12/02/08 The Elmer Bandit Diet

This summer we covered the story about the 37 year old horse competing in the rigorous sport of competitive trail riding. I'm Jeff Keane and I will be back after the break to report on how old Elmer Bandit ended up breaking the record for lifetime competitive trail mileage last month, but more importantly what horse owners can learn from this aging equine athlete. Most horses have been put out to pasture at least ten years when Elmer Bandit broke the world record for lifetime competitive trail mileage last month. Not only has the thirty seven half Arab proven that age knows no barriers he has also might teach us how to feed our older equine friends. Here is Susan with Elmer's winning diet. It isn't a fluke Elmer's competing into his late thirties, it's diligence and hard work for his owner Mary Anna Wood who is continually tweaking his diet for the best results. Get this Jeff, each day Elmer receives two gallons of water, four pounds of beet pulp shredded with molasses, four pound of Equine Senior or Strategy plus the supplements Re Store or Revolution all in a soupy mix. He might also get a pound and a half of alfalfa depending on his work out. It takes Elmer between two to three hours a day to eat a meal because he can no longer grind food. Hey old Elmer fits right in with the new "slow food"