many horses remain toned, mobile and in good health.

For the Veterans, that are leading an active life or are not yet showing signs of age related issues the main priority is ensuring they are receiving a balanced diet that is suitable for their workload and condition. Veterans that may be requiring a little more support may benefit from a more specifically formulated feed or mash.

It is important to monitor your horses for more common ageing symptoms such as dental problems, loss of appetite, weight loss and stiffness. If you feel your veteran may benefit from a senior specific feed then there are many specialist feeds on the market,  such as Rowen Barbary Senior Support  which supplies elevated nutrients levels to help alleviate the symptoms that bring on the aging process. Senior Support is a fully balanced, high fibre (20%) feed to help improve condition, joint care, support digestion and help promote wellness in the older horse. Every 1kg contains 2.5g of Glucosamine and 2.5g MSM to help improve mobility. Suitable for poor doers, horses that need joint care, digestive support and a non-heating diet.

Feeding veterans with age related symptoms such as loss of teeth or poor dental condition is one of the main reasons older horses start to lose weight.  Symptoms of teeth problems include laboured chewing, quidding where horses will often drop half chewed food and loss of appetite.  If you have noticed that your veteran has any of these symptoms it is important to first get your Equine Dental Technician to examine the horse and to introduce fibre replacers into the diet. When feeding fibre replacers it is recommend to split the feed into as many small meals a day as possible, 3 or 4 portions given at regular intervals through the day will help keep the digestive system healthy. If your veteran requires weight gain it is recommended to feed approximately 2.5% of their bodyweight daily, split between fibre sources and concentrates, and if possible allow the horse access to ad-lib fibre through the use of fibre replacers.

Rowen Barbary’s Ready Fibre Mash is an excellent high fibre source that can be supplemented with Rowen Barbary’s Keep Well to provide a low calorie, low energy senior mash to ensure they are receiving a balanced diet with additional digestive and joint support which is soft textured and low in starch and sugar.