I am retiring my 18-year-old Belgian/QH gelding. He foxhunted for 7 years and now is only hacking out at the walk, sometimes trot.

When he was in work I had him on a high-fat grain and solid (prilled) fat. I continue to give him just enough grain to get the fat into him. He will not "eat" corn oil.

My question is can he eat only grass or hay without needing the fat? His pasture is beautiful and his hay a gorgeous grass hay. Thank you.

Are there other issues causing his retirement? 18 is not really that old. If at all possible it would be good to do something with him in retirement, even if it is just walking with children as passengers. I would still want to continue to provide some fat in his diet. If he is EPSM prone, lack of fat could cause progressive muscle weakness and eventual inability to rise after lying down.

He has been a foxhunter, several years in first flight which involves 3' jumps. He sustained a slight superficial digital flexor tendon injury last year -- hilltopping -- and, as a consequence, has scar tissue in that leg, causing a bit of a "swelling" in the area. Even with hilltopping, my vet has warned me that, if he takes a bad step and comes up lame, risking a rupture in the tendons of that leg, I should go back in. I don't want to face that risk of such a substantial injury and the resultant anxiety. I would continue hilltopping him if it weren't for this situation. But that's the reason for his retirement. I would continue to hack him out on long trail rides, with some walking and trotting.