| Veteran Horse Welfare |
Preparing Your Veteran for Winter
Cold long months can be a daunting time for any horse owner but caring for a veteran can prove to be, not only a time of hard work and expense, but also a worry for those who may be new to owning or caring for an older horse or pony.
Whether you are an experienced or newly acquired horse owner I hope Veteran Horse Welfare can offer you their experience on looking after your veteran this winter and give you some useful tips from saving time and money to enjoying your horse every day of the year, not just those warm summer evenings.
NEWLY RETIRED VETERAN
Retirement is a word loosely used and this can mean completely retired or just some light hacking. For those who have completely retired their veteran, you may have to watch their weight more than most, as with no work the weight gain can quickly cause concern, leading to laminitis, even during the winter. The feed should always be in accordance with the breed and work load. For example, a newly retired thoroughbred, who may have had a hard working life, retirement is something that would not come too easily and a slow 'wind down' must be considered as well as non-heating feeds, which may be something that they are not used to, so do be careful what you feed. On the other hand, a 'good doer' may get overweight quickly without regular work, so a close eye is needed all year, even in the winter. They may only need a low protein feed with an elevated vitamins and minerals cube to give them just a few more supplements during the winter months. Turning veterans 'away' really is not an idea situation and full attention must be given to them throughout the year, making a careful note of their dental condition as, without molars, hay will be of no benefit to them.
So giving a general overview, the fully retired horse needs lower protein feeds, a good supply of fibre, not too much rich grass and a careful eye on their weight loss and muscle wastage.
Semi-retirement does suit most veterans, as light hacking can keep their muscles toned and joints supple; again the same feed would apply with may be slightly more protein needed.
Retirement can be brought on by many things, from strains and bumps, or sarcoids and cataracts to arthritic conditions.
When I retired my old show horse, I found it extremely difficult to keep his weight on a correct level. After blowing his tendon playing in the snow, I had a real job with his weight and he was constantly weight-monitored. His other joints certainly did not benefit by full retirement, but it would have been impossible to ride him again and put strain on his tendon.
So I do sympathise with owners of ‘good doers’ . As the winters are getting warmer, the grass continually grows and this for well-covered veterans can only mean more restriction and continuing the high fibre feed. You need to ensure that their diet contains a good amount of fibre but still contains vitamins and minerals for their well-being and digestion. At the Charity's Centre we only use Dodson & Horrell products, as they have 100% proven record with both laminitics and under-weight veterans.
On the other hand, the fully retired thoroughbreds need extra feeding even on good grazing. In some regions, winter rugs may need to be used all year, so keep a close watch on the weather forecast. It may not help your work load but it will help your pocket as wet and windy weather is not tolerated by many horses and certainly will lead to weight loss in winter.
- A draught-free stable and clean dry bedding can also help with the maintenance of weight. By placing bedding under the door to keep draughts away really does help joints.
- Using bandaging is vital to keep those joints supple. Use large foam gamgee, make sure the gamgee covers the knee and fetlock and only lightly bandage the cannon bone, being careful not to make this too tight but not too loose to fall off.
- Supplements always help those older joints. With so many on the market, make sure you get a well used, recommended product as they are not cheap.
- Don't leave your veteran standing out in cold, wet mud; this will cause terrible problems with skin and joints.
- On the other hand, don't leave him standing in a stable for hours during the day. Boredom can be terrible and make sure your veteran always has turn-out for at least four hours a day. All the Charity's horses have toys, mirrors, playballs (watch their weight though) and are able to touch companions. Their own touch time in the field for bonding is important too. Horses seem to enjoy having the interaction of the radio and some even use it to fix their routine. Remember to turn it off if they are in for 'rest time'.
- Always keep them warm and it is a good idea to have at least two outdoor rugs so when the winter rain and snow does come they have a warm dry rug to change into.
- Always groom daily under rugs. Grease build-up can have the same effect as rain scald, which will eventually cost a vet bill.
- I can’t stress enough how important dental checks are by a fully qualified EDT dentist, without this check you will be unable to assess what or how much to feed or how to feed it.
DENTAL PROBLEMS
This brings me swiftly on to teeth and why veterans need such vigorous checks. Horses teeth grow until approximately 20 years of age, from then the wear and tear on them needs regular 6 monthly checks. Their teeth may become loose and their chewing ability hindered Eventually using one side of the mouth to chew.
Always use a qualified and recommended dentist, rather than your vet, who has to work on all parts of the horse. Would you go to your doctor with a toothache? So why use your vet to work on your horse's mouth? Many vets appreciate your using the EDT rather than asking them to fit it into a routine visit.
