Improvements in veterinary treatment, nutrition, and equine care mean the lifespan of horses keeps increasing. The average is now 25-30, but many horses live into their later 30s or even 40s. While this is fantastic, it can lead to serious dental problems and health issues. You may need to make big changes to horse feed.

Equine teeth

The main issue is horses have teeth that degrade slowly over their lifetime. They rely on them to grind down forage and other feeds, but generally the teeth only last around 20 years due to the grinding. They can wear down entirely by this point and expire. It means they are no longer effective for processing food. Plus, it also increases the risk of fracturing, tooth loss, and damage to the soft gum tissue.

Unfortunately the dental problems can snowball and lead to serious issues. For one, it can actually reduce food intake, especially if it causes pain. This can result in weight loss and health problems.

Even if horses do continue to eat, poor dental condition can cause problems. Horses primarily digest food through fermentation. For microbes to break it down though, foods need to be in smaller pieces. If they can’t chew properly and grind up horse feed, especially forage, they will struggle to get enough nutrients. It causes chronic weight loss. It can cause diarrhoea, increases the risk of choke, and can cause impaction colic if unchewed food gets stuck in the intestines.

What to do?

The most important thing to do is ensure you preserve the dentition of your horses. While teeth do only have around a 20 year lifespan, you may be able to increase it and reduce the chance of problems developing. Regular dental checks are important, sometimes even twice a year for older horses. In addition, if there are issues, ask the vet to act quickly.

On top of that, make sure you change horse feed when you need to. When older horses can’t break down forage effectively because of missing or expired teeth, it is wise to stop feeding them traditional forage. Instead, swap to a pelleted, cubed, or chopped feed. Soak it before giving it to the horse. This will make it easier to break down, even with the gums alone.

A crucial thing to remember is you need to ensure older horses with poor dentition continue to get sufficient nutrients. Therefore, you may need to include oil, rice bran, and powder vitamin/mineral mix. Crucially, make sure the ration includes good sources of fats.

One thing to keep in mind though is horses can be picky eaters. That is especially true as they get older. So, you need to be careful when changing feeds. Plus, check they are actually eating.

Always choose quality horse feed

If you need fantastic feeds for horses, you can rely on JS Hubbuck Ltd. We have a long history in the agricultural industry. Our family-run business has been supporting farmers and other clients for generations. So, get in touch if you need advice or want to order products.