Kentucky Performance Products Tips for Feeding a Senior Horse: Healthy Fats
September was Senior Horse Education Month. So, our good friends at Kentucky Performance Products are offering this eight-part series on feeding the senior horse. Here is part five:
Senior horses require special attention to address their changing nutritional needs. As horses age, their metabolism, dental health and digestive efficiency may decrease, affecting their ability to maintain weight and absorb nutrients. In this series we’ll give you some guidelines on what to feed your senior horse.
Part 5: Healthy Fats for Senior Horses
Including healthy fats in the diet can provide extra calories and help improve body condition without increasing the amount of concentrate fed. The equine stomach is relatively small and meals of more than 4 to 5 pounds can easily overwhelm the stomach and lead to ulcers and hindgut imbalances. When you have maxed out the amount of concentrate your horse can safely eat, a high-fat supplement will contribute the extra calories your horse needs to maintain a healthy weight.
Always consult with a qualified equine veterinarian or equine nutritionist to develop a feeding plan tailored to your senior horse’s specific needs. They can help you determine the right balance of nutrients and make adjustments based on your horse’s individual health and condition. Additionally, monitor your horse’s body condition regularly and adjust the diet accordingly to ensure they maintain a healthy weight.
Click here to request a free review of your horse’s diet.
About Kentucky Performance Products, LLC:
Supports a return to normal gut function
Free fecal water syndrome (FFWS) is easily recognizable by the watery fecal matter that runs out of the horse when they poop. The majority of the manure in the bowel movement is normally formed, and the watery portion runs out either before, during, or after the movement. In the most of cases of FFWS the horse is otherwise normal, and the cause is hard to pinpoint. FFWS is different than diarrhea. When a horse has diarrhea the entire bowel movement is watery, and diarrhea is often accompanied by other symptoms of illness.
As anyone who has dealt with this syndrome knows, the watery substance makes a mess all over the horse’s hindquarters and can even cause skin irritation in severe cases. FFWS has many causes but regardless of the cause ProbioticWise can help retore normal gut function and reduce dirty butts and skin irritation.Ask your Vet if ProbioticWise is right for your horse.
The horse that matters to you matters to us®. KPPVet.com
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