02/10/2026
๐ด When does a horse need hay replacement mash?
โช ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ด๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐. If your seemingly healthy youngster starts to lose condition it is quite possibly due to them experiencing dental changes. As highlighted in the image, young horses undergo such changes between the ages of 3 and 5. During this age range, the adult teeth erupt, dislodging the first teeth. These โbaby teethโ or โcapsโ can make chewing very uncomfortable, especially long fibre forages like hay, and grazing that is close to the ground. Offering easier to manage soaked forages, such as HayCare or Lucie Fibre Cubes, are ideal during this time.
โช ๐๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐-๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐. Dental issues in elderly horses are extremely common and often the main cause of weight loss. The deterioration or loss of teeth can make it difficult to chew long fibre such as hay, haylage and grass.
As horses age the roots of their teeth become shallower, making the teeth less stable in the jaw. This means that they could find eating grass and hay difficult. It may be taking longer to eat and they may not be chewing sufficiently - resulting in the horse gaining inadequate nutrition. In this situation it becomes important to offer the majority of their daily forage in an easier to chew form.
You may notice that your horse is struggling to chew if they begin quidding or you observe long length fibre in their droppings. Horses should have formed, moist, shiny faecal balls that form a nice pile when passed. This often isnโt the case when a horse becomes dentally challenged. If they are producing fewer droppings, if they are small and hard, or more watery, then this can be a sign that it is time to use a hay replacer.
It is also worth noting that poor dentition is not just a problem for older equines. We are finding that diastemas are increasingly being diagnosed in horses of any age.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐.
For advice, contact the Feed Line on 01728 604 008 or email [email protected]
