Senior Feed: Can a Horse Founder (Laminitis) on it?

Last updated: January 30, 2026

By: Miles HenryFact Checked

After a nearby horse foundered while on a senior feed, I researched feed formulation and laminitis risk to understand why this can happen.

Horses can founder even while on senior feed. A low-NSC grass hay diet is typically recommended for horses at risk of founder because it minimizes sugar and starch spikes. Senior feeds are often high-quality and easy to chew, but some formulas still contain starch and sugar levels that can trigger laminitis in sensitive horses.

Some horses need senior feed; however, age is only one factor. Fitness level, activity, and dental health also influence what diet is safest and most effective.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How founder develops and why senior feed can be a trigger
• How to read labels for NSC and starch
• Which feeds are safest for at-risk seniors
• Founder warning signs and what to do next

Senior Feed Won’t Prevent Founder: What You Need to Know

The most common cause of acute founder in horses is the excessive consumption of grains such as sweet feeds. Horses with a history of founder are more susceptible to reoccurrence and can founder eating senior feed.

Diet for horses with laminitis is critical to the overall health of the damaged tissue of the hoof, but it is not the only factor, so rely on the instructions of your vet and farrier.

During the recovery phase of founder, keep your horse’s weight under control and give your horse ample opportunity to move around; this encourages blood flow to its feet.

Provide high-quality forage, but avoid free grazing on rich pasture grass. Vitamins and minerals are essential for the damaged tissues to repair. Most vets recommend a diet consisting mostly of forage, a ration balancer or supplements, and plenty of fresh, clean water.

Founder is common in geriatric horses.

Founder, also known as laminitis, is common in older horses; it is the inflammation of the laminae. The laminae are finger-like protrusions of tissue that bond the hoof wall to the horse’s coffin bone.

When these tissues are inflamed, the coffin bone is unstable, and the weight of the horse pushes the bone toward the ground. Founder is extremely painful, and in severe cases, the coffin bone protrudes through the hoof sole.

The reason horses develop founder isn’t always obvious, but acute laminitis can be caused by overeating grain, intestinal lesions, and placental retention. Geriatric horses with Cushing’s disease (PPID) are susceptible to chronic laminitis as a secondary complication.

Signs your horse has laminitis include pulsations in the digital arteries, lameness, depression, and a horse’s reluctance to move. In severe cases, horses are euthanized.

Can a horse recover from founder?

Because our grandson is aware of laminitis’s severity, he was heartbroken to learn our neighbor’s horse was foundered. I wanted to comfort him and tell him the horse would recover, but I wasn’t confident that would be true.

Horses can recover from laminitis, but it’s rare, and it takes time. An owner must be patient, restrict the horse’s movement, get proper farrier care, make sure the horse eats appropriately, and follow the advice of his veterinarian. By following these steps, your horse has a chance to recover.

Many horse owners lose hope when their horse founders, but there is a chance your horse regains its health and returns to work. Follow the advice of your veterinarian and have patience with your animal.

At the first sign of founder put your horse in a stall.

If you come home to find your horse in the feed room standing over a half-eaten bag of feed, call your veterinarian to try and minimize the onset of founder.

Early signs of laminitis can be subtle, so if your horse is prone to founder, keep a close watch on it, so you can prevent the problem from escalating. Specifically watch for shifting weight from one foot to another, shortness of stride, and warmness in the hoof.

Don’t walk a horse with laminitis.

The first thing you should do is contact your veterinarian and farrier, next put the horse in a stall with deep bedding, and soak the horse’s feet in a bucket of cold water to alleviate some pain. Properly trained farriers shoe foundered horses to promote healing and reduce pain.

Once the acute pain has subsided and your vet has cleared the horse for light activity, allow for controlled movement in a small, level area. This encourages blood flow, which is vital for tissue repair, but must never be forced during the initial painful ‘rotation’ stage.

Don’t ride a horse that has foundered until cleared by a vet.

