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User1625311329 posted an update
Hello. I’m writing about our 36 year old Fjord mare, Stine (born in Norway, flew here as a 2 yr old in an operation called the “Big Lift” in 1988). She and her pasture/paddock mate, Lucky (age 38) have been on the no-grain diet for 2 years.
Lately, Stine has not been finishing her alf/tim cube mash. She loves her SBM but she is losing weight. I remember reading that Doc T said Sentinel Senior is the only feed that he would recommend. Is that still the case? I’m wondering if anything else has earned a recommendation from him. We call Stine (pronounced Stina in Norwegian) Tina Turner (we had no idea of her actual registered name when we adopted her). We gave her that name because she is spunky, hard working, has great legs and her roached mane looked like Tina Turner’s hairstyle at the time. She deserves and will only get the best diet we can provide for her. Please let me know if Sentinel is still best. Thanks so much for all you do for horses and their humans!!
1 Comment-
When a horse is older than 30 and is starting to lose body weight, many things are occurring that may be more than nutrition. Because of this, I believe in offering any senior horse any food necessary to keep them going. With this said, senior horses fed inflammatory foods show mild inflammation, such as a stiff gait or decreased movement in the paddock. There is a balance between making them “look” and “feel” good. Many 34-year-old horses have died thin, but the owners were happy because they were last seen running outside like a 2-year-old and feeling good.
I understand you want to give her “the best diet we can provide for her,” but in reality, the one that reduces inflammation will help her feel good and prevent illness, especially in the upcoming winter. Yet a 36 and 38-year-old horse is in a special category where any changes to the diet may not help. So experiment with anything you want; don’t look at increased flesh as a good metric. Look at everything that adds quality to life when the lifespan is at the end.Specifically, I don’t know the brand “Sentinal Senior,” and I do not recall saying this brand is “the only brand” I would recommend. All senior feeds have inflammatory ingredients. I would add oats for increased calories without the inflammatory additives. I also recommend “Coolstance” (shredded coconut) as a non-grain and non-inflammatory food for horses. Some 34-year-old horses are fed all the forage (pasture and hay) they can eat, plus 3 pounds of SBM and 5 pounds of Coolstance. They “thrive” in energy and joy but do not add significant body fat. They die happy, according to the owners.
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