How to feed aged horses

Aged horses often do not require special feeds or feeding. However if they fail to maintain good body condition medical, environmental or dental causes need to be ruled out before altering their rations. If the horse is reasonably healthy but has poor dentition, provision of alternate forms of roughage (chopped hays or haylages, beet pulp, cubed or pelleted forages) and pelleted or extruded concentrates that obviate the need for extensive mastication can be all that is necessary to correct the problem. If renal and hepatic function are within normal limits, higher protein (12-16%) and phosphorus (0.45-0.65%) feeds with limited calcium (<1.0%) with or without added fat may be necessary to restore good body condition. Horses with pituitary dysfunction should not be fed concentrates that have high molasses or sugar content ...