Everything Horses and Livestock® Magazine Sept 2018 Vol 3 Issue 3

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

to allow them to digest the fiber in the cecum and colon well-enough. The gut contains a large amount of undigested material which not only reduces

micronutrients is of paramount importance. This means that a product that will dissolve quickly in the digestive juices is of critical importance to the older horse. Only the most biologically available vitamins and trace minerals should be used in all supplements, but are of greater importance in the older horse. The following pictures show examples of both situations described. The picture of Bailey who belongs to Cory Marien in CT is a 37 year old draft cross horse, who’s teeth are so bad that he can no longer process hay well enough to swallow it, and they were considering putting him down. He only chews on the hay and drops it

THE GERIATRIC HORSE

the amount of nutrients they get from the hay or grass, but reduces the amount they can consume per day. This can dramatically reduce the amount of protein and energy the horse can get from the fiber in the diet, which always should be the major sources. The commercial supplement is not the major source of these nutrients. Another thing that changes in the digestive system is reduction in the ability of the small intestine

I receive many questions concerning horses in their early twenties to early or mid-thirties that are losing their topline or total muscle mass. There are many different reasons why horses begin to look old and have rough hair coats, develop the “grass belly” and lose the youthful muscle mass they had in their teens and early twenties. Many horses stay youthful looking and acting well into their so-called geriatric years. What is the difference and why do they look old? As an animal ages, the ability to digest feed and absorb nutrients tends to decrease. The degree to which this happens varies widely and that is why some seem to stay youthful until late in life and some seem to age rapidly early in their twenties. One reason some horses seem to change rapidly is the status of their dental health and care, and is one of the first things that should be checked when a horse begins to look rough haired or begins to drop body weight; or begins to display the proverbial “grass belly”. Long before the deterioration of the teeth reach the point at which they cannot eat grass or hay, the processing is not sufficient

Total Feeds Product Information Booklet by Better Equine

to absorb the critical

micronutrients, both minerals and vitamins. This will vary widely from horse to horse depending on the dietary history and general health and is something that is not correctible, so must be dealt with through the quality of the dietary supplementation program.

Digestibility in the small intestine and quality of

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