The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Senior food that is not pellets?

3K views 19 replies 16 participants last post by  Yogiwick 
#1 ·
My older Thoroughbred gelding has a hard time eating senior food. He has wave mouth and gets his teeth done once or twice a year, it doesn't make a difference and the food is really hard for him to chew. He hasn't had any in several months and has been getting alfalfa and some oats and bran. He does just fine with this but come spring time I don't feel comfortable with him getting oats along with all the rich spring grass.

The pelleted style senior feeds I have given him in the past are ok if they are soaked but in the summer time it's too hot to soak. Plus it would be a lot easier to not have to soak feed. So my question becomes, are there any senior feeds available that aren't hard pellets? Maybe something that's more loose, sort of like the bran he gets?
 
#4 ·
I've never seen this before, I'll have to ask the local feed stores if they can bring it in for me to try.

In the summer you really don't have to use hot water to soak his pellets, just put water from your hose or tap, let it sit and soak while you're doing chores, and it will soften up just fine. My 28 year old gelding got his pelleted feed soaked every day for the last 3 years of his life, as he had no bottom molars left.

As for trying other feeds that are the same consistency as bran, I don't know, maybe others will. But I would be concerned about choking if his diet consisted only of a bran textured feed.

Soaking his pellets is the best way to go, it takes a little work, but not hard to get used to doing daily.
I don't soak his feed in hot water, always in cold as that is what's available to me at the barn. If I have to soak it I will continue to do so, I was just hoping for something that might be easier from the get go since feeding time in the morning is a big rush on the way out the door to work.
 
#3 ·
In the summer you really don't have to use hot water to soak his pellets, just put water from your hose or tap, let it sit and soak while you're doing chores, and it will soften up just fine. My 28 year old gelding got his pelleted feed soaked every day for the last 3 years of his life, as he had no bottom molars left.

As for trying other feeds that are the same consistency as bran, I don't know, maybe others will. But I would be concerned about choking if his diet consisted only of a bran textured feed.

Soaking his pellets is the best way to go, it takes a little work, but not hard to get used to doing daily.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#5 ·
We have a 31 year old mare at my mom's place who had 5 teeth pulled by the vet. We soak her senior feed in water. I put enough water so that there is about an inch of water from the top of the pellets and it only takes about 5-10 minutes for it to soak into complete mush. Unfortunately, our senior horses do just need a little bit of extra time and care.
 
#7 ·
Soaked beet pulp is an excellent food for senior horses, or any horse that needs additional calories, but might have metabolic conditions that preclude feeding grain
Beet pulp has a caloric value between that of forage and grain, but since it is digested as a fiber, can be fed up to 40% of the forage, without the associated risk in feeding grain
It is also a fiber that is easy to digest, and actually can improve over all digestion.
The above reasons, are also why beet pulp is the fiber used in many senior feeds. You can also add cool calories to it, using something like flax
I use it year round for my IR horse, adding supplements that help her condition. I just make it up, and keep it in the house over night. We get very cold winters in Alberta!
 
#8 ·
The one thing I would be wary of with beet pulp is that it has to be soaked for several hours before feeding and with a lot of water. As Smilie said, soaking it overnight in the house is a good idea. Our 31 year old mare got choke from a clump of beet pulp that somehow didn't absorb enough water (it had soaked overnight), resulting in a lovely trip to the vet. We switched to a senior feed because it just dissolves faster and lessens the risk of that happening and most contain beet pulp already. We've used a variety of feeds from Hi-Pro Feeds Step 6 to Masterfeeds senior pellets.
 
#9 ·
Since you feed on your way to work and can't take much extra time....
Take his feed ration home with you at night.
Portion it out and in the morning add the water a few minutes before walking out the door.
Running water, whether hot, warm or cold in ready supply from your home. Put it all in a pail with a lid or a large cooking pot.
When you get to the barn grab his bucket and pour.....food ready for him to eat and saved yourself some precious time.

I soak my guys food since he choked, per my vets advice...
I happen to use warm water for my horse, year round.
I fill a gallon jug in my house and walk to the barn.
His food is the first scooped and water added before I do the other horses...
By the time I'm ready to feed all horses are locked in their respective stalls and I can walk down the aisle without incident with scoops and a feed bucket ready to hang and him to enjoy...
I do toss hay to all my horses first so it does buy me a few minutes of peace, sort of, while preparing although they are all talking & grumbling to "HURRY UP!!"...:icon_rolleyes:

There are ways to cut time off...
At the expense of my horses health I made a decision to "take those few extra minutes" and let his food soak so I didn't lose him to choke or associated illnesses...
My horse is actually thriving now he doesn't struggle to eat but can now digest the softened foods easier...to me that is a winning situation FOR HIM!

