weight problems

How do you keep weight on a 30 year old horse with hardly any teeth. He is healthy as and cheeky so there is nothing wrong.


it is not my horse but he is a friends so what is you advice

We have a 29 y/o TB that we buy senior feed for, then we add corn oil, probiotics and also wet down the feed. Wetting down the feed makes it easier for them to eat and break down in their stomach. The oil adds extra fat and calories and the probiotics helps their gut to digest and keep as many nutrients as possible.

His food is getting wet down and the vet come out to another friends horse and had to put it down because he had a twisted bowel and said if a horse is loosing weight and it is impossible to keep it back on if it is an old horse it might have a tumor on it's bowel or something so I think that is the problem if the horse ge6ts sick she is going to shoot it straight away!!!!!

Well I hope that's not the case.....

My 27y.o. Mare has a tumor on her thyroid which makes it REALLY hard to keep weight on her. I have to feed rediculous amounts of hay and grain, but its working so I keep shoveling feed down her as long as she's willing to eat.

TXHorseMom, what brand of probiotics do you use? My 20 year old is on the same regimen except we don't do probiotics, but it is a great idea.

You could try some soaked alfalfa pellets. I had to take care of a couple of older horses that could not chew hay or grain at all anymore. That is what they got everyday, along with a pellet form senior feed, neither of them where skinny. They drank the whole mixture down like soup, or should I say slop. You do want to be careful not to over feed it though. Also, always use warm water when it was cold out. Good luck.

Gosh, I'm having a brain fart right now! It is the topical kind not the paste. I get it at my feed store. Not sure if the brand itself matters or not, I'll look when I get home.

BTW I'm a nurse too! L&D/NICU