Re: RC: very old horse question

[Merryben@aol.com]

I have an old 28 year old x-endurance horse and Leroy, the 31 year old mule who did the Great American Horse Race years ago.  They are in together and they were both skin and bones for various reasons when I got Fred from the boarding stable where he lost so much weight and took Leroy off pasture because he just can't get enough to eat.  Anyway, I dump a bag of All In One [chopped alfalfa and oat hay with molasses] every other day or so.  They also get 3 cans [3 lb. coffee] alfalfa/oat pellets, 1/2 can rice bran pellets, 1 can equine senior a day.  I give them hay and Leroy will eat the oat but Fred only eats alfalfa and has a bit of a hard time eating it.

The upshot is that Fred who was a walking bag of bones a few months ago now is almost fat.  You can't see his ribs or hips anymore.  Leroy is even picking up weight.  You can feel his ribs but they don't stick out anymore.  

I would not feed this diet to working endurance horses, but these guys are retired and seem to thrive on it.

mb