Bet your horse would do great on a moistened Senior Feed from any reputable manufacturer....no need to mix any ingredients or anything.
Just scoop and add water...wait a few minutes and feed...

Best of luck....
:runninghorse2:...
jmo..
 
#11 ·
You DO NOT HAVE to soak beet pulp for a few hours that is highly outdated info!!!!

For my hard keeper. I have him on alfalfa or grass pellets with beer pulp. He has terrible time chewing as well. I soak the pellets with water for mane 5 min often less. Does not take long at all o turn into a mash. This includes beet pulp and seniors feeds. People make a big deal out of soaking. It really takes no time at all!!!

Add water to your grain ration. Then go give your horse his hay check his water ect, whatever you generally do as a routine. By time your done tossing him hay. The pellets are soaked up and ready to feed. You can defiantly soak in summer with cold water
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#12 ·
You DO NOT HAVE to soak beet pulp for a few hours that is highly outdated info!!!!
True, but most seniors [the topic of this thread] have chewing difficulties or missing teeth: it's likely to be impossible for them to chew a huge, hard, beet pulp pellet well enough for the pellet not to present a choking hazard.

As an aside, though I know current science says soaking is not necessary, my senior mare colicked and had to be put down after eating less than a pound of minimally-soaked beet pulp pellets.
The colic was chalked up to gastric torsion caused by an internal growth, but a part of my brain wonders if that BP played a part. It might be a coincidence, but that experience colors how I now choose to feed beet pulp.
 
#14 ·
Shreds should always be used with beet pulp. The pellets as you say do not absorb well. In 10 years and multiple horses I have never had a problem with beet pulp shreds soaked for a few min with hay pellets or senior feed. Make sure to add double the water and you will have a perfect soft mash in less then 5 min
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#15 ·
I like the triple crown senior but I can't find it around me anymore so I've been doing the equine senior, purina brand I think.

I have been buying some feed for my other horses, I'll have to look at the bag to check the brand but it's a 12% pellet, the pellets are really small and you can break them with your fingers so he is able to eat those and my senior horse only has about 4 teeth and a terrible wave mouth.
 
#16 ·
I would second the purina senior feed, soaks quite well at all times of the year.

it is also a complete feed so no need for the beet pulp, and for an easy keeping senior they have an active senior feed (we were going to put my wife's pony on active in the summer and regular sr in the winter since she always did great on the pasture, but still needs the vitamins/minerals that pasture won't give you)

just take a jug of warm water soak it for a few min and good to go.
 
#17 ·
Horses with healthy teeth can chew up beet pulp pellets just fine. BUT, for seniors or any other horse with iffy teeth, soaking is a better move. Unfortunately, if their teeth are iffy, they're far more likely to choke on EVERYTHING (senior feed pellets, alfalfa pellets, hay, grass, an apple slice, etc), not just this feed item.

Now, even for horses with perfect teeth, I'd still say soak it. They like it better, it provides water, it's easier to mix supplements and meds into, etc. Summer or winter, I've always found it easy enough to put a bucket in my vehicle and toss water on it when I'm on my way out to the barn so it's ready by the time I get there. If his teeth are so bad he can't handle even soft pellets, you're gonna be pretty much resigned to feeding mush multiple times daily year round or euthanasia.
 
#19 ·
Quality senior feeds are going to be pelleted because, as has been mentioned, the processing of the feedstuffs help to make it more digestible. You don't have to serve the soaked pellets hot. Just put hot water in and then let it cool off before serving.
 
#20 ·
I'm assuming there's a reason the dentist has not fixed the "wave"?

Regardless if you do think he needs a senior feed that is fine. Most senior feeds are not hard feeds. I would really just do some research on what's available to you. I'd say hard pellets are in the minority. Soaking shouldn't be a big deal. Senior pellets are made to be soaked. Bring some hot water with you and they'll be soaked in no time. Soaking a textured feed will be even quicker. If you can't find textured even senior pellets should be pretty easy.

What brand is he getting now?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top