Your horse’s hoof may seem better to you, but the internal tissue needs time to strengthen before the animal carries a load. Be patient, and allow your horse to heal properly before riding.

Bute can help reduce inflammation.

In the early stages of acute founder, you may be inclined to give your horse bute to reduce tissue inflammation, which seems like a logical move. But before administering any drugs, talk to your vet; he may have reasons he wants to see the animal before it’s treated.

Horses that have foundered should eat hay.

Horses that have foundered are prone to founder again, so feed your animal basic grass hay and a little alfalfa. Do not feed oats, corn, or molasses.

Your horse needs to be on a low sugar and low starch diet, and some senior feeds may fit the bill and be the right choice for horses prone to founder, but always read the label. When reading the feed tag, look for the NSC (Non-Structural Carbohydrate) value. Remember that NSC is the sum of both sugar and starch.

A feed might be “low sugar” but still “high starch” — it is the combined NSC percentage that matters most for the metabolic senior. Many popular senior feeds have an NSC of 18–22%, which is fine for a healthy horse but dangerous for one prone to founder. For a founder-prone senior, you need a ‘low-starch/low-sugar’ formula with an NSC of 10% or lower.

Laboratory testing (such as through Equi-Analytical) is the only reliable way to confirm low NSC in hay. If testing isn’t an option, soaking hay in cold water for 60 minutes can help leach out some of the water-soluble carbohydrates.

Do Geriatric Horses Need Senior Feed? (How to Decide)

Horses are commonly considered “senior” after age 20, but in practice, geriatric care is based more on health status than calendar age. Some horses remain healthy and active well into their 20s, while others begin declining in their mid-teens.

For example, we once owned a barrel horse that performed better at 22 than at 11, eating a regular diet. Conversely, we’ve also owned horses that declined quickly after 16 and required a senior feed. The key is to evaluate your horse’s body condition and overall health.

To help you decide which path to take, I’ve put together this quick reference based on common physical signs I see in aging horses:

If your horse is losing weight or losing condition, have a veterinarian evaluate them. Signs that look like “normal aging” can actually be caused by dental issues, digestive problems, or parasites. A veterinary exam can rule out these conditions and guide a proper feeding plan.

When to switch to senior feed: look for weight loss, a declining topline, difficulty chewing, or reduced forage intake. If you notice these signs, your horse may benefit from higher-quality protein, added fat, and more digestible fiber.

Senior Horses Often Don’t Eat Enough Forage

Many geriatric horses develop arthritis or dental issues that make grazing and hay chewing difficult. When they can’t eat enough forage, they may lose weight, develop digestive problems, and become more prone to colic.

Forage is the foundation of a horse’s diet. It supports healthy digestion, reduces gas and colic risk, and is the main calorie source for most horses.

Most Senior Feeds Contain Forage

Many senior feeds include enough fiber to replace hay, but not all. Always read the label and feeding directions to know whether the feed is a complete feed or requires supplemental hay.

Senior Feeds Are Also Used for Weight Gain

Senior feeds are not just for older horses. They’re also used to help horses that struggle to maintain weight due to illness, dental problems, stress, or environmental changes.

For example, Purina makes Equine Senior Active, a high-calorie feed with higher fat and fiber, reduced starch and sugar, and complete vitamins and minerals. However, it does not contain forage, so hay must still be provided. (See how this compares to other brands in our Best Senior Horse Feeds guide.)

Senior feeds can also benefit horses with metabolic conditions. Horses with insulin resistance or Cushing’s (PPID) often do better on low-starch, low-sugar feeds. Horses prone to ulcers or colic may also benefit from senior feeds that are dust-free and often include digestible fiber like beet pulp.

Below is a YouTube video that discusses feeding senior horses. A unique tip from the video is that senior horses might drink less in winter because cold water hurts their sensitive, worn-down teeth [05:05].

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Complete Your Senior Feeding Strategy

Feeding a geriatric horse is about more than just avoiding founder; it’s about maximizing their comfort and longevity. To build the ultimate diet for your senior, explore our deep-dive guides below: