Senior Horse Care in Winter

normal diet one easy way to add calories is by topdressing your horses feed with vegetable oil. Start small just a quarter cup will do. If you add too much too soon youll cause loose stool. After several days gradually increase the oil to a third and then a half cup. After a few weeks use a weight tape to measure and monitor your horses weight. Adding beet pulp is another way to add calories and bulk up his diet.
Ensuring he has a nice warm blanket to snuggle in can also go a long way toward keeping weight on your older horse.
Before you make any changes to your horses diet however consider his overall health. If your horse has a medical condition such as Cushings disease metabolic syndrome or is prone to laminitis talk with your veterinarian before making any changes. Increasing sugars or other nutrients by changing his diet may harm a horse with these specific conditions so its best to check first before trying something new.
Aches and Pains
Cold weather can make anyone stiff but add in age and painful joints due to osteoarthritis and it can be really hard for an older horse to get moving on a cold morning. You may notice your horse is slow to walk out of his stall or is stiff under saddle for the first several minutes during winter rides.
If possible keep your horse turned out as much as possible. While this might sound like the opposite of what you should dowho wouldnt want to stay cozy in a deeply bedded stall?the more a horse moves the more lubricated his joints remain and the less stiff he is overall.
When riding an older horse in the winter allow extra time for a slow gradual warmup to let those stiff joints loosen and the muscles to warm up. If you ride outside be aware of the hardness of the ground in cold weather frozen ground can be especially jarring on stiff joints.
Its commonly understood that an arthritic horse will warm out of his stiffness during work. This means the more he moves the looser and more fluid his movement becomes. However if you notice your horse not improving during a ride or his stiffness or mild lameness gets worse stop exercising and take a closer look.
If you have a lameness concern or if you think the arthritis is getting worse talk to your veterinarian. Rest medication or therapy such as shockwave treatment may be warranted depending on the diagnosis.
Winter doesnt have to mean weary weather. With some planning your senior equine can weather this weather like a pro.