Page 54 - December 2016

CARE OF
OLDER HORSES
Longevity is partly genetic (just as in humans), but also partly due to good care.
by Heather Smith Thomas
Research continues to discover more about ways to keep older horses healthy, and we’ve learned a lot about geriatric horse care in the past several
decades. Fifty years ago, most horsemen considered
a horse “old” by age twenty, but today we often see horses continuing athletic careers into their late twenties and enjoying retirement in their thirties. Longevity is partly genetic (just as in humans), but also partly due to good care. As horses grow older, their nutrient needs change. This may be due to poor teeth, changes in metabolism, or less efficient diges- tion. Some become thin, while others gain weight and become prone to laminitis. Some develop problems like Cushing’s disease (now called PPID), insulin resistance, failing kidneys, or impaired liver function, and need a special type of diet.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A BALANCED DIET
Amy Gill, PhD, an equine nutritionist in Kentucky, says it is important for an older horse
to have good quality protein with the right amino acids. “Make sure the diet is highly fortified with vitamins and minerals, and very digestible sources of fiber,” says Gill. Don’t feed overly mature, coarse hay that’s hard to chew and does not contain adequate nutrients. “A healthy older horse that doesn’t have metabolic problems has nutrient requirements slightly higher than a mature horse in its prime. An older horse’s requirements are similar to those of a young, growing horse. Digestive efficiency is reduced in older horses,” she says. Thus, the old horse needs more feed, but it must contain all of his nutrient requirements.
Amy Gill, PhD is an equine nutritionist in Kentucky and says digestive efficiency is reduced in older horses, so don’t over feed coarse, hard to chew hay.
She recommends feeding good quality protein, the right amino acids, and higher levels of soluble fiber and fat.
You should not increase calories just by adding more grain. The horse needs a concentrate with less grain and higher levels of soluble fiber and fat. For a horse that needs more calories to keep adequate body weight, you can add oil to the diet rather than starchy grains. It’s best to avoid corn oil, however, because it is high in unhealthy Omega 6 fatty acids. “Find a fat source that has a high Omega 3 fatty acid, like a flax oil blend. This helps with immune response and is also pro-anti-inflammatory,” says Gill. Prostaglandins produced in the body then tend to be anti-inflamma- tory rather than inflammatory. Omega 6 fatty acids (found in grains) tend to be pro-inflammatory.
Gill also suggests using products that contain small amounts of direct-fed microbials, such as yeast or lac- tobacilli, since these are beneficial if the hindgut is not functioning as well as it used to. Vitamin E and C are also helpful since they are powerful antioxidants.
“For older horses it’s a good idea to supple-
ment with certain vitamins,” according to Shannon Pratt Phillips, PhD, Associate Professor for Equine Nutrition and Physiology in the Department of Animal Science at North Carolina State University. “Many people supplement senior horses with vitamin E and/or fish oil (for the DHA and positive Omega 3 fatty acids). A study by Sarah Ralston found that older horses had lower vitamin C status. Senior feeds generally include ascorbic acid to provide extra vita- min C. It is unknown whether the older horses are deficient because they can’t make their own vitamin C as well anymore, or whether they have a higher turnover because they have more inflammatory
Senior horses may need more calories with less starchy grains, and this can be achieved by adding certain oils to their diet. A fat source with a high Omega 3 fatty acid, such as flax seed oil, helps with immune response and is pro-anti-inflammatory.
Using products that contain small amounts of microbials, such as yeast and lactobacilli, are also beneficial to the hindgut.
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SPEEDHORSE, December 2016
EQUINE HEALTH