It really amazes me how many people think that it is normal for an old timer to get skinny. No, no, no, no no! Older horses can have various issues, that if not properly cared for, can cause an early demise. The foremost of which is dental issues.
Equine teeth erupt from the jaw at a constant slow pace throughout their lives. This allows for surface wear from chewing tough grasses and plants. However, most horses do not wear their teeth evenly. This can cause sharp hooks and points that can lacerate the gums, causing painful chewing. This will stop a horse from eating as much, and consequently lose weight. A quick floating can take care of those sharp edges.
Tooth loss can also cause problems. An empty socket can cause overgrowth of opposing teeth, preventing proper grinding and causing weight loss.
Sometimes, the older equines have problems digesting as well. Luckily, there are many quality senior feeds out on the market. They provide a more readily available source of nutrition for the aged equine. They can also be soaked and turned into mush for those without teeth.
I remember one incident almost twenty years ago. I was loping my 26yo down the side of the country road, and one of the neighbors saw me. He happened to be having a conversation at that exact time with another neighbor who had come for a visit. Neighbor#1 was saying that he needed to get a horse younger than the 19yo for his daughter. The 19yo apparently was “old and worn out”, and did not have enough energy. Neighbor#2 (Who knew my horse) pointed at me loping down the road and asked if he needed something like what I was riding. Neighbor #1 said yes. Neighbor #1 was completely flabbergasted when told that I was on a 26yo.
Since then, I have had the pleasure to own an even older horse. The girl in the picture up top was 30 at the time of the picture, and still doing 6-plus hour rides in the mountains with vigor. Notice that she is not skinny – she does not even have a sway back! She had been on an all-senior feed diet for two years.
Equine teeth erupt from the jaw at a constant slow pace throughout their lives. This allows for surface wear from chewing tough grasses and plants. However, most horses do not wear their teeth evenly. This can cause sharp hooks and points that can lacerate the gums, causing painful chewing. This will stop a horse from eating as much, and consequently lose weight. A quick floating can take care of those sharp edges.
Tooth loss can also cause problems. An empty socket can cause overgrowth of opposing teeth, preventing proper grinding and causing weight loss.
Sometimes, the older equines have problems digesting as well. Luckily, there are many quality senior feeds out on the market. They provide a more readily available source of nutrition for the aged equine. They can also be soaked and turned into mush for those without teeth.
I remember one incident almost twenty years ago. I was loping my 26yo down the side of the country road, and one of the neighbors saw me. He happened to be having a conversation at that exact time with another neighbor who had come for a visit. Neighbor#1 was saying that he needed to get a horse younger than the 19yo for his daughter. The 19yo apparently was “old and worn out”, and did not have enough energy. Neighbor#2 (Who knew my horse) pointed at me loping down the road and asked if he needed something like what I was riding. Neighbor #1 said yes. Neighbor #1 was completely flabbergasted when told that I was on a 26yo.
Since then, I have had the pleasure to own an even older horse. The girl in the picture up top was 30 at the time of the picture, and still doing 6-plus hour rides in the mountains with vigor. Notice that she is not skinny – she does not even have a sway back! She had been on an all-senior feed diet for two years.
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