Tips for Feeding the Senior Competition Horse

As we come to the end of our Golden Oldies week, Sarah Nelson, SPILLERS™ Nutritionist, gives us some feeding tips for keeping our older horses in the best possible condition.

Although horses were once considered ‘senior’ at 15, many competition horses do not reach the peak of their career until their late teens. If you are lucky enough to own or compete a senior horse you may be wondering what, if any changes you should be making to his diet…

Not all seniors are the same!

Every horse is an individual and the senior horse is no exception. Horses like people age at different rates which means there is no ‘correct age’ at which changes in diet should be made. In fact, if your horse clinically healthy and in ideal body condition you may not need to change his feed at all. Many feeds designed for working horses offer nutritional benefits relevant to senior horses including higher levels of quality protein and amino acids to support muscle tone and additional vitamin E for immune support.

Feed according to body condition score (BCS)

This is sound advice regardless of age so be careful not to assume that all senior horses have difficulty maintaining weight. In fact, horses that may have been ‘stepped down a level’ to teach a less experienced rider their craft may need the level of energy (calories) in their diet reduced to prevent excess weight gain. Excess weight gain and obesity negatively affect health and performance in a number of ways, including increased joint strain. Horses also show signs of age-related declines in immune function which are exacerbated in overweight and obese horses. Balancers are the ideal solution for horses that maintain weight easily on forage alone or less than recommended the recommended ration of compound feed.

Consider restricting starch and sugar intake

Insulin (a hormone secreted by the pancreas) signals cells, particularly those in the liver and muscle, to absorb glucose from the blood. Insulin dysregulation, a term which includes a hyperinsulinemia (a high level of insulin in the blood), an excessive insulin response and/ or insulin resistance has been associated with an increased risk of laminitis. However, research has shown that ageing results in an increased insulin response to a starch rich or sugar rich meal even in healthy horses. This suggests that restricting the amount of starch and sugar in the total diet may be beneficial for all senior horses, even if though don’t have PPID (Cushing’s). If your horse is unable to maintain weight on forage and balancer, look for fibre based feeds that contain higher levels of oil to provide additional energy (calories) whilst limiting starch intake.

Make changes gradually

Whilst this is not new advice, it may have additional relevance to senior horses. The large intestine or ‘hindgut’ is home to a complex ‘community’ of microbes including bacteria, viruses and fungi. In recent years the role these microbes may play in health and disease has become an increasing area of scientific interest. Research has shown that bacterial diversity decreases as a result of ageing which could mean senior horses may be more sensitive to changes in diet.

Find Out More…

Spillers Feeds are regular sponsors for both UKPA Nationals and our Early Season Tournament. Some of you may have visited their weighbridge at EST last year!

We are grateful for their continued support and look forward to welcoming Spillers back to our events when polocrosse resumes.

In the meantime, find out more about their senior feeds at https://www.spillers-feeds.com/products/senior