Feeding the dentally challenged horse is quite simple, it just takes a small amount of trial and error when dealing with the indivual horse. Always speak with your veterinarian when making any drastic feed change to your horse's diet. This article is meant as a general guideline and will vary based on your horses age, metabolism, and size.
Feeding Forage:
This is the most important part of your horse's diet, however, for a dentally changed equine its not always easy to incorporate it into his diet. "For horses just beginning to experience dental problems, choice of hay and the manner in which it is presented can mean the difference between eating the hay or "quidding" (wadding the hay into balls, then spitting it out.) First cutting grass hays and alfalfa hays are usually quite coarse and stemmy. Second cutting grass hays are generally very leafy, with few stalks or seed heads, and easier to chew." says Chris Smith with Traveller's Rest Equine Elder's sancuary. Chris also points out that ",beet pulp, alfalfa or hay cubes, and bagged chopped forage are viable options in many circumstances." It is important to soak beet pulp for several hours with hot water, or over night with cold water to avoid impaction colic. Soaking chopped forage will also help your horse eat hard hay cubes. On hot days make sure your horse doesn't try to "graze" on soaked feed as it will go bad and could make your horse sick.
Feeding Concetrate Feed:
It is important to find a complete pelleted or extruded feed for your dentally challenged horse. A senior feed will work best even if your horse isn't considered a senior yet. These products are basically "ABC" feeds, and are great for a horse who cannot chew. Make sure to soak these feeds thoroughly with water before feeding. The consistancy will depend on your horse's preference but most horses do not like "soup," they usually prefer an oatmeal consistancy.
How Much:
Most horses require 1.5-3% of their body weight in feed daily to maintain proper weight. A 1000 lb horse should be consuming 15-30 lbs daily. Usually the majority of a horse's diet consists of hay and grass, with concentrates only being used to supplement, however, this isn't possible in a horse who cannot chew hay and grass effectively. Below are some examples of feeding programs for horses with different degrees of dental problems. They are all based on a 1000 lb horse and should be adjusted to fit your horse's specific needs. Always speak to your veterinarian before making any changes to your horse's diet. The brands described here are only used to clarify the type of product I am talking about, these are brands I feel carry high quality products but you can substiture what is available to you locally. And don't forget that just because your horse cannot use his teeth they are still at risk for a number of problems that can make him uncomfortable, so continue to have him checked regularly.
In all of the following examples the horse should be allowed to have free choice hay/grass all day to keep him entertained, and as always be allowed access to clean, fresh, unfrozen water. All feeds should be soaked throughly with water, warm water works best as it soaks faster. These examples are for the horse with little or no molar contact. If feeding at lunch time is not possible because of work you can slightly increase the other feed times. Always make feed changes slowly and start on lesser amounts.
Example 1: (Available at your Blue Seal Feed Dealer http://www.blueseal.com )
8AM- 3 lbs Blue Seal Senior, 2 lb Blue Seal Hay Stretcher, .5 lbs beet pulp
12PM- 3 lbs Blue Seal Senior, 2 lb Blue Seal Hay Stretcher, .5 lbs Omegatin
4PM- 3 lbs Blue Seal Senior, 2 lb Blue Seal Hay Stretcher, .5 lbs beet pulp
8PM -3 lbs Blue Seal Senior, 2 lb Blue Seal Hay Stretcher, .5 lbs Omegatin
Example 2: (Available at Most Tractor Supply Stores http://www.mytscstore.com)
8AM- 3 lbs Platform Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Cubes, .5 lbs beet pulp
12PM- 3 lbs Platform Senior, 2lbs Alfalfa Cubes
4PM- 3 lbs Platform Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Cubes, .5 lbs beet pulp
8PM-3 lbs Platform Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Cubes
Example 3: (Available at Most Southern States http://www.southernstates.com)
8AM- 3 lbs Triple Crown Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Forage, .5 lbs beet pulp
12PM- 3 lbs Triple Crown Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Forage
4PM- 3 lbs Triple Crown Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Forage, .5 lbs beet pulp
8PM- 3 lbs Triple Crown Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Forage
Feeding Forage:
This is the most important part of your horse's diet, however, for a dentally changed equine its not always easy to incorporate it into his diet. "For horses just beginning to experience dental problems, choice of hay and the manner in which it is presented can mean the difference between eating the hay or "quidding" (wadding the hay into balls, then spitting it out.) First cutting grass hays and alfalfa hays are usually quite coarse and stemmy. Second cutting grass hays are generally very leafy, with few stalks or seed heads, and easier to chew." says Chris Smith with Traveller's Rest Equine Elder's sancuary. Chris also points out that ",beet pulp, alfalfa or hay cubes, and bagged chopped forage are viable options in many circumstances." It is important to soak beet pulp for several hours with hot water, or over night with cold water to avoid impaction colic. Soaking chopped forage will also help your horse eat hard hay cubes. On hot days make sure your horse doesn't try to "graze" on soaked feed as it will go bad and could make your horse sick.
