The Right Feeding for Older Horses with Dental Problems

As horses age, not only their metabolism and muscles change – their teeth also play an increasingly important role in feed intake. Many older horses struggle to chew and grind their feed sufficiently. This can lead to them absorbing fewer nutrients from their feed and, in the long term, losing weight.

Especially in such cases, it is important to adjust their feeding and ensure that the horse continues to receive enough crude fiber and nutrients.

Why Forage is So Important for Horses

Horses are naturally continuous eaters. Their digestive system is designed to continuously consume structure-rich crude fiber. Forage like hay therefore forms the basis of every horse's diet.

However, it becomes problematic when older horses, due to dental problems, can no longer adequately chew and grind their hay. If the feed is not chewed properly, it can be less effectively digested in the gastrointestinal tract. This means that the horse may not be able to absorb enough nutrients, despite an adequate amount of feed.

When Hay Can No Longer Be Chewed Properly

Many horses with dental problems initially continue to eat their hay. But even if the horse still swallows the hay, it does not automatically mean that it is still getting enough energy and nutrients from it.

In such situations, it may be advisable to partially or completely replace classic hay with soaked fiber products. These are easier to consume and are much more digestible for older horses.

Typical alternatives include:

• Grass pellets

• Alfalfa pellets

• other soaked forage products

Soaking breaks down the fibers, making them easier for the digestive system to process.

Example of a Feed Ration for an Older Horse

A possible ration for an older horse with approximately 600 kg body weight could look like this:

Daily Ration

• 9 kg grass pellets

• 1.5 kg alfalfa pellets

• approx. 70 g senior mineral feed

The daily ration is ideally divided into four meals, so that the horse can regularly consume small portions.

Example per meal

• 2.25 kg grass pellets

• 0.4 kg alfalfa pellets

The mineral feed can be divided among two of the meals.

Correct Feed Preparation

For older horses to be able to consume the feed well, pellets or fiber products must be prepared correctly.

The feed quantities are first weighed dry and then soaked together. Then, the feed is covered with about 7 liters of water and should swell for approximately 30 minutes until it is completely softened.

The mineral feed is only mixed in afterwards.

This preparation not only facilitates chewing but also supports digestion.

Why Smaller Meals Make Sense

Especially for older horses, it can be helpful to divide the daily feed amount into several meals. This relieves the digestive system and allows the horse to absorb nutrients better.

Several smaller portions spread throughout the day also cater to the horse's natural feeding behavior.