2019 is now upon us, as with a new year, we are approaching another year older.
Horses 14+ years of age have very different dietary needs from their younger herd mates, which means that their diet may need reconsidering when they reach this age marker.
Firstly, ensuing your horse has adequate amounts of fibre in their diet is paramount to ensure healthy digestion.
Secondly, you must take condition into consideration when looking at Senior Feed. Typically, older horses find it slightly harder to hold weight so making sure they have a diet which is low in cereals and sugar, but high in protein and oil will help maintain weight. Alternatively if you have a good doer, its important to keep their weight down at this stage in life, as to not over load joints and risk the possibility of Laminitis.
Modern science has enabled Blue Chip to formulate feeds to support the needs of Senior horses, meaning they can live much healthier and well supported twilight years, often staying in work well into their twenties. Inevitably some horses age better than others but setting your horse up for his twilight years with everything he needs nutritionally is the best policy to try and keep him fit and healthy.
What can we do to help our horses in their senior years?
- Fibre Fibre and more Fibre – Keep your horse on a high fibre and low starch diet. This means lots of Hay, Grass and Chaff and no starchy mixes, cereals or Sugar. A high fibre diet is the healthiest diet for a horse and will ensure they are less at risk of things such as Laminitis, Colic and Ulcers.
- Regular Dental Check Ups – Get your horses teeth checked regularly to ensure they are able to chew their food properly. If their teeth are too worn or they cannot chew properly, there are plenty of feeds which you can soak, including our Balancers!
- Provide a balancer – A Senior Balancer which is formulated for Senior horses is paramount. Our Senior Balancer is formulated with elevated levels of vitamins and minerals, a Pro-biotic and nucleotide which are combined to aid nutrient absorption and gut motility, which often needs help in older horses as well as a hoof, respiratory and skin and coat supplement. Best when combined with a good quality senior chaff
- Keep an eye on your horses weight – finding a balance in your senior horses weight is crucial. Allowing your horse to get fat can over bare their joints and start to run the risk of conditions such as laminitis. Underweight older horses may struggle to gain weight again and therefor need carefully monitoring to ensure they aren’t lacking in their diet.
- Keep them moving! Horses who are worked into their twenties tend to age much better because they are kept fit and active and ‘ticking over’ light, regular exercise is beneficial. Combined with a joint supplement such as Joint RLF which contains elevated levels of Glucosamine, MSM and Rosehip extract (Rosa canina) and Yucca which are combined to support the joints of all horses, especially beneficial to older horses.
Blue Chip Senior Feed Balancer contains an elevated level of Vitamins, Minerals and Nutrients which is formulated specifically to ensure that your Senior Horse is getting all the essentials they need for every day health and well being.
On top of this, Blue Chip Senior Feed Balancer contains a joint supplement with Glucosamine and Rosa Canina, to promote healthy joints and support correct movement, even into retirement.
The CushinCombo supplement is formulated with Chaste Tree Berry with antioxidants and omega oils to naturally balance hormone levels. Senior Feed Balancer is low in both sugar and starch and contains no added molasses. This makes Blue Chip Super Concentrated Senior Balancer an ideal solution for horses and ponies who are prone to laminitis and gastric ulcers.
