Thanks to advances in veterinary medicine and equine nutrition, horses are living longer than ever.

While that’s great news for horses and their owners, it often comes with nutritional considerations that can change over time. Depending on a variety of factors, senior horses may require dietary changes to ensure they stay happy and healthy throughout their golden years.

“The hindgut in older horses, especially, is very important,” said Abby Geick, an equine veterinarian with New England Equine Medical & Surgical Center in New Hampshire. “One of the best ways we can support it in a clinical setting is by providing good, accurate nutrition.”

What makes senior horses senior?

While there's no set definition, most experts agree horses 15 or older are generally considered senior. Some horses may show signs of aging earlier, while others stay youthful and spry well into their 20s.

Many factors can impact nutritional needs, including activity level, body condition, seasonal climate, genetics and more. Some key changes to watch for include poor dentition and decreased digestive efficiency absorbing certain nutrients due to aging metabolisms. This may show up in horses becoming easy or hard keepers, or a variety of other physical changes.

Nutrition solutions for seniors

If your horse is starting to show signs of aging, you may find benefits from Sentinel^® Extruded Horse Feeds. These feeds are specially formulated for easier breakdown and to optimize the absorption of vital nutrients in the equine digestive system.

“The cooking process gelatinizes starch and sugar in the extruded particle,” said Dr. Randy Raub, Sentinel Director of Research and Nutrition. “That makes it very difficult to get any significant amount of starch and sugar into the hindgut, which can lead to things like colic, laminitis or founder.”

Extruded feed for extraordinary nutrition

Extrusion takes high quality, finely ground ingredients and pressure cooks them with moisture into light, airy nuggets. Lighter and larger than feed pellets, these nuggets have more volume, which encourages more chewing and slower eating.

The cooking process also allows extruded feed to break down faster and easier, as soon as a horse takes their first bite. This makes ingredients easier to digest, releasing more essential nutrients where they’re meant to be naturally absorbed in the stomach and small intestine.

“We use extruded feed as a preventative measure, particularly for older horses that have poor dentition or a history of choke,” Gieck said. “Extruded feed breaks down nicely in a mash, and it also contains adequate vitamins and nutrients, which really is key for older horses.”

Small changes can have big impacts

When switching to an extruded feed, it’s important to transition gradually over a five-to-seven-day period. Raub notes that while it may take some horses longer to consume the higher volume, nutrient-dense nuggets, it’s nothing to worry about.

“The more a horse moves its jaw, the more saliva it produces,” he explained. “Saliva acts as a buffering agent to the stomach, which is a good thing because it helps to reduce the instances of gastric ulcerations.”

The Sentinel team can help you make the best nutritional decisions for your horse and the horses under your care. Sign up for the latest news, research and expert nutritional guidance for all horses.