Feeding Concetrate Feed:
It is important to find a complete pelleted or extruded feed for your dentally challenged horse. A senior feed will work best even if your horse isn't considered a senior yet. These products are basically "ABC" feeds, and are great for a horse who cannot chew. Make sure to soak these feeds thoroughly with water before feeding. The consistancy will depend on your horse's preference but most horses do not like "soup," they usually prefer an oatmeal consistancy.
How Much:
Most horses require 1.5-3% of their body weight in feed daily to maintain proper weight. A 1000 lb horse should be consuming 15-30 lbs daily. Usually the majority of a horse's diet consists of hay and grass, with concentrates only being used to supplement, however, this isn't possible in a horse who cannot chew hay and grass effectively. Below are some examples of feeding programs for horses with different degrees of dental problems. They are all based on a 1000 lb horse and should be adjusted to fit your horse's specific needs. Always speak to your veterinarian before making any changes to your horse's diet. The brands described here are only used to clarify the type of product I am talking about, these are brands I feel carry high quality products but you can substiture what is available to you locally. And don't forget that just because your horse cannot use his teeth they are still at risk for a number of problems that can make him uncomfortable, so continue to have him checked regularly.
In all of the following examples the horse should be allowed to have free choice hay/grass all day to keep him entertained, and as always be allowed access to clean, fresh, unfrozen water. All feeds should be soaked throughly with water, warm water works best as it soaks faster. These examples are for the horse with little or no molar contact. If feeding at lunch time is not possible because of work you can slightly increase the other feed times. Always make feed changes slowly and start on lesser amounts.
Example 1: (Available at your Blue Seal Feed Dealer http://www.blueseal.com )
8AM- 3 lbs Blue Seal Senior, 2 lb Blue Seal Hay Stretcher, .5 lbs beet pulp
12PM- 3 lbs Blue Seal Senior, 2 lb Blue Seal Hay Stretcher, .5 lbs Omegatin
4PM- 3 lbs Blue Seal Senior, 2 lb Blue Seal Hay Stretcher, .5 lbs beet pulp
8PM -3 lbs Blue Seal Senior, 2 lb Blue Seal Hay Stretcher, .5 lbs Omegatin
Example 2: (Available at Most Tractor Supply Stores http://www.mytscstore.com)
8AM- 3 lbs Platform Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Cubes, .5 lbs beet pulp
12PM- 3 lbs Platform Senior, 2lbs Alfalfa Cubes
4PM- 3 lbs Platform Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Cubes, .5 lbs beet pulp
8PM-3 lbs Platform Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Cubes
Example 3: (Available at Most Southern States http://www.southernstates.com)
8AM- 3 lbs Triple Crown Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Forage, .5 lbs beet pulp
12PM- 3 lbs Triple Crown Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Forage
4PM- 3 lbs Triple Crown Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Forage, .5 lbs beet pulp
8PM- 3 lbs Triple Crown Senior, 2 lbs Alfalfa Forage
Article 2
Over Long Incisors
Dental Abnormalities Part 1
Diarrhea In The Dentally Challenged Horse
Dental Abnormalities Part 1
Overlong Incisors- A Common Issue in The Domestic Horse.
Overlong incisors are a very common issue in the domesticated horse. This article will examine the causes, the problems associated with overlong incisors, and what you as a horse owner can do for your animal.
