Some horses might become hard keepers with age or when their workload is reduced. | iStock
Q: How should I adjust nutritional plans for senior horses in work to maintain muscle and joint health?
A: As performance horses age, their diet must supply enough calories to maintain body condition and fuel work, along with nutrients to support muscle tone and joint comfort. Over time it gets harder for the horse to build muscle, and aging starts to take a toll on many body systems. This makes it even more important to feed seniors the correct feed product at the recommended amount to deliver optimum (not just minimum) amounts of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Your horse might have been able to carry good weight and stay well-muscled on a minimum amount of just about any feed in his younger years, but now the ratio of calories to nutrients and reading the feeding directions to understand minimum feeding rates is key. Does he need a ration balancer, concentrate feed, or complete feed with forage built in? Choosing the right product category will help ensure he’s getting enough key nutrients, especially amino acids to support muscle tone.
Becoming a harder keeper with age, stepping down in workload, or starting to have dental or digestive concerns are all reasons you might need to change the category of feed for your horse. Then, within a category, look for a product designed specifically with seniors in mind. Easy-to-chew might be the special senior feature that comes to mind first, but in some advanced senior formulas, specific support can go beyond that. Certain prebiotics have been shown to support the aging horse’s immune function, joint health, and metabolic response. Look for products with published research to back up such claims, but know today’s senior nutrition includes more than protein, fat, and fiber.
A non-nutritional component of senior horse maintenance involves keeping them moving. Light work or trail riding is more beneficial than a total layoff for supporting old horses’ joints and maintaining their muscle. Finally, remember the biggest factor in keeping a senior performing comfortably for as long as possible is quality veterinary care and maintenance as needed. Nutrition sets the stage for good health, but don’t forget to keep up with regular vet care.
Take-Home Message
As horses age, maintaining their body condition and performance takes more than just calories. Senior horses need diets that deliver not only energy but also the right balance of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to support muscle tone, joint comfort, and overall health. Assess whether your horse needs a ration balancer, concentrate, or complete feed, and make sure it’s designed for the aging horse. Pair that nutrition with consistent movement and proactive veterinary care to help your senior partner stay strong and comfortable through every season of work.
Do you have an equine nutrition question?
Do you have an equine nutrition question? The Horse’s editors want to hear from you! Submit your question via the form below.
Anna Pesta Dunaway, PhD, is a nutritionist on the equine technical solutions team at Purina Animal Nutrition. She is responsible for helping bring innovative solutions from the research team out to the field. Pesta Dunaway spends most of her time providing technical consultations and support to the sales team on the East Coast, as well as speaking on equine nutrition at horse owner meetings and professional conferences. She earned her BS in animal science from Kansas State University and received both her MS and PhD in animal nutrition from the University of Nebraska. Her graduate research focused on the use of high-fat diets and manipulating the microbial community in the gut. Anna resides in Aiken, South Carolina, and is a lifelong equestrian with a special interest in the nutrition and development of the future sport horse.
Nutrition for Senior Horse Muscle and Joint Health
Q: How should I adjust nutritional plans for senior horses in work to maintain muscle and joint health?
A: As performance horses age, their diet must supply enough calories to maintain body condition and fuel work, along with nutrients to support muscle tone and joint comfort. Over time it gets harder for the horse to build muscle, and aging starts to take a toll on many body systems. This makes it even more important to feed seniors the correct feed product at the recommended amount to deliver optimum (not just minimum) amounts of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Your horse might have been able to carry good weight and stay well-muscled on a minimum amount of just about any feed in his younger years, but now the ratio of calories to nutrients and reading the feeding directions to understand minimum feeding rates is key. Does he need a ration balancer, concentrate feed, or complete feed with forage built in? Choosing the right product category will help ensure he’s getting enough key nutrients, especially amino acids to support muscle tone.
Becoming a harder keeper with age, stepping down in workload, or starting to have dental or digestive concerns are all reasons you might need to change the category of feed for your horse. Then, within a category, look for a product designed specifically with seniors in mind. Easy-to-chew might be the special senior feature that comes to mind first, but in some advanced senior formulas, specific support can go beyond that. Certain prebiotics have been shown to support the aging horse’s immune function, joint health, and metabolic response. Look for products with published research to back up such claims, but know today’s senior nutrition includes more than protein, fat, and fiber.
A non-nutritional component of senior horse maintenance involves keeping them moving. Light work or trail riding is more beneficial than a total layoff for supporting old horses’ joints and maintaining their muscle. Finally, remember the biggest factor in keeping a senior performing comfortably for as long as possible is quality veterinary care and maintenance as needed. Nutrition sets the stage for good health, but don’t forget to keep up with regular vet care.
Take-Home Message
As horses age, maintaining their body condition and performance takes more than just calories. Senior horses need diets that deliver not only energy but also the right balance of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to support muscle tone, joint comfort, and overall health. Assess whether your horse needs a ration balancer, concentrate, or complete feed, and make sure it’s designed for the aging horse. Pair that nutrition with consistent movement and proactive veterinary care to help your senior partner stay strong and comfortable through every season of work.
Do you have an equine nutrition question?
Do you have an equine nutrition question? The Horse’s editors want to hear from you! Submit your question via the form below.
Written by:
Anna Pesta Dunaway, PhD
Related Articles
Why the Equine Gastrointestinal Microbiome Matters
Avoiding Dehydration in Sport Horses During Summer
Dealing With Equine Colic: Here Are 33 Do’s and Don’ts
Don’t Gamble With Green Grass
Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with
FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com
Sponsored Content
Biosecurity for Equine Hospitals and Indoor Equine Facilities
What’s the Best Gut Supplement for Your Horse?
The Importance of Prevention in Equine Osteoarthritis
Weekly Poll
Readers’ Most Popular
Top Categories