Feeding my older horse 20+

Question
QUESTION: I have an older horse which we were previously giving 10% horse and mule for her grain.  It seemed to be upsetting her by making her manure very soft.   Then we decided to add 1 bag oats to 1 bag 10% and she did get better.   After receiving advise on the molasses in the 10% I decided to mix her 1 bag oats to 1 bag of senior.   And I do feed her grass hay 2 x day.   What is your advise on this feeding.

ANSWER: Hi Linda,  

Well, the good news is that chronic loose stool usually does not hurt anything as long as the horse has free access to salt and water as they can get dehydrated if their stool is very watery.  Also they're almost guaranteed not to colic from impaction.  That being said, what a loose stool indicates is that the function of the large intestine is compromised but not necessarily painful.  I would suggest putting your mare on strictly senior feed as it is formulated to aid in digestion of the older horse.  Also if your mare is on grass, especially this time of year (spring), then she may just be eating new spring grass that is full of water that is not there during the summer and winter months.  Keep giving her the grass hay as it does not tend to cause intestinal upset.  You may also want to put her on probiotic supplement, a supplement to aid in intestinal upset.  You may also try a yeast culture product such as Yeasacc or Biomate.  Also be sure your horse is free of parasites as this is a common culprit for loose stools.  If your horse has a nice shiny hair coat and is at good weight and is acting normal chances are it's something that can be taken care of with diet.  If this persists and your horse get's depressed or dehydrated consult your vet as dehydration can be very serious.  One easy way to know if your horse is dehydrated is to pinch up a roll of skin on the neck and then let go, if it takes more than 2-3 seconds to go back down flat this could indicate that she is dehydrated.  The longer it takes for the skin to go flat the more of an indication this would be that she is dehydrated.  Good luck!  Jessica

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: On the probiotic supplement, on often do you recommend giving this to her.   Also, I mixed 1 bag of crimped oats with the Senior food because I like the benefits of oats and she seems to be fine with this.   Is this okay.   And if you do not recommend, can I finish this mix before I start a new, if you in fact do not recommend the mix.   I give her 2 lbs in am and 2 lbs in pm along with her grass hay.   Thank You.

Answer
Hi Linda,  With the probiotic supplement, it's often in the form of a paste, I can't remember the exact dosage but it will tell on the tube.  You may be able to find it in a dry form which would be better to mix with feed.  Check your local feed store or vet magazine.  As for the oats, if that does not seem to bother her then I see no reason to stop it.  If she continues to have loose stools while being on the probitics then you may want to go without the oats and just the senior just to rule that out.  Let me know if you have any more questions!  Jessica