The Wild Horse
The wild horse uses his incisors to nip up the grass then uses his cheek teeth to grind the food. The wild horse is constantly wearing down his incisors by nipping grass, and in the winter he digs down deeper to eat roots, thus wearing his teeth down even more. This allows the wild horse’s incisors to wear at approximately the same rate as his cheek teeth.
The Domestic Horse
The average domestic horse cannot live on grass alone. They must be supplemented with hay and grain. Neither of which require the horse to use his incisors. Over time the incisors will become too long, and his cheek teeth will have little or no contact when he tries to grind his food.
The Problems
Overlong incisors cause many problems for the horse. Below is a list of some common problems associated with overlong incisors.
Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ syndrome)
TMJ syndrome results from the undue stress put on the joint during “lateral excursion”; chewing. Since the joint usually has the cheek teeth to take most of the force c, it is ill equipped to deal with all of the pressure. TMJ syndrome is a regonized disease seen in many human patients. It is often seen in patients who suffer from bruxism; teeth grinding. Humans report head aches, muscle aches, and ringing in the ear. Similar symptoms are present in horses.
Impaction Colic
One of the most common forms of colic is an impaction colic. There are many causes for this type of colic, one of the most common being dental abnormalities. In the case of overlong incisors, the horse does not have enough cheek teeth contact to chew his food effectively. Poorly chewed food then becomes impacted in the intestines, causing the horse extreme discomfort. As with any colic, impaction colic requires immediate veterinary attention.
Weight Loss
As with any dental abnormality weight loss can be a tell tale. When a horse cannot grind his food effectively, nutrients can be lost during the digestive process. If the horse isn’t getting the proper nutrients out of his feed then he will obviously suffer the consequences.
An Area of Common Confusion “Long In The Tooth”
Long In The Tooth used to be a term used to describe as aged horse, now it should be sononomous with overlong incisors. While there are many areas of change in a horse’s mouth as it ages, the actual length of the incisors should not be one of them. If properly maintained the incisors should stay approximately the same length through out the horse’s life. The angle of the incisors will change and they may even appear longer because of gum recesion.
What To Do
Overlong incisors are not always obvious upon visual exam, a good professional will check your horses lateral excursion to separation or L.E.T.S. This means they will check to see how far your horse must move his jaw before his cheek teeth cause his incisors to separate. This should be less than 1-3 mm. They will also move your horse’s jaw to listen to his cheek teeth grind. If you believe your horse may have overlong incisors, or any other dental abnormality call your local dental technician or veterinarian. Ask them what their practice is on reducing overlong incisors. If they are not familiar with this aspect of dental care, simply ask them to refer you to someone who is, most professionals will be more than happy to send you to a dental specialist. If they do not know of anyone, there are many resources that can help you find someone qualified to care for your horse’s teeth. Even if there isn’t someone in your area, don’t worry. Often dental technicians will schedule appointments out of their normal service area for large groups. Simply check with your local tack shop or riding club to see if you can join in.Also, you can visit http://www.iaedglobal.org for a list of members of the International Association of Equine Dentistry.
Article 3The Wild Horse
The wild horse uses his incisors to nip up the grass then uses his cheek teeth to grind the food. The wild horse is constantly wearing down his incisors by nipping grass, and in the winter he digs down deeper to eat roots, thus wearing his teeth down even more. This allows the wild horse’s incisors to wear at approximately the same rate as his cheek teeth.
The Domestic Horse
The average domestic horse cannot live on grass alone. They must be supplemented with hay and grain. Neither of which require the horse to use his incisors. Over time the incisors will become too long, and his cheek teeth will have little or no contact when he tries to grind his food.
The Problems
Overlong incisors cause many problems for the horse. Below is a list of some common problems associated with overlong incisors.
Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ syndrome)
TMJ syndrome results from the undue stress put on the joint during “lateral excursion”; chewing. Since the joint usually has the cheek teeth to take most of the force c, it is ill equipped to deal with all of the pressure. TMJ syndrome is a regonized disease seen in many human patients. It is often seen in patients who suffer from bruxism; teeth grinding. Humans report head aches, muscle aches, and ringing in the ear. Similar symptoms are present in horses.
