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Equimins Ltd Blog | Natural Horse Supplements, Supplies & Products Equimins specialises in producing natural horse supplies, products and supplements for the major areas associated with caring for a horse. All products are proudly made in the UK and excellent specification quality products are of paramount importance. Using this blog we want to share some of the knowledge we have gained through nearly 30 years of experience.

08 January 2016 ~ 0 Comments

How to care for your veteran horse this winter

The winter can be challenging for all equines, but veteran horses seem to have the most to overcome. If they’re struggling to maintain condition, the colder weather makes them use their fat deposits to keep warm; if they struggle to chew due to lack of teeth, hay can be difficult to eat; if they suffer with stiff joints or arthritis, the cold and damp of winter can make the issue worse…and so the list goes on. Here we’ve come up with some tips for veteran horses this winter, to help them thrive.

  • Temperature check. Make sure your veteran horse is kept warm and dry. Some veterans struggle to keep condition, and using fat to keep warm is a bad use of these precious reserves, especially when a rug would do the job! Make sure he doesn’t get too warm either (something that’s easy to get wrong with the mild weather we’re having at the moment) as you don’t want him to sweat.
  • Joint support. If you’re concerned about stiff joints and are looking for a way to support these, consider adding a joint supplement to your horse’s diet. There are lots of different formulations available in our Joint range, with herbal products like Devils Claw Liquid and Inflam-E-Rase sitting alongside our premium Flexijoint range and excellent value Glucosaflex 12000. Adding a supplement needn’t cost a fortune.
  • Keep moving. If you can keep your veteran horse moving by providing turnout or through ridden work, that’s perfect. Horses that stand in can stiffen up, much like we do if we have stiff joints and don’t move equimins-veteran-supplementaround. If turnout isn’t possible and you can’t ride, consider turning out in the arena or walking your horse in hand. You can also look to do some exercises from the ground, such as stretches and bending.
  • Tooth check. It’s really important that your veteran horse receives regular dental care as bad teeth can impact on the horse’s ability to chew and eat, which will compromise his digestive system and could lead to choking, digestive issues, weight loss…or could even stop the horse eating altogether.
  • Feed fibre. Fibre is really important to the veteran horse’s diet, but for horses with bad teeth, hay might not be an option as it takes a lot of chewing! Research other high fibre feeds that are easier for the horse to eat. Some can be soaked to make them really easy to chew and digest.
  • Digestive support. If your horse suffers with digestive issues, something that’s far from uncommon for older horses, you could consider adding a supplement like Inner Balance Probiotics to the feed, or changing your balancer for Advance Concentrate Complete, or upgrading your broad spectrum supplement to Veteran Vits & Mins or Pro-Bio. All of these contain high levels of friendly bacteria that support the gut and the digestion of fibre.
  • Get help. If you’re concerned about your veteran horse, whether he’s losing weight or is struggling to deal with the winter weather, call your vet and ask advice.

 

To see our range of products for older horses, see our Mare, Foal & Old section online. For digestive support, see our Digestion section and, for joint support, see our Joint range.

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