Question

My 25-year-old Spotted Saddle Horse is moderately thin (14.2 hands; 730 lb or 332 kg). Her weight has fallen off slowly since she choked a few months ago. Her diet now consists of a senior feed (4.3 lb or 2 kg), hydration hay (4 lb or 1.8 kg), and recently a small amount of alfalfa pellets. This is all split between two meals. She had some sparse grass in the pasture, but it is almost completely gone. I would like to replace the hydration hay with alfalfa pellets. She is only used for light riding once or twice a week and maybe an hour or so on weekends. Aside from the choking, her only health concern is occasional sweet itch in the spring and summer. What do you recommend?

Answer

The diet you suggested, using only alfalfa pellets as forage, might not be ideal for Pansy.

Although alfalfa pellets are a suitable and nutritious forage source, the lack of traditional hay–also known as long-stem forage–in her diet is likely not ideal for digestive health.

Although you didn’t mention what type of feedstuff your mare choked on, I would suggest initiating a conversation with your veterinarian about safe ways to start refeeding long-stem forage. A slow feeder or closely-knit haynet may be an appropriate method to do this, thereby extending “chew time.” Slowing consumption is important for horses that have a history of choke. Alternatively, you can spread out the hay over a wide area, as this will preclude Pansy from grabbing large mouthfuls of hay, swallowing prematurely, and potentially choking.

Offering at least a few pounds of hay would also reduce the amount of time she goes with an empty stomach. When a stomach is empty for more than a couple hours, normal gastric acid can begin to irritate the stomach lining, eventually causing ulcers. Providing small frequent meals is best for digestive health. With more frequent feedings, Pansy may not be as aggressive or quick to consume the feed offered.

You can also help to reduce the risk of ulcers by adding a total digestive tract buffer like RiteTrac, which contains a blend of antacids and coating agents to protect the stomach from excess acid. RiteTrac also features a unique buffer that balances the pH of the hindgut to create a healthy environment for the microbial population and promote proper fiber digestion. RiteTrac is designed to be fed twice a day, which would offer her protection against ulcers during the periods of fasting. Australian horse owners should look to these research-proven products.

If long-stem forage is not an option, horses can be successfully managed on forage alternatives. Ideally, a mature horse consuming 4-6 lb (1.8-2.7 kg) of feed should also be consuming about 1.5-2.0% of its body weight as forage. The minimum forage intake should be no less than 1% of body weight. Did you gather her weight from a weight-tape or is it an estimate? The weight provided seems light for a 14.2-hand horse. Weight tapes are not infallible and often read about 100 lb (45 kg) under actual weight, so I estimated her desired weight to be 830 lb (377 kg).

Adding a third meal daily would likely help Pansy gain weight. In this scenario, each meal could contain 2 lb (0.9 kg) of senior feed and 3 lb (1.4 kg) of alfalfa pellets. This would provide an increase in calories for desired weight gain, and it would be meeting Pansy’s nutrient and forage requirements.

Remember, Pansy will also need access to a source of sodium chloride such as a white salt block. If you find she is a poor drinker in the winter, I suggest adding an electrolyte to stimulate the thirst response. Restore SR (Restore in Australia), a slow-release electrolyte supplement, is ideal for those situations because it allows sustained absorption of sodium in the hindgut.

You also mentioned that Pansy often gets sweet itch during the warmer months. I would consider adding a source of DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids to help modulate the immune response to allergens. EO-3 fish oil is ideal for skin irritation and allergies because it provides a potent source of long-chain omega-3s. Marine-derived sources of omega-3s are best utilized by the horse compared to plant sources, such as flax.

Although deodorized and cherry-flavored, we recommend introducing EO-3 gradually, starting with less than one-half oz (15 ml) and slowly working up to the full dose over 10-14 days. It can also be dosed directly with an oral syringe. For inflammatory conditions and allergies, we recommend feeding 2 oz (60 ml)/day. EO-3 provides additional benefits that are helpful for older horses, including immune support and improved glucose tolerance.

You could consider adding a source of calories from fat by adding a small amount of vegetable oil (more economical option) or stabilized rice bran.  I would start with one-quarter cup (60 ml) of vegetable oil (not corn oil) with each feeding and potentially work up to one-half cup (120 ml) twice daily if needed. When adding vegetable oil, it will be slightly increasing the omega-6s in the diet, which are precursors to the inflammatory process. EO-3 will help to balance the ratio with this new supplemental fat source.

Australian horse owners should look for this stabilized rice bran product.