5 Best Senior Horse Feeds

1. Triple Crown Senior

Triple Crown Senior consists of a beet pulp-based formula with a higher nutrient and fat content. This helps provide older horses with digestive assistance, along with giving them the energy they need.

As a softer feed, it can be mixed with water and served to horses that struggle to chew. It contains enough bulk fiber that it can be used as a complete feed for horses. It also contains prebiotics and probiotics to aid in digestive health.

For the improved overall health of seniors, it is fortified with organic minerals. In addition, it features a grain-free beet pulp base that is low in sugar. This particular horse feed is also ideal for senior horses with metabolic issues, hard keepers, rescues horses, horses with ulcers, and horses with COPD/heaves.

Why We Recommend This Product:

• Can be made into a mash and given as a complete feed.
• Contains probiotics, prebiotics, and organic minerals.
• Ideal for senior horses, horses with metabolic issues, hard keepers, rescues horses, horses with ulcers, and horses with COPD/heaves.

See Triple Crown Senior horse feed on triplecrownfeed.com or Amazon.

2. Tribute Kalmbach Feeds Seniority Pellet

These highly digestible senior pellets can be given as complete feed, as the feed meets all of your horse’s nutritional needs. The no-corn formula results in a low non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) mix, which means less sugar and starch.

To support aging and muscle maintenance, it has an optimal balance of essential amino acids and organic minerals.

The addition of EquiFerm XL microencapsulated active dry yeast works as both pre-and probiotics. The dry yeast also increases total diet digestibility while also improving overall gut health.

For a healthy coat and skin, the pellets are rich in fatty acids, omega 3 and 6. The addition of vitamins E and C along with antioxidants and selenium help improve immune health.

Why We Recommend This Product:

• Can be given as a complete feed as it meets your horse’s nutritional needs.
• Has an optimal balance of amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins.
• EquiFerm XL microencapsulated active dry yeast works as a pre-and probiotics.

See Tribute Kalmbach Feeds Seniority Pellet on kalmbachfeeds.com or Amazon.

3. Purina Mills Equine Senior Active

Designed for the aging horse that is still active, this horse feed provides older horses the nutrition they need. The easily digestible formula is designed to be fed alongside hay or grass.

The exclusive ActivAge® Prebiotic Technology provides an appropriate metabolic response to feeding while being a controlled sugar and starch formula.

To support a healthy coat and overall body condition, it contains fatty acids including stabilized rice bran, flaxseed, and vegetable oils.

With added vitamins, minerals, and beet pulp, it helps support digestion in mature horses. The addition of Outlast® Gastric Support helps support gastric health, comfort, and pH.

Why We Recommend This Product:

• Provides multiple energy sources to keep mature horses active.
• Includes ActivAge® Prebiotic Technology with a controlled sugar and starch formula.
• Included Outlast® for gastric support.

See Purina Mills Equine Senior Active on purinamills.com or Amazon.

4. Buckeye Nutrition Senior Balancer Senior Horse Feed

This versatile balancer is designed to be fed alongside forage with no additional supplements needed. It is created to help the topline and overall muscle condition of mature horses.

For daily joint support, it has MSM, vitamins, and minerals, which also help in overall digestive health. It is high in antioxidants including vitamins E, C, and selenium to support senior immune health.

The pelleted formula is high digestible while being low starch and low sugar. It is a great option for those with carbohydrate sensitivity or those who need a low-calorie diet.

Why We Recommend This Product:

• Helps the topline and overall muscle condition of mature horses.
• Supports daily joint health, digestive health, and immune health.
• Ideal for horses with carbohydrate sensitivity or those who need a low-calorie diet

See Buckeye Nutrition Senior Balancer Senior on buckeyenutrition.com or chewy.com.

5. Tribute Soy-Free Kalm ‘N EZ Pellet for Horses

This 100% soy-free feed also contains no corn, oats, or molasses to keep starch and sugar levels low. It is designed to be fed alongside forage for a balanced diet.

Specially designed for older horses, it has a higher fat content and highly digestible fiber support. It supports calmer performance in horses without the loss of condition or energy.

The formula contains essential amino acids, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids plus organic minerals to keep your horse looking and feeling good.

Since it is a low NSC formula, it is a great option for hyperactive horses or those with insulin resistance, laminitis, PPID, or tying-up issues. The highly palatable and digestible pellets are ideal for aging horses.

Why We Recommend This Product:

• Free of soy, corn, oats, and molasses, making it low in sugar and starch.
• Higher fiber and fat content with essential amino acids, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids plus organic minerals.
• Ideal for hyperactive horses or those with insulin resistance, laminitis, PPID, or tying-up issues.

See Tribute Soy-Free Kalm on tributeequinenutrition.com or chewy.com.

Also read: 7 Best Horse Feed Brands

When choosing a feed for senior horses, you want one that has enhanced vitamin and mineral fortification, higher protein quality, and higher fiber. A top-quality senior feed will be easy to chew and digest.

The use of pre-and probiotics can help aid in digestion and help with the breakdown of fiber. Higher fat can provide safe added calories your horse needs to maintain weight. In addition, the feed should be highly palatable.

When choosing out a feed, you will want to read the ingredient list first. Oftentimes, the fewer ingredients the better.

You generally want to stick with feeds that are lower in sugar and starch. Common ingredients you will find in senior feed include beet pulp, rice bran, and alfalfa meal.

As horses get older, their joints don’t always work as they used to. Fortunately, there are senior feeds available that contain the necessary vitamins and minerals to help keep older horses active for longer.

Some feeds may even contain glucosamine to support joint health and range of motion.

Immune support is another important thing for senior horses. Many feeds contain immune-boosting nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to keep them at their best.

Nutrients and fiber are vital for a healthy senior horse. As horses age, they need vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, protein, and fiber. Ideally, you want a feed that contains between 14-32% protein and at least 20% crude fiber.

Several factors can contribute to when you should put your horse on senior feed. Some of the top factors include age, dental health, weight loss, poor topline, hoof quality, coat quality, and quidding.

If you are unsure if senior horse feed is right for your horse, you should get advice from your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist.

Traditionally, a horse is considered a senior at 15 years old. However, thanks to improvements in veterinary care and nutrition, some horses don’t show signs of age until their early to mid-20s.

While some horses can begin benefiting from senior horse feed from their late teens to early 20s, others may never even need it. It is not uncommon today for horses to live into their late 20s or even into their mid-30s.

If your aging horse is struggling with weight loss or a poor topline despite eating normally, it is likely time for them to switch to senior feed. The higher fat in senior horse feed can help aging horses maintain a healthy weight and improve their topline.

Declining hoof and coat quality can be a sign of aging in your horse. The nutrients found in senior feed can help a horse maintain a healthy coat and hooves.

As horses age, their teeth wear down and it can be difficult for them to chew hay and grass. Dental problems can lead to quidding, which is when horses drop partially chewed food from their mouth.

Senior feed, especially when served as a mash, can be given as total feed to horses that struggle to chew.

Total or complete feeds meet all the nutritional needs in a horse’s diet, including forage. When feeding total feed, it is all the food you have to provide a horse, with the addition of water.

A balancer is designed to be fed alongside forage as they only partially meet a horse’s energy and protein requirement.