Question 1

My old horse is too thin, what can I do?

Accepted Answer

First carry out a quick roughage test to correctly determine the composition and quality of your roughage. Horses must consume at least 1.5% of their body weight in dry matter as roughage. Depending on your horse's weight, this can add up to 10 kg per day or even more. In order for an old, thin horse to gain weight and prevent muscle loss, the protein content of the roughage must be relatively high. An old horse that is too thin should spend a lot of time on pasture. Fresh grass has a higher energy and protein content than dried roughage.

The metabolism of old horses also works less efficiently. You can support your horse by offering him an easily digestible feed. Pellets and expanded muesli varieties with a high proportion of puffed ingredients are very easy to digest due to their production process. The tasty Pavo 18Plus muesli has been specially developed for older horses and fully takes into account the changed nutritional requirements.

Old horses with dental problems can absorb their roughage less well. In this case, the supplementary feeding of (soaked) roughage substitutes is essential to cover the need for vital roughage fibres. Pavo FibreNuggets, Pavo SpeediBeet, Pavo FibreBeet and Pavo SeniorFibre are suitable for this purpose.

Question 2

Does my senior horse have an increased need for vitamins and minerals?

Accepted Answer

If your senior looks fit with enough roughage, high-quality mineral feed and a possible addition of concentrate, he most likely does not have an increased need for vitamins and minerals. In principle, age is not the determining factor for your senior's vitamin and mineral needs, but rather his metabolism, which slows down as he ages. Is your horse too thin, for example? Or does he perhaps have coat problems? These problems could be signs that your horse is no longer able to utilise the feed sufficiently well. Therefore, your senior needs not only enough vitamins and minerals, but also highly digestible, essential amino acids for good condition and muscle maintenance. In this case, it is recommended that you feed your horse the Pavo 18Plus senior muesli with its extra protein. This way your senior receives all important nutrients in a highly digestible form and is optimally supplied.

Good to know: If the feeding recommendation of Pavo 18Plus is adhered to, the feeding of an additional mineral feed is not necessary. In this case, your old horse will be supplied with all essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements through the senior muesli.

Question 3

When should I start feeding Pavo 18Plus?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that the nutritional needs of horses change after the age of 18. If your old horse loses weight, you should definitely monitor this development and consider feeding a special senior feed, such as Pavo 18Plus.

Since older horses in particular often have problems with their teeth, their feed intake deteriorates. The metabolism of old horses also works less efficiently. As a result, roughage fibres can no longer be utilised as well. To prevent muscle breakdown, extra protein is very important in the feeding of old horses. Older horses also have a lower requirement for calcium, but need more phosphorus, zinc, copper, selenium and vitamins. Pavo 18Plus is precisely adapted to these changed nutritional requirements of old horses.

Cushing's disease (also called PPID) is a typical metabolic disease that occurs particularly in old horses. About 25 % of all old horses develop PPID. It is mainly the sugar metabolism that is disturbed. It is therefore advisable to drastically reduce the sugar content in the feed of sick old horses. In Pavo 18Plus, among other things, the sugar and starch content is adapted to the needs of older horses.

Question 4

Does my horse absorb enough nutrients despite a bad teeth?

Accepted Answer

With bad teeth, your horse has some problems chewing the food sufficiently. The surface area is not increased and the enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract are less able to break down the feed. The nutrients are thus not or only partially absorbed.

Horses with a bad bite have particular problems with long-stemmed roughage. It is therefore recommended to offer your horse either short chopped roughage or even roughage substitutes that can be fed soaked. Our Pavo roughage substitutes are easily digestible and provide adequate intake of roughage and fibre.

When choosing the right concentrate for your old horse, bear in mind that some concentrates stimulate extra chewing activity. These high texture types are less suitable for horses with poor teeth. The right feed should be primarily rich in easily digestible ingredients, such as Pavo 18Plus. This tasty muesli for seniors contains many easily digestible raw fibres and can be fed dry or soaked.

Question 5

What can I do if my old horse can no longer chew?

Accepted Answer

If your horse can no longer chew, soaked products are best. This will prevent your horse from suffering a nutritional deficiency or even starvation. Because roughage is vital for horses, Pavo has developed a variety of roughage substitutes that can be fed soaked. These include:

Pavo FibreNuggets: structure-rich hay cobs made from 100% alpine pasture grass, which also contain a mixture of over 60 different grasses and herbs.

Pavo SpeediBeet: desugared, additive-free beet pulp. They are also free of molasses and starch and have a low sugar content of only 5%.

Pavo FibreBeet: desugared beet pulp (SpeediBeet), enriched with proteins from alfalfa and easily digestible raw fibres from soya hulls.

If your horse needs an additional concentrate, feed him Pavo 18Plus in soaked form.

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