FEEDING WITH DENTAL PROBLEMS
One of the most common problems is a wave mouth. This is where the dominant or long tooth will push on the smaller tooth so eventually, rather than a round and round grinding movement, the horse has to try to chew with no grinding so the jaw goes up and down. This is when you will find ‘chewings’ from hay or grass.
HAY REPLACER
It is extremely easy to feed with dental problems. With little chew ability hay may not be an option so you will need a ‘hay-replacer’. This is very simple to make and can make a huge difference to horses and ponies with limited chewing ability.
½ a large bucket of Fibregy by Dodson & Horrell. (www.dodsonandhorrell.com)
1lb of high fibre cubes
4lb wet sugar beet, for those who do find weight hard to keep on.
½ bucket of water.
Let this stand for 2 hours or make in the morning for the evening.
Always use a cube or nut as coarse mix is impossible for some veterans to chew, soaking it to a paté type consistency before feeding. Add 1 pint of water to every 2lb (1 scoop) of cube feed e.g. 16+ Cube for high protein intake, and High Fibre Cubes for low protein intake.
Horses aged over 25 usually start to show a poor dental condition and this will mean giving a slightly higher protein intake and supplement being adding to their feed.
For further information about fully qualified dentists in your area please visit British Association of Equine Dental Technicans.
CUSHING'S DISEASE
This ailment can be controlled with either herbal or chemical supplements and, whilst your vet may give medication such as Pergolide, we tend to use herbal supplements such as Agnus Castus Tincture or Cush-X which have excellent results at half the cost.
Clipping can play a vital role in keeping them cool and from not sweating. If you are clipping you also need to invest in rugs to keep them warm and dry as necessary depending on air temperature.
A careful diet is very important. Low protein is usually vital, although we have a 40 year old pony on extremely high protein but no teeth. He really does go against the grain as in his younger years his laminitis was a terrible problem. We had another Cushing's pony who suffered from abscesses from wet ground and too much protein. See Chloe below five years on after correct management.
Blood tests are the only way to confirm Cushing's and, despite many using Cushing's as the reason for a thick coat, it is usually dental problems that cause thick coats. So do have a blood test if you are suspicious of Cushing's. It may be a costly test but could save you a lot of money in the long run.
A Cushing's veteran will have a very weak immune system so supplements like Echinacea are essential in their daily diet.
HARD WORKING VETERANS
Veterans in hard work will need to have an excellent feed routine. High protein feed ise vital as well as good supplements and regular turnout. Feeds such as Build Up Cubes and 16+ Cubes soaked before feeding are an excellent form of added protein. Not so long ago horses over 15 years would have not been in work; now top competition horses compete at the age of 20+. Careful feeding is vital as well as joint and immune system supplements. It is important they have rest and turnout time and that planning is in place for their retirement.
These veterans will be treated as younger, companions in full work and if they are fit and healthy this is fine, BUT older 
horses need a close eye kept on them in relation to the breakdown of organs. So, despite looking like 'a youngster', their internal organs have taken more wear and tear. Respect their age and, if they look tired, then they usually are and don't push them too hard.
These veterans will be treated as younger, companions in full work and if they are fit and healthy this is fine, BUT older horses need a close eye kept on them in relation to the breakdown of organs. So, despite looking like 'a youngster', their internal organs have taken more wear and tear. Respect their age and, if they look tired, then they usually are and don't push them too hard.
BREATHING
As the environment changes, you may have experienced a change in your veteran's breathing especially in built-up areas or those close to motorways. After harvest or busy holiday travelling your veteran may have breathing problems going into winter, so an excellent product is Ventapulmin. Dry hay or feed should never be offered. Always soak hay and feed before feeding. Make sure your stable is well ventilated and draught-free. Avoid stabling next to a horse that is on dry hay as the spores of hay can be a real problem.
It is very important that veterans with breathing problems are turned out during the day and that dusty bedding or feed is avoided.
BEDDING
Straw bedding is certainly not ideal for veterans and we use wood chip, which gives an ideal bed for those with poor joints or laminitis. It is a thick soft bedding that can give even our 18.3 hh comfort on his old joints when he lies down. Deep litter can cause breathing problems for some veterans, so make sure the bed is lifted daily.
Should you have any problems with your veteran this winter, please contact Veteran Horse Welfare on:
01239 881264 or 881300.
Email: info@veteran-horse-welfare.co.uk
