Aged horses seem to be growing in popularity, particularly among hobby horse enthusiasts, said Dave Freeman, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service equine specialist.
Nutrition is extremely important to combat loss of weight and condition as a horse ages.
The natural aging process causes older horses to become less active, less efficient in digesting foodstuffs and have a reduced appetite. Aged horses also are stressed more easily. Palatability of the ration is important. Horses prefer immature pasture forages rather than stemmy, mature grass. Similarly, different grain formulations and the physical form of grain mixes influence the desire to eat.