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pascoe
Gold Member
 England
584 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Jan 2006 : 3:32:16 PM
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I know that there is another topic about weight loss, but this is a little different as he is just old. My horse is now 30 -34 not quite sure how old he was when we bought him. He has always been a really goo doer untill a few years back. So we started to feed him twice a day, feed extra hay, carrots etc and this worked untill about 3 weeks ago. we have increased his feed, and he is fed the traditonal way, boiled barley (two scoops mornging and night), with one scoop of sugar beet and a little bran, he has four large slices of hay mornging and night, he is turned out in the field in the day with approx two water buckets of carrots sprinkled round the filed for him to find though out the day. He always leaves some of his hay, i can possible feed him any more "hard feed" as horses have small stomaches and should eat little and oftern. Has any one any idears?? He has lots a lot of weight in the past three weeks, he is rugged and is not cold and is stabled at night... Thanks and Happy new year, best wishes for 2006.
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Kazzy
Platinum Member
England
3335 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2006 : 3:52:58 PM
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Have you had his teeth checked, I know its the first thing people do,
but he could be having problems with his teeth or maybe an abcess.
Also Cushings makes them loose weight, in the later stages, my friends horse went through it, he lost a hell of a lot of weight in about 4 weeks!!!
I would try something a bit more substantial to feed, doesnt have to
be hard feed, mine are both on Spillers High Fibre Cubes and sometimes when my gelding started with his teeth, I used to soak them
for about 1 hour before I gave it to him and they go mushy!!! and both mine love mushy High Fibre Cubes!!
Also I am a firm beleiver in giving them a Vitamin and Mineral supplement, I use Selenivite E, but there are many many more on
the market, its just that mine are fussy and they like it.
Good luck.
Janet |
     
Sunny Cheshire |
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Vera
Membership Moderator
United Kingdom
8652 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2006 : 4:08:02 PM
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Adding oil to the feed is an excellent way of adding calories to the diet. My preference would be for Soya or Linseed.
You could consider changing the sugar beet to Alfa Beet
http://www.dengie.com/alfafa-beet.htm
Of course it goes without saying that its worth getting all the usual checked if you haven't already.
Good Luck with your golden oldie and keep us posted of his progress.
Vera and Dennis
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Hampshire |
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Renee
Gold Member
539 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2006 : 7:37:49 PM
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I've also got an oldie who's almost 33, he is difficult to keep weight on as he has both cushings and liver damage. In addition to the advice above, particularly getting teeth checked, I would ask your vet to do a general blood test and make sure his liver is checked as I understand it's quite a common systemic (and often undetected) problem in older horses. Anything a bit out of the ordinary may highlight a problem to the vet, so I think a blood test is worth the cost. Symptoms of liver problems include a poor appetite (but also of cushings), depression, lethargy and weight loss, which can be quite sudden as with cushings. If he does have a bit of a problem you can then feed things like milk thistle which can help to support liver function. It may be a silly question, but is his worming up to date, or has anything happened in the past few weeks or months that might have upset his system, such as having a vaccination or getting a chill, or a change in routine?
I agree with Janet that Spillers High Fibre Cubes are the business - my oldie gets through 3 bags a week - no joking! He has the maximum amount of hifi cubes for his weight as a complete hay replacer, split into 4 feeds a day, plus non-molassed sugar beet to soften it. He does also eat grass and has ad-lib hay, but I know he's getting all the calories and nutrients he needs from his hard feed. I upped his hifi cubes when I found he wasn't eating up as much of his hay like before. I've tried other forage replacers and find he has real trouble with haylage (too rich for his liver) and alfa products which he finds hard to chew.
Good luck with your horse, it's so worrying when they drop weight suddenly especially if they have been good doers.
Renee |
      
Jeago (Ludomino x Bahia) 1973-2007 & Khylie* (Nazdrowie x Kaminah) 1990-2010 ~ Fouad el Khyl (Lothar el Nyhl x Khylie) 2005- |
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Jules-Apache
Silver Member
479 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2006 : 7:51:04 PM
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Have you thought about feeding haylage instead of hay? Your horse might find it slightly more palatable, and get more calories that way?
Jx |
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Libby Frost
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4711 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2006 : 10:25:21 PM
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| Can't you buy on the market Fondly nicknamed Fossil Fuel! No idea what its called something designed for OAP's ,I think i heard about this from someone on here!!But sorry i cannot remember what it was called some special feed designed for our elder equine generation!!?? |
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Lisa
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2611 Posts |
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Libby Frost
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4711 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2006 : 11:10:08 PM
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I know milk powder is spot on for putting weight on ,seen it first hand but it wasnt that i was thinking of! Something the Jones' used on one of their oldies?? |
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Edited by - Libby Frost on 05 Jan 2006 11:10:32 PM |
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Deboniks
Platinum Member
England
3776 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2006 : 11:24:13 PM
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| I used something called build up on Flame as when I first got him he resembled a hat rack and was in an awful condition. It worked really well. |
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pascoe
Gold Member
England
584 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2006 : 3:11:12 PM
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| Hey everyone, thanks for all your help, i know that his teeth need looking at, he has lost a coupple over the last year, would you say its best to get the vet to look at them or a horse dentist??? |
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tamila
Platinum Member
England
2532 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2006 : 4:51:46 PM
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I would say a horse dentist.
Be careful using milk powder as old horses can have s reaction. |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2006 : 09:46:32 AM
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I would feed him extruded barley as it is a lot more digestable for older guts that don't work as well as they used to. If you soak it in warm water along with a high calorie cubes such as racehorse or stud cubes to make a mash and then add crushed/bruised oats and a little bit of oil plus soaked molassed sugar beet he should gradually put on weight. You could also add something like NAF Pink Powder as I have heard that is very good as a quick pick-me-up and blue chip I am sure if there is nothing seriously wrong with him he will gradually put on weight.
I have a 29 year old gelding and he has trouble with eating hay/haylage and any other forage. It balls in his mouth and then he spits the great lumps out so he tends to drop a bit of weight when the grass goes but I manage to keep him resonable throughout the winter until the new grass arrives and then he puts weight on again. I tried ready grass, Alfa-A etc but he just can't manage forage in whatever form.
Good luck with him.
Barbara |
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Libby Frost
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4711 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2006 : 11:36:43 AM
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| Rose our old mare been on milk powder for ages she is fine and still ALPHA mare!! |
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Jingo
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3632 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2006 : 7:34:34 PM
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I have one or two "oldies and goldies" here. We feed Simple Systems feed - it is all soaked together so they don't have any trouble eating it (no lumps etc) They manage it well, look great and keep quite good condition. I don't want them over fat as it puts a lot of strain on their old limbs.
It might be worth a try - give Jane Van Lennep a call or check out their website if you want more info.
My 26 yr old stallion had reaction to barley feeds so he's also on SS doesn't have breathing problems and is full of beans!!! |
Jude
www.auchmillanarabians.org.uk
      
