Ask the Vet - How to put weight on a senior horse

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5 жыл бұрын

In this excerpt from the September 2018 episode of Ask the Vet ( • Ask the Vet - How to b... ), Dr. Gray and SmartPaker Sarah go over the myriad ways to help a well-loved senior horse that is a hard keeper. They converse about how hay nets are beneficial for both hard and easy keepers, different feed options, and other ways to help a 28-year old horse enjoy his later years.
To see more from our Ask the Vet video series, you can check them out on the SmartPak blog ( www.smartpakequine.com/learn-... ), SmartPak's Horse Health Library ( www.smartpakequine.com/learn-... ), or on our Ask the Vet playlist ( • Ask the Vet individual... ).
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Happy learning and #haveagreatride.

Пікірлер: 22

@kirarq 5 жыл бұрын

I have a 34 year old horse, he is skinny and probably soon going to pass, we will still take your advice and hopefully it works! Hoping for the best! ❤️😬

@kenleebryant6145 4 жыл бұрын

i have a 19 year old horse and when he was about 17 or 18 he got super skinny and we didnt know why we have had him since he was 14 and his diethas barely changed ecxept for a different grain. so when he started to getskinny we turned him out into our 45 acre feild that has grass every where. and we fed him more grain and started feeding him beet pulp and more alfalfa and in 6 months he was starting to get fat again. but that was a good thing cause he is a older horse and we wanted him to keep plenty of wight back on. he also has 6 other horses in the field iwth him and his favorite thing to do is run laps around the feild with his uddys. we still ride him to but not to hard cause he has never really had any feet problems or arthritis or anything.

@DeniceGarrou 4 жыл бұрын

Hay nets I have been told will cause issuss with the neck and back area due to how they have constantly pull in an unnatural way. So I stopped using one.

@kellyelomeli6931 5 жыл бұрын

Our vet said no beet pulp at such an advanced age because it's mostly sugar and will cause some glucose issues. My horse is 31. We give him 4 flakes per day of alfalfa hay and 12 quarts of LMF senior and 6 quarts of alfalfa pellets. He's also on probiotics and a senior weight accelerator from Mana pro.

@elsplace896 4 жыл бұрын

My QH is also 31. He has chopped hay, senior feed and I think the barn owner adds beer pulp. He looks great, but I know he can't last forever. I'm going to look up Mana Pro.

@joannmay-anthony1076 2 жыл бұрын

beet pulp is what is left over after the sugar is removed.

@maryvoigt8763 2 жыл бұрын

Beet pulp is wonderful. My old horse doesn't have many teeth and guidds.

@HoneyHollowHomestead 5 жыл бұрын

This has been helpful. I am dealing with an older horse who has had stress (moved to a new environment, new owner, new herd mate). She lost weight over winter, however I believe the hay was a factor as we are in Kentucky and the hay quality has been extremely poor because of weather conditions during the haying season. I have put her on a senior feed with added alfalfa pellets. She has no teeth issues (no quidding evident). Was debating on the beet pulp. We are just coming in spring, so hopeful of grass growth. Only concern is the quality of grass as the property had been fallow for several years.

@lizxu322 3 жыл бұрын

Add oil to their diet.

@HoneyHollowHomestead 3 жыл бұрын

@@lizxu322 Or rice bran. But it's not always that simple a remedy.

@Valka101 3 жыл бұрын

i have a property with just dirt, i live in Australia and its hard to get grass here.

@thebookofrevelationreveale4722 2 жыл бұрын

Question, anyone know If constant extreme cold can cause stress in a horse that make them lose weight? My 28 year old mare lost at least 125 lbs in the month of Jan when we had constant nighttime temps. -20 to 10 “ She is eating well, had the equine dentist out and wormed her so not sure what the cause of such sudden weight loss could be. She has bones sticking out everywhere.

@LeeAnne151 3 ай бұрын

Yes, extreme cold can make them lose weight. They burn calories shivering. Oldies don't stay warm as well as younger horses. I blanket my 30 year old for sure and I use a rain sheet too as wet is as bad as cold.

@larissaleeling4942 4 жыл бұрын

I have a 46 year old horse who is old and needs to gain weight

@sherberticecream3736 3 жыл бұрын

What? You have a horse that’s 46?!?

@larissaleeling4942 3 жыл бұрын

Sherbert Icecream yep

@lizxu322 3 жыл бұрын

Oil, beet pulp, probiotics

@maryvoigt8763 2 жыл бұрын

Have their teeth Floated too

@livelovelaugh223 2 жыл бұрын

I have a 12-year-old chestnut mare she’s under weight she has grass all day and I’m feeding her 20% of her weight and I have had the vet out there he said she is very healthy but she is a hard keeper I only ride her about once a week and I only go about 4 miles please I need advice

@rachelbanks7858 2 жыл бұрын

I don't think you can be feeding her 20% of her weight? That would be 100kg of food for a 500kg horse? You didn't say what you were feeding her but if she's at grass full time then I would make sure she gets a forage- balancer type supplement (one designed for the soil in your area, if you can get one) and maybe add some fat to her diet. Also this may sound weird but can you ride her more often? Not hard work necessarily but exercise only once a week won't help her build muscle...

@chelseaarcher6298 5 жыл бұрын

My pony is prone to laminitis/founder, he cannot have any grass, he gets constant access to hay. He has had a nutritionist look at his diet as he is quite skinny, a 25 year old, they said to give him rice bran oil, is this okay to give a laminitis prone pony?

@lizxu322 3 жыл бұрын

I'd say it wouldn't hurt. Or try linseed oil. Any updates?