# Muscle building supplements for senior horses?



## ponyupbb (May 22, 2012)

Hey y'all just wondering if anyone has had any luck with muscle building supplement in senior horses? I have a 25 yo QH mare who is on Seminole senior wellness feed, AniFlex joint supplement and free reign on a pasture full of grass and clover but really can't keep muscle on her with the light work load she has now. We still ride her/round pen her with kids but I think we would all feel more comfortable (her too) if she had a little more muscle to ride with. I want to add a supplement to help with the muscle but don't want to put excess weight on her with summer grass coming in thick for her joints sake. Any suggestions on wether or not it would be worth the investment or not and if so what brands are trusted, safe and work well? Thanks in advance!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

When my 26 yr old started losing muscle it seemed no matter what I fed, it didn't help. Even at 15 lbs of senior's daily (dampened) and all the timothy and grass he wanted he held his own and wintered well growing a good coat but when shedded out there was more weight loss which continued over the summer until he was very thin. I put him down rather than have him struggle with another bitterly cold winter. Some horses live longer, others don't. He had outlived his dam and sire.


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## ponyupbb (May 22, 2012)

Thanks for your reply and sorry to hear about that. We dont really have a problem keeping weight on her in fact within the past 6 weeks with the grass coming in she has put on AT LEAST  200 lbs. Just having problems with her building good solid muscle mass like she used to. She still has an awesome drive and acts like a 10 year old and just one of those horses that has to have a job to do or she gets cranky! I know some people swear by muscle builders to help them tone up in their old age I've just never personally used them.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BarrelRacingLvr (Feb 26, 2012)

I would increase her workout do lots of trotting....my guy is 26 and a friends daughter is using hm to Jr. Rodeo on....

This last weekend









I don't believe in feeding a horse so they muscle up...it just isn't natural or right in my eyes. We retired him after the season when he was 23, he was off all the next year (24). He looked OLD.....he lost all his muscle tone, was slab sided...and really started looking older and older. So that next spring (25) I let a friends daughter start riding him and get him back in shape so she could use him....and BOY did he fill back out. He didn't look like he was 25 but more like 15 again. So increase her workouts a little bit and do mainly a lot of trotting and walking (all my guy does) and you should slowly start to see her get her muscle back. 

As for feed my guy gets 2 Flakes AM and PM, scoop of Purina Equine Sr. Scoop of pelleted Rice Bran and a scoop of XTN (performance horse feed). The only supplements he gets is Biotin and Electrolytes....nothing fancy. 

Last Spring









Last Summer


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