photos:Anthony Reynolds,Sweet,Deano,Real Time Imaging |
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Pauline
Platinum Member
England
3185 Posts |
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Pauline
Platinum Member
England
3185 Posts |
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cassy
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3348 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2006 : 2:05:02 PM
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| saracen equi jewel, really tiny pelletts and feed a mug twice a day with/without feed, it puts weight on everywhere and will notice differance within a few weeks, i stopped giving it to mine as was gettin over weight but well worth a try and is not heating, can be ordered online from saracen and it lasts ages |
Angie
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max
Silver Member
England
376 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2006 : 8:52:56 PM
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Heres one for you!
Kaz my 17 year old gelding was what you would have called a good doer untill 4 years ago,now he's got good weight every were but his barrel!very strange hes had blood test they all came back exellant for his age,worm counts also exellant and his diet is sarecen vet mix baileys no1 sugar beat and hifi plus ad lib haylage,his bum and neck could'nt be any bigger!!!!!!!! but still no tummy |
Sam Clyma
WKD Arabians
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Valentine Arabians
Gold Member
United Kingdom
586 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2006 : 5:37:04 PM
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Hi,
We have a 'almost' golden oldie - Ferzons Lace, now aged 27 (going on 'delinquent'!). At the end of last year, we had a colic which resulted in Lacey going off her feed afterwards. I had the dentist check her teeth and he pulled a tooth out - extremely loose, only being held in by gravity!! She is now being fed 4 times a day, with D&G Sixteen Plus, rolled oats, alpha a and Equimins Veteran powders, with haylage ad lib. She has definitely taken on a new lease on life and is even playing with her Snak-a-ball now. Try telling Lacey that she is almost a 'relic', as she comes out of her stable and goes down to the field like a 2 year old and then proceeds to buck, etc., with the best of them!!
Liz |
Liz & Walter Downes
www.ValentineArabians.com
Lincolnshire |
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pascoe
Gold Member
England
584 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2006 : 2:01:25 PM
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| Hey, thanks for all of your help and advice, i will let you know how i get on. |
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geegee
Platinum Member
England
3682 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2006 : 6:12:46 PM
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Hi Lucy, which route did you decide to go down?
My 37yr old pb arab has been on Dengie Hi Fi, saracen Vet mix, glucosamine and sugar beet for years now and although she did start to lose a bit of weight towards the end of last year, I increased her feed and she maintained her original weight. I did try haylage but this did not agree with her and so I put her back onto ad-lib hay. She gets through over half a bale a night! |
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Sarah L
Silver Member
England
408 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2006 : 09:15:57 AM
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A bit late catching up on this topic but another thing to consider........
I used to swear by Dodson and Horrell Sixteen Plus feed for my elderly arab.......it's got all the extras that an older horse needs. I used to feed it along side a NAF Product called Vitamin E, Selenium and Lysine.
She was never a good doer but htis certainly helped in the later years. |
Sticks and stones may break my bones but whips and spurs excite me! |
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Lisa
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2611 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2006 : 11:58:30 PM
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| You can also get equivite body builder which is a small white milk pellet that smells scrummy! |
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louisejo
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1313 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2006 : 11:41:43 AM
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I have a nearly 19 year old gelding, not old at all really compared to some of your real oldies. He had always been a really good doer, almost surviving on fresh air, but just recently over the last month he seems to be losing weight on his bum and his flanks have sunken in a bit, his belly is fine , not ribby. He is on 2 feeds a day of hifi lite and pasture mix and more recently sugar beet and hay in the field as there is no grass what so ever, with 2/3 wedges of hay at night. he has pink powder supplement and oil.
I know it is the end of winter and we are crying out for rain and grass to grow but i am a bit worried about it. He is riden 2- 3 times a week at the moment only gentle hacking.
Is anyone else finding this at the moment? |
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