Impaction Colic
One of the most common forms of colic is an impaction colic. There are many causes for this type of colic, one of the most common being dental abnormalities. In the case of overlong incisors, the horse does not have enough cheek teeth contact to chew his food effectively. Poorly chewed food then becomes impacted in the intestines, causing the horse extreme discomfort. As with any colic, impaction colic requires immediate veterinary attention.
Weight Loss
As with any dental abnormality weight loss can be a tell tale. When a horse cannot grind his food effectively, nutrients can be lost during the digestive process. If the horse isn’t getting the proper nutrients out of his feed then he will obviously suffer the consequences.
An Area of Common Confusion “Long In The Tooth”
Long In The Tooth used to be a term used to describe as aged horse, now it should be sononomous with overlong incisors. While there are many areas of change in a horse’s mouth as it ages, the actual length of the incisors should not be one of them. If properly maintained the incisors should stay approximately the same length through out the horse’s life. The angle of the incisors will change and they may even appear longer because of gum recesion.
What To Do
Overlong incisors are not always obvious upon visual exam, a good professional will check your horses lateral excursion to separation or L.E.T.S. This means they will check to see how far your horse must move his jaw before his cheek teeth cause his incisors to separate. This should be less than 1-3 mm. They will also move your horse’s jaw to listen to his cheek teeth grind. If you believe your horse may have overlong incisors, or any other dental abnormality call your local dental technician or veterinarian. Ask them what their practice is on reducing overlong incisors. If they are not familiar with this aspect of dental care, simply ask them to refer you to someone who is, most professionals will be more than happy to send you to a dental specialist. If they do not know of anyone, there are many resources that can help you find someone qualified to care for your horse’s teeth. Even if there isn’t someone in your area, don’t worry. Often dental technicians will schedule appointments out of their normal service area for large groups. Simply check with your local tack shop or riding club to see if you can join in.Also, you can visit http://www.iaedglobal.org for a list of members of the International Association of Equine Dentistry.
Diarrhea In The Dentally Challenged Horse
I hear it all the time "my horse has chronic diarrhea and I've tried everything. There's nothing we can do to fix this, he's just old."
Well, this is NOT true. There are many things that can be done to fix
this problem. Below I will list the steps, in order, I believe should
be done to correct this problem. Remember that all horses are different
and what works for one, may not work for another. Also the cases I'm
referring to are chronic, if you horse has an acute case of diarreha,
call your local vet immediately, as this can lead to dehydration and
could be an indicator of a much more serious problem.
The first steps are ones you've probably already tried, but stay with me.
Step One: Deworm the horse .Talk to your vet about which one is appropriate for your situation. He may recommend a "panacur power pack" or something as simple as iveremtin
Step Two: Have his teeth evaluated by a trained professional.
Step Three: Soak his current feed ration.
Step Four: Switch him to a quality senior feed.
Step Five: Add a ration of soaked beet pulp to his diet.
Now after trying all of this, most people believe they have "tried everything," even the best of owners believe this is simply as good as it gets.
Step Six: Add "Blue Seal Hay Stretcher" to his diet, continue with the beet pulp.
Never heard of it? Neither had I. I tried it on my older mare, and lucked into this formula.I've now recommended it to several people, and I'm thrilled with the results!! I do not work for Blue Seal, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. I just feel they make a good product. The reason I believe it works is because many older horses are unable to absorb enough fiber to meet their roufage requirements. This is why they often have loose stools, its up to us as horse owners to find what works for our animal. Well, this is NOT true. There are many things that can be done to fix this problem. Below I will list the steps, in order, I believe should be done to correct this problem. Remember that all horses are different and what works for one, may not work for another. Also the cases I'm referring to are chronic, if you horse has an acute case of diarreha, call your local vet immediately, as this can lead to dehydration and could be an indicator of a much more serious problemI hear it all the time "my horse has chronic diarreha and I've tried everything. There's nothing we can do to fix this, he's just old.".
The first steps are ones you've probably already tried, but stay with me.
