# Best Veteran Feed?



## SmartieBean09 (14 March 2010)

Ok, first post on the new forum......

As above really.  Any recommendations?

Old pony is lethargic, lost weight and lost her sparkle


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## Slinkyunicorn (14 March 2010)

The veteran feeds I use are either Mollichaff Veteran - it is a chaff based feed with linseed, vits and mins, mint and nettles etc in it - smells lovley and they eat it by the bucket full. Is also a soft chaff so if her teeth aren't as good as they used to be it is still managable.

The other that I use if Allen & Page Old Faithful - again is a cereal based mix with all the vits and mins and probiotic etc whihc smells nice and they eat quite happily. There is also their Fast Fibre which again is good for oldies if their teeth are brilliant and it makes sure they get enough fibre if they are struggling with hay/haylage or grazing.


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## floradora09 (14 March 2010)

I've got a rising 21 yrs NF pony. When he lost weight a couple of years ago and I had him on the spillers senior conditioning mix, which was ok, but nothing special. Then I switched to the Dodson and Horrell (sp?!) 16+ mix, and I would not want to change him off it, i think it's great! He's been on Alfa Oil, Speedibeet, 16+ mix. I also feed Equivite (as not on recomended amount of mix) and a joint supplement. Since he's been on this he's had such a sparkle to him and been full of beans- you wouldn't know he's nearly 21! I would give it a go, as I find if they're not getting all the vitamins they need they really lose their sparkle. Good luck!


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## SmartieBean09 (14 March 2010)

Thanks guys.  She is already of Fast Fibre and I have to agree, it is fab!  She is also on Top Spec Senior so is receiving a balanced diet.  Her age seems to have hit her hard and fast.  Received comments from others on the yard today about how she doesnt seem herself but doesnt look "too bad".
She looks ok I guess but has lost an enormous amount of weight in 6 months.  I am hoping the spring grass helps pick her up when it finally arrives but I do think the time has now come for something a bit more substantial other than high fibre cubes.
Bit sad really


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## Slinkyunicorn (14 March 2010)

The 37 year old here does well on the Veteran Mollichaff alongside his fast fibre - was having a little trot around in the sun toady!


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## kittyandnewt (14 March 2010)

we have a 25yo ex hunter who started to get very poor year or so ago, we give spillers senior conditioning, find it great. but we happen to have a stanley range which is goin full time this time of year and we put a scoop of rolled barley in a large pot and cover with water, leave it on back of range all nite just ticking over and give to him in morning all boiled up like porridge, still warm, he loves it! hes retired now as wind and suspensory ligaments long gone, and hes supposed to be taking my 4yo out on hacks for company but all hes doing is teaching him how to be a loon! but hes in such good form its great to see it.


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## Crazy Friesian (15 March 2010)

I have my 26yr old on A and P Calm and Condition, Alfa A and Equijewel. He is an angular type and looks worse than he is esp as he is 17.3hh! But since being on the Equijewel he has really picked up and has an old man beer belly now (so says OH! lol)


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## Toast (15 March 2010)

before our mare went on her stud feed she was on A&P old faithfuls and she looked fabulous on it. Id reccommend A&P to anyone 
x


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## TGM (15 March 2010)

What are her teeth like?  Poor teeth are a common cause of lost weight in old horses, particularly in the winter as they struggle to eat hay, whereas in the summer they can gobble down soft, juicy grass.  If this is the case then supplementing the hay with big tub trugs of hay replacer can make a big difference - for a non-laminitic I would use either a grass chaff (such as Graze-On or Readigrass) or soaked grass nuts.


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## SmartieBean09 (15 March 2010)

Thanks everyone.  Have just had her teeth checked and although they are worn from age, they are fine and she is managing to scoff 3-4 slices of hay a night.
Over the past year she has started to display the obvious signs of aging:
weight loss
loss of energy
dipped back
more grey hairs, esp on face
These have become more obvious this winter.  2 years ago, she was a good doer and I struggled to keep the weight off her.  Now she seems to be slowly losing more weight each time I weigh tape her.


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## _HP_ (15 March 2010)

How about a blob of oil in her feed for extra calories? and maybe swap her hay for haylage?
Assume she's up to date with her worming?
However, you may find that with age she may just not cope with the colder weather as well as she used to. Is she warm enough? Is she moving about enough to keep warm?
Hopefully she'll pick up with some spring grass but watch out for Cushings and laminitis is the older horse/pony.


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## SmartieBean09 (15 March 2010)

Thanks HP.  Yes she is all up to date with worming.  She is fed Spillers Conditioning Fibre which is full of oil.  She is also well rugged and has hay out in the field and a shelter.  Ive tried to get her to eat Haylage but she wont touch it.  She is a fussey moo!


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## _HP_ (15 March 2010)

Ah...well it sounds like you are doing everything you can...hopefully good ol Dr Green will do his thing

I have an older TB (late teens) wintering out and he has done well all winter on just Fast Fibre and ad lib hay/grass but has just dropped of a little this last few weeks. I think this is because the grass is coming through so they are mooching off looking for juicy shoots and spending less time on their hay. I have started adding some Speedibeet to the Fast Fibre for a bit of conditioning


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## SmartieBean09 (15 March 2010)

Fingers crossed Dr Green comes through soon.  Should happen if the weather stays like this!  Fast Fibre is brilliant stuff!!  Thank you


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