Dental problems in older horses:
As horses get older they may start to struggle holding their weight, particularly through the winter months. This can be further complicated by difficulty chewing due to missing or worn teeth which is not uncommon in older horses. As horses age their teeth become more worn and can become less effective at chewing. Older horses can also be more susceptible to loosing teeth resulting in gaps or diastemas.
Using soaked feeds such as Pure Veteran Pellets for older horses with missing teeth
If your horse is starting to show difficulty when eating their feed or chewing chaff based products it’s time to consider a soaked feed such as our Pure Veteran Pellets. These must be soaked before feeding to form a soft, palatable and easy to chew mash. This is exactly what happened to Frog, a retired eventer owned by Lucinda Fredericks. Back in his prime, Frog competed at Badminton however now at 26 years old he is enjoying a much quieter life.
Lucinda said “We started using pure veteran pellets for Frog, because it was difficult for him to eat as he is an old boy now and has lost a number of his teeth. He lost weight last winter and Pure feed suggested I use Veteran pellets and this winter he has kept his summer weight all through the difficult months.
We soak veteran pellets in water before we give it to him. It’s much easier for him to eat and he is very happy! We like it because it is so easy to make and the older horses love it!”
Pure Veteran Pellets
Our Pure Veteran Pellets are tailored specifically to suit the needs of older horses. It is a complete feed with our balancer included to provide the vitamins and minerals that your horse requires in a high fibre, low sugar and starch way. The feed also provides amino acids to help maintain topline and muscle tone and slow release calories to help add and maintain weight. The pellets must be soaked before feeding to form a soft easy to chew mash making them ideal for older horses and those with poor dentition. As it is a soaked feed it provides the additional benefit of helping to increase your horse’s fluid intake. This can be particularly beneficial in older horses or those that are reluctant to drink in cold weather.
Contact the Pure Feed Nutritional Team
For advice on feeding your horse to help them stay calm and focused when ridden, or for more information about Pure Feed contact our friendly nutritional team. You can email [email protected] or call 01458 333 333. You can also request a free diet plan for your horse.
