Ways for Older Horses to Gain Weight

As horses get older, it often becomes challenging to keep them at a healthy weight. There are several ways to help your older horse gain weight, including changing a feed source and maintaining your horse's teeth. Before trying to improve your older horse's weight, be sure to talk to your veterinarian to rule out any medical causes for your horse's low weight.

  1. Use Senior Feed

    • Switching an older horse to senior feed is a simple step that aids in weight gain. Senior feeds are specially designed to meet the needs of older horses and provide the appropriate fat, protein and vitamin content for otherwise healthy older horses. Most senior feeds are also palatable and easier to chew and digest than feeds for younger horses to encourage older horses to finish a meal. According to "Feeding Geriatric Horses," an article on The Horse website about equine care, not all senior feeds are created equal. Use care when selecting a senior feed for your horse. If you are unsure about choosing a senior feed talk to your veterinarian or a local agricultural extension specialist.

    Make a Mash

    • Older horses often have a harder time chewing their food due to worn or missing teeth. Creating a mash helps make your horse's food easier to chew. Making a mash works best with feed cubes or pelleted feed, explains The Horse website. Place your horse's usual amount of feed in a bucket and mix it with warm water. Let the mixture sit for several minutes until the feed has dissolved into a mushy mixture. Mix the mash around to break up any solid pieces of food before giving the mash to your horse.

    Provide Hay

    • While not all older horses are able to chew and digest a diet of only hay, for horses that are able, feeding hay is an excellent way to help increase and maintain weight, states The Horse website. In addition, feeding hay in the winter helps keep your older horse warm, as hay, unlike pelleted feed, warms your horse from the inside out as it is digested and ferments. For horses who are unable to chew hay, another option is hay cubes. Cubes are dissolved in water and fed to your horse lake a mash, making the hay easier to chew.

    Other Considerations

    • Older horses in a herd situation often have difficulty getting the nutrients they need, as younger horses tend to chase older, weaker horses away from communal feeding areas, explains The Horse website. Feeding your older horse in a stall or separated from the group ensures that it is getting the appropriate amount of feed. Some older horses need dental care. As a horse chews on hay and feed, it grinds down its teeth, wearing them down and creating hooks. Some older horses benefit from having teeth floated, or filed, to remove the hooks and any uneven spots. Removing these often makes it easier for horses to chew, increasing feed consumption and improving weight.