It is equally important that the hay and grain being fed the geriatric horse are free of dust and mold. Even if the hay itself is green and fresh, where it is fed can have a bearing on the dust that is inhaled. It is natural for horses to eat with their heads lowered. This also facilitates the clearing of mucus from the respiratory system. Because of this, many of us feed our horses on the ground when they are outdoors.
Problems can arise in areas that are extremely dry and the hay is lying on powdery dirt.
In such cases, as the horse noses the hay about in the eating process, it inhales dust particles from the ground that can damage delicate airways. For older horses in arid areas, an elevated feeder might be the way to go when the feeding is done outdoors. The older equine athlete also should have access to all of the water it desires. This is true for horses of any age, but as the competitive horse ages, it becomes even more important that its thermoregulatory system have all of the water required to properly handle the cooling process. The only way a horse has to cool its body is through sweating, and when it doesn't have enough water in its system to facilitate the process, plus maintain the proper electrolyte balance, it is placed in a state of stress.