A very old horse

Question
I have a horse that I purchased from a sale about 6 years ago. I felt sorry for him because he was skin and bones and looked like he was close to death. I took him home and had a vet look at him, they said he was over thirty years old and had hardly any teeth and that was why he was so skinny.  He is still alive and spry as he can be but his weight has become a real issue. When I go to the barn to feed him he just about knocks me down. I have to keep him in the barn for fear of having the humane society called.  He eats three gallons of senior feed a day, 1 gallon of alfalfa pellets, and around two gallons of alfalfa cubes.  I also add a calorie supplement called "cool calories" to his diet. In between feedings he has all the hay and tender grass he can possibly eat.  I guess my question is should I have him put down? I feel like I am allowing him to starve to death eventhough I feed him as much as possible.

Answer
hi Olivia,
based on what you have told me i think it may be best to put him down. he so old that he basically has no teeth to grind the food, therefore the food is not digested properly so he is not getting the nutrients. it wont matter what you give him, his body will still starve. i would say the best thing you can do for your old friend is let him go to sleep. im sorry to say this. good luck with your decision and my heart is with you and your horse.
amanda groff