Supplementary nutrition

Roughage alone will not be enough for your old horse. There are various different ways to ensure your horse will still get all the nutrients he needs. This can be done with a concentrate or with a balancer. We will explain what these would need to satisfy for your old horse. What type of supplementary nutrition your horse needs will depend on, for example, his energy needs, the quality of your roughage and how well your horse can still get extra energy from the roughage.

Not every old horse is going to need the extra energy from concentrate.

If your roughage is of good quality and your horse can still get enough energy out of it (your old fella’s body condition will give you all this information), simply adding a balancer will be enough. This will provide a supplement in the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Pavo Vital or Pavo DailyFit are very suitable for this. These are both also low in sugar and starch and that’s important for older horses. That’s because a horse’s digestion will be less efficient at an older age. An additional advantage is that they only need a small amount per day from a balancer; 100g of Vital or 1 DailyFit biscuit per day is sufficient for a 600 kg horse. As your oldie will be taking in some proteins via the roughage in this situation, it’s also important to know the protein content of the roughage. If this is too low, you can supplement this protein with Fibrebeet (fibre and protein) or ProteinPlus (pure protein).

If your horse does need a concentrate, it’s important for this to be specifically tailored to your old horse’s needs.

The following points are important:

  • It must be possible to soak the concentrate, making sure an older horse with a (significantly) reduced dental function can absorb the concentrate too. Don’t soak your regular kibble, but opt for a type of feed which is specifically suitable for this.
  • Look for an above-average crude protein content. Older horses’ protein needs are higher than that of younger horses.
  • This will allow you to prevent muscle breakdown.
  • A high energy content with mainly energy from fibres and fats.
  • Reduced sugars and starch, as older horses will have trouble digesting this.
  • An increased antioxidant content.
  • A good calcium and phosphor ratio and sufficient vitamin D. Just like older people, older horses will also have more trouble with bone breakdown. That’s why it’s important to make sure they get these substances in the right proportions.
  • Extra vitamins and trace elements. B-vitamins are normally produced in the gut, but this may not work as well in older horses.

Pavo 18Plus is completely composed to meet all these needs.

Adjust the roughage not only to the changing needs, but also to the dental condition of your horse. Read more about this on our roughage page.