Caring for Older Horses: The Elmer Bandit Diet
Marsha Hayes
November 23, 2008
As it turns out, feeding Elmer requires careful consideration and a serious time commitment.
As it turns out, feeding Elmer requires careful consideration and a serious time commitment.
Plain shredded beet pulp, a source of digestible fiber for many horses, has been hard to come by this year for a number of East Coast horse owners. Some have wondered when supplies will replenish. While a temporary supply will be available soon,
Although equine dentists cannot have their patients lie down in a reclining chair for easy access to those hard-to-reach molars, the field has progressed greatly in the past 20 years. It is now possible to perform a root canal or a tooth extraction
Base your senior horse’s diet on a full assessment of his health and management to help his well-being.
Horses evolved to eat a lot of fiber, spending up to 17 hours a day grazing various forage plants. But not all fiber is created equal, especially when it comes to hay.
Hay carries a few challenges compared to living forages. One, compared t
Is my mare’s lack of energy due to the low weight? What are the other possible causes?
Equine nutritionists discuss a variety of feeds and feeding practices to help horses cope with problems.
“Old age need not be a burden,” said Loving. “Considering all the premium health care we can offer our horses today, there is no reason they shouldn’t be living into a ripe old age in the greatest of comfort.”
Some horses present special challenges, such as being too thin, too fat, or sick. Some horses are finicky and are hard to keep weight on, especially when working. The first option is to increase the feed’s energy density by adding grain or fat to the
Managing and caring for a persistently underweight horse can be difficult and frustrating for the owner and/or caretaker.
As our horses age and their bodies start to fail, we have to meet their changing nutritional needs.
Some horses present special challenges, such as being too thin, too fat, or sick. Some horses are finicky and are hard to keep weight on, especially when working.
With more and more horses reaching geriatric status (over 20 years of age), it?s important to understand how their nutritional needs might change. Diets should be adjusted if necessary to help old-timers live long and healthy lives. David Pugh,
Technology and advances in medicine have given us tools to keep our horses alive longer.
What are the effects of advancing years on athletic performance?
Old age treats some horses better than others. Many continue to lead happy, healthy lives well into their 30s–a little slower, maybe, with some loss of muscle tone or a bit of a swayback, but otherwise in good flesh and good spirits until
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