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A reduction in fiber fermentation means that older horses receive less nutrients from forage resulting in higher quality forages being required. Alfalfa hay and good quality grass hays are preferable to stemmy and mature hays that have tougher fiber to ferment. Older horses are prone to Cushing’s Syndrome.
Is alfalfa bad for senior horses?
There are many horses who need extra calcium or protein in their diets, and alfalfa is an excellent natural source of those nutrients. Because of its taste appeal, higher digestibility, and the fact it is easier to chew, it is often a valuable addition to the diet of sick horses or senior horses.
What should I feed my elderly horse?
A combination of Alfa-Beet, Grass Pellets and a High Fibre Cube/Mash can be the best senior horse feed options for for those who can’t even manage to chew short chop fibres any more.
Can too much alfalfa hurt a horse?
Alfalfa hay can cause diarrhea in a horse that overeats it because the hay is rich and full of nutrients. Overeating alfalfa can also cause a horse to have excess gas, develop laminitis, and founder.
Are alfalfa cubes good for senior horses?
Energy requirements: Generally senior horses that are in good body condition are less active than their younger counterparts and only have maintenance energy requirements. Energy dense forage sources such as Alfalfa pellets, cubes of chopped forage are ideal to increase the calorie content of the diet.
Which hay is best for senior horses?
A reduction in fiber fermentation means that older horses receive less nutrients from forage resulting in higher quality forages being required. Alfalfa hay and good quality grass hays are preferable to stemmy and mature hays that have tougher fiber to ferment.
What is the best hay to feed horses?
There are two primary types of horse hay: legume and grass. Alfalfa is the best variety of legume hay, and Orchard grass is the grass hay I recommend; however, Timothy, bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and Kentucky bluegrass are also excellent choices.
What do underweight senior horses eat?
Common alternate forms are hay cubes, hay pellets, chopped forage, and beet pulp. Senior feeds often include some type of alternate forage like alfalfa meal, soy hulls, and/or beet pulp. For this reason, their feeding rate is usually double that of a normal concentrate feed.
How can I fatten up my older horse?
To maximize nutrient intake in an aging horse, try the following: Feed 1% of a high-quality forage daily (based on body weight). Offer a complete feed specifically designed for senior horses with higher digestible fiber at a minimum of 0.5% body weight. Feed a senior horse more frequently, at least three times daily.
What do you feed a 15 year old horse?
“Grass hay is ideally the primary portion of the diet with at least 60% of the (horse’s daily nutritional intake) as forage (hay and/or pasture). Some pastures are deficient in nutrients, and so a horse may need to be supplemented with ration balancer pellets to provide specific amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.”Sep 15, 2019.
What hay is bad for horses?
Some hay types are particularly prone to high nitrate levels and should be avoided if there are options. These include: Sorghum, Sudan, Johnsongrass and Pearl Millet. High levels of simple carbohydrate (sugars, starch) are an issue for horses with insulin resistance and can occur in virtually any type of hay.
Is timothy hay or alfalfa better for horses?
Alfalfa hay is typically higher in protein and essential nutrients than timothy hay, making Alfalfa a better option for more active animals that need a high protein diet. Alfalfa also has more calories per pound than timothy, so it’s generally the preferred choice of sport horse owners.
Should horses eat alfalfa hay?
Alfalfa hay is an excellent source of energy, protein, calcium and some other nutrients for horses. Its concentrations of protein and calcium meet the nutrient needs of horses in high levels of production, such as growth and lactation, but exceed the nutrient requirements of horses in other life stages.
How much alfalfa hay should I feed my horse?
How much alfalfa hay do you feed a 1,200 pound horse and how often? Horses can normally eat 1.5-2% of their body weight in hay, which equates to 18-24 lbs. of hay per day.
What’s the difference between alfalfa cubes and alfalfa hay?
The difference between alfalfa hay and the alfalfa cube is the size of the package. Therefore, when horse owners use alfalfa cubes in a diet for horses, the cubes replace hay of a similar quality on an equal basis. The process of cubing the alfalfa does not affect the availability of nutrients to the horse.
What do you feed a senior horse with bad teeth?
For horses with severe dental issues or missing teeth, Easy Soak™ pellets such as Equine Senior® horse feed can make it easy to create a mash with warm water. Simply add warm water to your horse’s regular ration of Equine Senior® horse feed, wait five minutes and stir.
Can I feed my horse straight alfalfa?
Horses can successfully consume alfalfa, a good source of fibre and. protein. They can graze it in pastures or eat it as hay. Myth: Do not feed straight alfalfa to young, growing horses.
What cutting of alfalfa is best for horses?
Second cut alfalfa hay is usually the fastest growing because it is developing during the hottest part of the season, and it usually has more stem in relation to leaf. Of all cuttings, second cut tends to be the lowest in crude protein, but its 16 percent average is adequate for all classes of horses.
What to feed an old horse who can’t eat hay?
Alternatives to Traditional Hay Adding beet pulp to your horse’s morning meal is one popular way to help them maintain their weight and control their rate of grain consumption. Beet pulp is available with or sans added molasses and its soft texture makes it easy for toothless horses to consume.
What is the protein content of alfalfa hay?
Alfalfa as a Protein Source Even late cut alfalfa typically contains 12 to 15 percent crude protein. Fiber content of alfalfa hays range from 20 to 28 percent. In contrast, grass hay averages 8.4 percent crude protein and 31.4 percent fiber.
What hay can horses not eat?
Oat hay has thick tougher stalks that some horses will not eat. Oat hay tends to be higher in nitrates and also high in sugar (NSC), so this hay is not an option for insulin resistant horses. Here’s a comparison chart so you can see the differences between alfalfa hay, timothy (grass) hay and oat hay.
