Challenges facing the older horse:

Teeth

– older horses may have missing teeth, or teeth that are ground down. This deterioration can be a major factor in weight loss, often due to the older horses’ difficulty with grazing and a reduced ability to crack the hard outer layer of raw grains

Drop in digestive efficiency

– older horses are less efficient at extracting and absorbing nutrients such as protein, minerals and vitamins from their feedstuffs, and their ability to digest fibre also lessens. This loss in digestive efficiency may potentially range from 20 – 30%. This means that the older horse often requires more feed (or a more digestible feed) to simply maintain their body condition

Decreases in enzyme production and gut micro flora

– older horses have a reduced ability to produce important enzymes for starch digestion along with a decrease in the capability to synthesise certain vitamins. A decrease in the synthesis of B group vitamins and vitamin C can affect stimulation of appetite and can increase susceptibility to viruses

So, what to feed?

We need to make the diet as easy to eat and digest as possible. Selecting a feed that has been formulated for the older horse, particularly looking at the digestibility, protein levels, and additional levels of vitamins and minerals, will help our older equine friends. Feeding an extruded feed, which greatly increases the digestibility compared to raw grains, is beneficial.  Choosing a feed which may also be wet down to make a mash is often vital for horses with few teeth left. When feeding hay it may also be worth wetting the hay to help with consumption. If an old horse is unable to manage hay, roughage in the form of chaff or high energy fibres can be great inclusions in the diet.

Why NutriRice Veteran?

NutriRice Veteran has been specifically formulated for horses 15 years and older. It is a high fat / low starch diet that is based on rice and rice bran which has been shown to be the most digestible of all the grains. Rice is a naturally low starch, low GI ingredient, helping maintain more stable blood sugar and insulin levels. These factors minimise the chance of digestive upsets and makes it suitable for horses prone to nutritional disorders such as laminitis and colic. Chromium yeast is also added to help regulate glucose metabolism.

NutriRice Veteran is steam extruded, to increase digestibility, and with the addition of water will soften into an easy to eat mash for horses with few teeth left. This extruded formulation is also high in fat and digestible fibre, supplying a slow release energy source for calm, sustained energy.

NutriRice Veteran contains high quality, available protein from rice and soybean. These ingredients may improve body condition, and the supply of essential amino acids support muscle function and development. Increased levels of vitamins and trace minerals are also added to ensure good health and vitality, and extra omega 3 and 6 fatty acids help benefit immune function, aid better inflammatory response, and promote healthy skin and coat. NutriRice Veteran contains a live yeast culture, which helps to increase fibre, calcium and phosphorus digestibility. Added to this are increased levels of natural antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E. This already very palatable feed also has added B vitamins to stimulate appetite, and includes biotin for improved hoof integrity and strength.