Horses are no longer out running free on miles of prairie... so it is our responsibility to give our horses the care they deserve. They have given us, in some cases, many years of love and enjoyment... now it is our responsibility to return the favor!
This is the protocol we follow:
-Has your old horse lost weight? -Is your horse starting to show his age? -Has your horse lost muscle tone in his topline?
1. First you must rule out reversible causes: -Is your horse dropping feed? -When was the last time the horse had his teeth checked? We have our horses teeth checked yearly... some horses require to be checked every 6 months. Your equine dentist/veterinarian should be looking for teeth spikes, a wavy mouth, loose teeth, etc. Horses are very sensitive animals so if they have any pain in their mouth they will quit eating or at least cut down how much they eat. Remember... these horses are sensitive that they notice when a fly lands on them so they will notice mouth pain.
-When was the last time the horse was de-wormed? When was the last time the horse was de-wormed with a different type wormer? Take a fecal sample to the vet and have a fecal flotation test done. They will identify any worms they may have and can hopefully recommend a wormer that will help the problem. All animals have parasites... you will never have them perfectly "clean". The goal is the get the worm numbers down to an acceptable level. As horses get older they become more susceptible to worms. Also, worm overload can result in colic in a horse.
-Is the horse being shown? Is it in a stressful environment? Is the horse in an environment that causes stress? Consider treating your horse for ulcers. It is always surprising what horses and how many horses suffer from ulcers or some form of digestive upset. Having your horse scoped to rule out ulcers is not practical. It is more practical to use a supplement for a 3-4 weeks and see if you see improvement. This is for what we use our supplement, Digestive Ease. Ulcers are not always an easy thing to correct. We also strongly recommend using liquid Aloe Vera juice, 1 cup twice per day.
-Do you feed only grass hay? Is it not enough calories anymore? You may need to consider increasing the calorie intake of your horse. Don't do it quickly...