Feeding the aging horse Flashcards
What problems are associated with an older horse?
- difficulty chewing
- tooth loss, other dental problems - weight loss
- hips, rib bones more visible
- sway back - loss of muscle mass
- increase in obesity
- reduced exercise ability/capacity
- lameness
- limited mobility - greater incidence of certain disorders
- cushings
- insulin resistance
- colic
- choke - Long shaggy hair coat, loss of shine
What is chronological age?
how long has the horse been alive
What is physiological age?
how well is the horse functioning?
Demographic age?
how does the horse compare chronologically to its peers
Functional age?
what is the horse being used for
Physiological changes with age
- teeth
- nutrient digestibility
- nutrient metabolism
Changes with teeth
- crowns of teeth continue to erupt entire life = finite length
- incisors may be longer than cheek teeth
- broken, infected teeth
- tooth loss
- dental difficulties (step mouth = don’t get horizontal grinding; wave mouth = may need teeth pulled –> forage is difficult to grind efficiently & effectively)
Changes to nutrient digestibilty
more stuff reaching colon/cecum –> fermented –>methane and CO2 –> increased gas production
Nutrient metabolism?
Decreased sensitivity
- but exercise improves tissue sensitivity
Implications of dental changes on equine feeding
Dental pain (teeth/gums) may lead to - decrease in food/water (especially if cold)
Inability to properly grind forage leads to
- quidding = spit balls of semi-chewed food
- difficulty maintaining weight – >increase DE and maybe protein
- appearance of being less healthy
- increased incidence of esophageal choke, colic
- readily digestible, quick moving food = not super high quality, high cellulose –> keep things moving, electrolyes/water
Implication of aging for forage digestibility
- forage = critical dietary component (at least 1% DM intake)
- decrease in digestibility (teeth, large intestinal function)
Age associated muscle loss
Sarcopenia
Possible causes:
- reduced digestibility (lower DP –> not meeting requirements)
- decreased intake
- reduced level of activity
- increased intestinal use of protein
- chronic, low level inflammation –> stimulatory for protein degradation
- decreased responsiveness of muscle to anabolic stimuli
- produce less sex hormones with age
Suggested protein in aging horses
14-16% CP vs. NRC 8% maintenance
Is it ok to just give more low quality protein?
No, supply quality not quantity
- excess N –> promotes protein degradation
- processed, complimentary, less imbalanced proteins (oats = good protein/AA)
- AA supplements
metabolic disorders in the aging horses
- obesity
- mobility concerns
- predispose to other disorders - insulin resistance increases with aging
- obesity may also be a contributing factor
- predisposition to laminitis
- high fat/fibre vs. sugar/starch - cushing’s disease
- symptoms in 70% horses >20
- altered fat, protein, CHO metabolism
Micronutrient requirements in aging horses
P - higher? Ca - lower? Vit. C - higher? - role in epithelial tissue health, ROS electrolytes - higher? B vitamins - hut health
Feeding considerations for the aging horse
- when to make the change?
- chronological or physiological - feeding behaviour
- group vs. individual feeding - feed frequency
- smaller, more often
- beneficial metabolically, especially in horses - small stomachs that constantly secure gastric acid and liver that constantly secretes bile - dietary considerations
- forage = important for continuously growing gut
- senior complete feeds + concentrates
Forage considerations
FORAGE!!!!
- pasture
- quality
- grass vs. legume
- long stem vs. processed (hay cubes, beet pulp)
- supplements to improve digestibility of forage (yeast)
Grains and concentrates for seniors
Complete feeds
- can be fed in place of forage
- better maintenance of body condition in old, failing horses than hay/grain?
Physical form of feed
- pellets/extruded vs. texturized
- wet vs. dry - when in doubt wet is always better
- feed composition = high fat/high fibre & low starch/sugar
Purpose of adding soybean meal and dehydrated alfalfa?
balanced protein
Purpose of adding steam crimped grains (oat/barley)
increased digestibility
Purpose of adding flax
omega-3s
- grind right before feeding
Purpose of adding whey, casein
super digestible, good bioavailability, rapid absorption, supports muscles
Purpose of adding oils
decrease starch, increase fat content
Purpose of adding molasses
increase palatability
What is important to consider for senior diets?
increased fat (PUFAs), reduced starch, increased palatability and digestibility (processed, yeast)
