Integrity Adult/Senior: More Than Just A Senior Feed
Nutritional requirements for adult horses are actually categorized by working or non-working, not by their age. Horse owners should not assume that a horse becomes a senior at some specific age and requires extra nutrition.
I have fed 14-18 year old show horses similar to a 6 year old; ridden horses in the High Sierras that were 18 & 19 years old and packed with mules that were 25-28 years of age.
Then why does Integrity have a product called Adult/Senior?
The nutrition provided by senior and adult pleasure horse feeds are very similar. A formula for senior and adult pleasure horses should contain a modest amount of fat and protein, higher fiber, low or no grains, and vitamins & minerals that are balanced for the required nutrients and soluble fiber. That’s exactly what Integrity Adult/Senior offers.
Take a look at the two columns in the table comparing the similarities of an ideal senior formula and adult pleasure formula. Then review the column of Integrity Adult/Senior that shows how the attributes are near identical to the senior and adult please horse. The protein, fat, energy, and fiber specifications are similar.
Comparison of a Senior & Adult Pleasure Feed relative to Attributes of Integrity Adult/Senior
| Ideal Senior Feed Profile | Ideal Adult Pleasure Horse Feed Profile | Integrity Adult/Senior without molasses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mcal Digestible Energy /lb. | ~1.10 – 1.20 | ~1.20 | 1.18 (modest energy) |
| % Crude Protein | 12 – 13 | 12 – 13 | 13.0 (modest protein) |
| % Crude Fat | 4 – 7 | 6 – 7 | 6.5 (modest fat) |
| % Crude Fiber | 15 – 18 | 12 – 16 | 16 (high fiber) |
| % Starch | < 10 | < 12 | 1.6 (very low starch) |
| % ESC (Ethanol Soluble Carbohydrate) | < 8 | < 8 | 5.9 (low sugar) |
| Key Ingredients | Both feeds should contain sources of soluble fiber, fat, protein, yeast culture & probiotics, and balanced vitamins & minerals. | A balanced formula. Soluble fiber sources are beet pulp & soy hulls; fat sources are rice bran & canola oil; protein sources are soybean meal & flaxseed meal; contains yeast culture, probiotics & prebiotic. | |
~ Approximate
Well, senior and adult horses do not need a high fat formula. Fat level should be modest (around 6%). If a horse requires more energy, just feed more Integrity Adult/Senior or add Integrity Rice Bran. You can pick some up at a feed store near you.