Step One: Deworm the horse .Talk to your vet about which one is appropriate for your situation. He may recommend a "panacur power pack" or something as simple as ivermtrin
Step Two: Have his teeth evaluated by a trained professional.
Step Three: Soak his current feed ration.
Step Four: Switch him to a quality senior feed.
Step Five: Add a ration of soaked beet pulp to his diet.
Now after trying all of this, most people believe they have "tried everything," even the best of owners believe this is simply as good as it gets.
Step Six: Add "Blue Seal Hay Stretcher" to his diet, continue with the beet pulp.
Never heard of it? Neither had I. I tried it on my older mare, and lucked into this formula. I've now recommended it to several people, and I'm thrilled with the results!! I do not work for Blue Seal, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. I just feal they make a good product. The reason I believe it works is because many older horses are unable to absorb enough fiber to meet their roughage requirements. This is why they often have loose stools, its up to us as horse owners to find what works for our animal.
SentryChick a Chronicle's of The Horse User writes:
"Well, I must say, I LOVE YOU!!!!!
I put Vanny (age 25) on Blue Seal Hay Stretcher last week. And for the last 3 days...... No diarrhea. I don't remember the last time he has gone 3 days with nothing. Even his manure was looking firmer and more normal. And it's been years since I last saw that!!!!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU For recommending it to me.
"
The first steps are ones you've probably already tried, but stay with me.
Step One: Deworm the horse .Talk to your vet about which one is appropriate for your situation. He may recommend a "panacur power pack" or something as simple as iveremtin
Step Two: Have his teeth evaluated by a trained professional.
Step Three: Soak his current feed ration.
Step Four: Switch him to a quality senior feed.
Step Five: Add a ration of soaked beet pulp to his diet.
Now after trying all of this, most people believe they have "tried everything," even the best of owners believe this is simply as good as it gets.
Step Six: Add "Blue Seal Hay Stretcher" to his diet, continue with the beet pulp.
Never heard of it? Neither had I. I tried it on my older mare, and lucked into this formula.I've now recommended it to several people, and I'm thrilled with the results!! I do not work for Blue Seal, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. I just feel they make a good product. The reason I believe it works is because many older horses are unable to absorb enough fiber to meet their roufage requirements. This is why they often have loose stools, its up to us as horse owners to find what works for our animal. Well, this is NOT true. There are many things that can be done to fix this problem. Below I will list the steps, in order, I believe should be done to correct this problem. Remember that all horses are different and what works for one, may not work for another. Also the cases I'm referring to are chronic, if you horse has an acute case of diarreha, call your local vet immediately, as this can lead to dehydration and could be an indicator of a much more serious problemI hear it all the time "my horse has chronic diarreha and I've tried everything. There's nothing we can do to fix this, he's just old.".
The first steps are ones you've probably already tried, but stay with me.
Step One: Deworm the horse .Talk to your vet about which one is appropriate for your situation. He may recommend a "panacur power pack" or something as simple as ivermtrin
Step Two: Have his teeth evaluated by a trained professional.
Step Three: Soak his current feed ration.
Step Four: Switch him to a quality senior feed.
Step Five: Add a ration of soaked beet pulp to his diet.
Now after trying all of this, most people believe they have "tried everything," even the best of owners believe this is simply as good as it gets.
Step Six: Add "Blue Seal Hay Stretcher" to his diet, continue with the beet pulp.
Never heard of it? Neither had I. I tried it on my older mare, and lucked into this formula. I've now recommended it to several people, and I'm thrilled with the results!! I do not work for Blue Seal, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. I just feal they make a good product. The reason I believe it works is because many older horses are unable to absorb enough fiber to meet their roughage requirements. This is why they often have loose stools, its up to us as horse owners to find what works for our animal.
SentryChick a Chronicle's of The Horse User writes:
"Well, I must say, I LOVE YOU!!!!!
I put Vanny (age 25) on Blue Seal Hay Stretcher last week. And for the last 3 days...... No diarrhea. I don't remember the last time he has gone 3 days with nothing. Even his manure was looking firmer and more normal. And it's been years since I last saw that!!!!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU For recommending it to me.
"