Feeding Horses With Dental Problems

With advances in veterinary care and nutrition, many horses are living well into their 20s and even 30s. When caring for a senior horse, special considerations must be made, particularly regarding their dentition and ability to consume long-stem fibrous feedstuffs like hay.

Equine Dentition

Equine teeth are unique in that they continuously erupt throughout the horse’s life. Their large grinding surfaces allow them to process the fibrous diets that they have evolved to thrive on. Unfortunately, as horses age, their ability to adequately grind fibre often becomes compromised due to dental wear.

The impairment of chewing is referred to as dysmastication, and there are a variety of potential causes, including but not limited to age-related wear, misaligned teeth, fractures or jaw pain.

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Recognizing Dental Issues

Working closely with your veterinarian is the best way to promote dental health. For a mature horse, dental examinations are typically recommended every two years; however, for senior horses or horses that have dental issues, more frequent check-ups are important. This may be yearly, every six months or even more often, depending on what your veterinarian recommends.

There are a multitude of clinical symptoms that can indicate a dental issue. Signs that may indicate a problem include:

Quidding – food dropping from their mouth while eating, often forming ‘ball’ or ‘cylinder’-shaped masses
Unusual breath odour
Presence of longer fibre pieces in their feces
Weight loss
Behavioural changes around eating – such as dipping hay in water or reluctance to eat

If your horse exhibits any of these symptoms, your veterinarian should be contacted for a dental exam. In cases in which the horse is no longer able to consume hay, their nutritional management becomes critical.

Nutritional Management

Horses thrive on a fibrous diet, and their gastrointestinal (GI) tract has evolved to have small amounts of fibre moving through it continually. Large meals and extending fasting periods increase the horse’s risk of many digestive health problems such as colic, hindgut acidosis and gastric ulcers.

To optimally support these horses, it remains essential to meet their daily fibre requirement – at least 1.5% of their body weight in dry matter. This can be achieved through alternative fibre sources such as:

Hay cubes – Available in different types, such as timothy, alfalfa, teff or blends
Beet pulp – A highly digestible fibre source
Complete feeds – Designed to provide both fibre and essential nutrients

Complete feeds are fortified products with a fibre base that include protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. They are termed ‘complete’ feeds because they can be fed as a sole ration to the horse.

To determine which products at the feed store are ‘complete feeds’, you must look at the feeding instructions. Any product that is a complete feed will include instructions on a feeding rate when the horse is not consuming hay or pasture. Most of these products require soaking prior to feeding, which is often beneficial in these cases as it promotes hydration and makes the feed easier to chew and swallow.

Aside from meeting fibre requirements, ensuring that there is adequate protein, vitamin and mineral content remains critical. If the horse is fed hay cubes or beet pulp as a large proportion of their diet, adding a fortified feed such as a senior feed or ration balancer, and feeding it at the manufacturer’s recommended rate, will provide the horse with vitamin and mineral content.

If you are feeding a complete feed but not meeting the manufacturer’s daily recommended amount – for example, if you have combined it with hay cubes – it is important to add a ration balancer as a concentrated source of vitamin and minerals. Working with a qualified equine nutritionist in these cases is recommended to ensure that you are not over- or under-supplying any key nutrients.

If your horse is on a balanced program with enough digestible fibre that they are readily able to consume, but is underweight or needs additional calories to maintain their body condition, supplementing fat is recommended. Oils such as flax or camelina tend to be palatable and are calorically dense.

Case Studies: Practical Applications

To illustrate, two different case studies are be detailed below. Please note that balanced nutrition requires a holistic approach; each horse is unique in what works best for them. These case studies are simply two examples of programs for horses with compromised dentition.

Case Study #1 – Meet Timothy

450 kg gelding, 32 years old
Unable to consume hay
Goal: promote weight gain with a balanced diet

Balanced Diet Plan:

4 kg complete feed
4 kg timothy/alfalfa hay cubes
0.5 kg ration balancer
Loose salt
60 ml camelina oil

Timothy’s feed is divided over 4 meals daily.

Case Study #2 – Meet Freddy

500 kg gelding, 28 years old
Able to consume some hay, but does quid
Diagnosed with PPID
Goal: create a low-sugar program that supports Freddy has he ages and loses the ability to consume hay

Balanced Diet Plan

Free choice access to hay
2 kg complete feed
1 kg ration balancer
1.5 kg plain beet pulp
60 ml flax oil
Loose salt

Freddy’s feed is divided over 3 meals daily.

Take Home Message

Caring for a horse with compromised dentition requires careful attention to fibre intake and nutrient balance. Understanding their unique needs and implementing a well-structured, fibre-based program can improve their quality of life and promote longevity. If you have questions about how to optimally manage your horse’s nutrition, please consult a qualified equine nutritionist.