Poor Rhett. As a horse ages
his system is less willing to make up for deficits like when he was
younger. A worm overload can cause colic. Am in agreement with vet
on that. As for change of feed -- I'm not a hugh fan of senior feed but it
does have a higher moisture content. What I really like is beet
pulp. Is that a possibility? Wonderful way to get water and forage
into our senior horses. I add their concentrates right in to their
serving of beet pulp and everything is warm and moist. I do drain off the
water from the soaked beet pulp since it's mostly molasses. Figured
there's no nutritional value of worth. Free choice salt or salt added to
his grain will be fine, but please do not add it to his water bucket. I
wouldn't offer electrolytes. Probiotics are always good especially in
times of stress. Some good quality feeds already have a probiotic in
them, so check before spending money. Movement helps gut mobility so make
sure he gets exercised on a regular basis. If he's like my old girls they
don't move much when it's cold. Take for a brisk walk, or longe if that's
the only possibility. Better yet, teach Rhett to drive. And one last
thought -- do you live in an area where there is sand or are your stalls bedded
in sand. Sand can build up causing a horse to colic. Purging once a
month with a sand clear supplement or metamucil (can be store name) will help
prevent this problem. If in doubt, collect a couple of manure balls, put
in plastic bag with just enough water to cover and let settle for awhile.
If there is sand it will settle to bottom of bag.
