b'NUTRITIONwill leave feed sitting around to (quickly)prominent. Hes in light work and lives spoil in the heat.in a stall with a run at a boarding With the antibiotics and NSAIDs in thefacility, and I havent changed anything diet, you might want to ask your veteri- in his diet or routine. Im concerned narian about products to help reducethat with winter coming he needs to the risk of gastric ulcers and considerregain this weight, but Im not sure Putting feeding a good pre/probiotic to sup- how to go about it. Currently he gets port the hindgut microbial populations.good-quality grass hay and a ration Forage FirstResearch has shown that some live yeastsbalancer.can help stabilize the hindgut environ- You are right to feel concerned about ment and improve feed utilization. Theyunexplained weight loss, especially in a help existing bacteria get more out of thesenior horse, regardless of the time of diet, which is beneficial for weight gain.year. I agree, though, that its more con-Look for products within the region of 50cerning as we head into winter, because billion CFU (colony-forming units); lessregaining weight during cold or wet than this might not provide a benefit. weather is often much harder for horses, Keep a careful eye on your horsesdue to the extra energy demands to keep weight, because once he is pain-free hewarm. might gain it back quickly. Slow, steadyRule out health-related causesHave weight gain is best. Once your horse isyour veterinarian assess your horse for at his ideal weight, you might be able todental discomfort, internal parasites, and switch back to hay and a ration balancer. early stages of PPID. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels rise in all horses Helping Old Horses Gain Weightthis time of year, but horses with PPID Before Winter can experience significant elevation that, if left uncontrolled, can cause weight and Q My 22-year-old gelding has losttopline loss. Horses with uncontrolled For more information visit weight recently. I can see hisPPID are at greater risk of developing ribs, and his spine has become moreinsulin dysfunction and laminitis, so this www.ADMEquine.comDiet Recommendations Healthy old horses dont necessarily require diets that are substantially different from what theyve been consuming throughout their adult years. But if they are not doing well on their current rations and have had a thorough veterinary evaluation, Sarah Ralston, VMD, PhD, Dipl. ACVN, professor emerita at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in New Brunswick, recommends the following strategies:Choose a pelleted, cubed, or extruded concentrate that is forage-based but formulated for senior horses;Avoid textured sweet feeds (primarily processed grains with added molasses) for old horses with metabolic issues; andProvide free-choice forage and/or hay, as long as horses dentition allows for it, even if it is on the senior complete ration, she says. Horses like to chew. For otherwise healthy horses with dental issues, she said to consider adding easy-to-chew alternative fiber sources to the diet, such as soaked hay cubes, pellets, or beet pulp. Some senior horses might benefit from supplements, Ralston says, including:Vitamin C (0.02 grams/kilogram body weight) might benefit horses with compromised immune function (chronic skin infections, hoof abscesses, etc.); however, it shouldnt be supplemented without careful consideration. Once initiated, it will need to be continued for life or tapered off very slowly, she cautions.Vitamin E (500 to 1,000 IU/day) might benefit horses without access to fresh forage (such as grass) and those suffering from recurrent infections.An anti-inflammatory product and/or a glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supplement might benefit horses with arthritis. If you have questions about feeding your senior horse, work with your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist to develop a program that will meet his nutrient needs.The Horse staff28October 2019The Horse | TheHorse.com'