I have a 28 year old OTTB. When I took possession of him 2 years ago he weighed less than 600lbs. He now weighs 985 and is cushings positive. I am fee...
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Senior with cushings #587900
Asked August 10, 2019, 11:09 AM EDT
I have a 28 year old OTTB. When I took possession of him 2 years ago he weighed less than 600lbs. He now weighs 985 and is cushings positive. I am feeding him Nutrena safe choice Senior and Nutrena safe choice Special care plus alfalfa pellets soaked. He is pasture board with a run in, I do work him in a round pen about 3 times a week for about 10 min each time and I ride him bare back 4 times a week for about 15 min.
He doesn’t eat hay he rolls it and spits it out he does the same with grass. He currently eats 9 lbs of grain and 10 to 12 lbs of alfalfa pellets daily. He is on Prescend for his cushings. My question is would he benefit from a hay stretcher? I am concerned that he’s not getting enough forage. I was considering reducing his alfalfa and adding hay stretcher. Just not sure what to do. Any suggestions or help will be very much appreciated.
Thank you
Virginia Beach CountyVirginia
Expert Response
Hi -- before you make any other changes, please have your horse's teeth examined by a veterinarian. He may be in desperate need of having his teeth floated. At his age, he may even be lacking the teeth needed to chew hay and will need to be on a pelleted diet with supplements, such as what you have him on how. Please write back after the examination and/or treatment. Best wishes,
He had a float 6 months ago and the Dentist checked his teeth yesterday. His teeth are checked every 6 months. His feed and alfalfa are soaked. Will he benefit from hay stretcher or should I leave him on just his grain and alfalfa?
Alfalfa is a forage as well and has probably more nutritional value than hay stretcher. I would not reduce the amount of alfalfa unless a veterinarian recommends hay stretcher instead due to the Cushings. This is an article on the Southern States website about nutritional needs for Cushings: (You may want to speak with the Southern States sales rep or nutritionist to decide if hay stretcher is a low starch feed)
Feeding Horses with Cushing's Disease
These horses are often insulin resistant and have high blood sugar levels so non-structured carbohydrates (NSC) need to be avoided. Feeds low in soluble carbohydrates (sugar and starch or NSC) are recommended. Feeding recommendations are to provide a total diet with less than 20% NSC for most horses with Cushing's disease. Some horses and ponies may need a dietary NSC level of less than 10% to avoid excessive complications.
No More Sweet Grass
Pasture grasses can have a high NSC content, especially during the spring and fall seasons, and the risk of colic and laminitis is greater when horses are on pasture. Since laminitis and founder are more common in horses with Cushing's disease, pasture grazing should be severely limited or totally avoided. For more information go to www.equi-analytical.com and read the article "Carbohydrates in Equine Nutrition" and "Feeding the Horse with Cushing's Disease" at www.equussource.com.
In addition to a diet, there are nutritional supplements recommended for the management of equine Cushing's disease. Additional dietary magnesium and chromium may help reduce insulin resistance. Regular exercise reduces blood glucose levels in insulin-resistant people, so it should also help horses.
