How Much Do I Feed My Senior Horse?

Most of us have that one special senior horse…maybe he’s been with us for a long time, or maybe you’ve rescued him in his old age from a bad situation. Whatever the case, most people have had some experience with the special nutritional needs of geriatric horses. Senior feed usually fills this bill very well, soft pellets they can easily chew, lots of digestible fiber, a little extra protein to maintain muscle mass, and added fat for body condition.  It may surprise you to know, however, that the majority of people who feed a senior ration are not feeding it correctly. One of the most common mistakes I see horse owners make is underfeeding their senior horse.

Senior horses can be categorized two ways – those that can eat hay and those that can’t. Because most senior feeds on the market today can be fed as a sole ration (ie 16-18 lbs. per day to a 1,200 lb. horse in light work) they have to be formulated in such a way that a horse eating this much of the feed won’t be overdoing the concentration of vitamins/minerals, etc. Therefore, even if your horse is able to eat hay along with the senior feed, you still need to feed the minimum amount (5-7.5 lbs. for a 1,000 lb. horse), to even begin to meet the fortification requirements that your horse has in advanced age. Below is a guideline for correct feeding amounts for senior horses.

TIP: Put away those coffee cans and get out your scale!!!

If your horse can eat hay, the minimum amount of senior feed he should have per day for maintenance is:

800 lb. horse: 4 – 6 lbs.
1000 lb. horse: 5 – 7.5 lbs.
1200 lb. horse: 6 – 9 lbs

If your horse depends solely on senior feed and cannot eat hay, the minimum about of senior feed he should have per day for maintenance is:

800 lb. horse: 10 – 12 lbs.
1000 lb. horse: 12 – 14 lbs.
1200 lb. horse: 14 – 16 lbs.