55. Horse Nutrition Q&A: Feeding horses with dental issues

What do you feed a horse that can’t chew properly?

In this episode, Dr Nerida McGilchrist is joined by Jess, an equine science student from Charles Sturt University, for a practical Q&A on dental issues in horses and how they affect nutrition.

Using Jess’s own horse as a real-life example, they explore how to feed horses with unusual or compromised teeth, why forage still matters, when soaked hay may help, and how to balance dental comfort with laminitis risk.

Nerida also explains why old horses with worn teeth are so often underfed, how to think about chaff, hay cubes, beet pulp, copra and other fibre sources, and why a balanced diet is still essential when forage intake becomes complicated.

A useful episode for anyone feeding an older horse, a horse with missing or worn teeth, or a horse that needs a more creative nutrition plan.

📲 Download the MyHappy.Horse nutrition app: https://apps.apple.com/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324

🧮 Monitor closely for laminitis with Lami-tag, as early detection is critical - https://www.lami-tag.com

🐎 Queensland Off The Track’s Feeding the senior OTT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxXOm7_7biM

🌾 Here is the key paper behind the discussion about oaten/cereal hay, water-soluble carbohydrates and equine peripheral dental caries. This study surveyed 500 Western Australian horses and found peripheral caries in 58.8% of surveyed horses, with oaten hay identified as a dietary risk factor.

Jackson, K., Kelty, E. & Tennant, M. 2018. Equine peripheral dental caries: An epidemiological survey assessing prevalence and possible risk factors in Western Australian horses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 50(1), 79–84.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28707363/