Caring for an Older Horse: Horse Health
Horses age in ways that are very similar to humans. They experience decreased appetites and feed efficiencies, declining health of the teeth and gums, and complications from the reduced functions of the kidneys and liver. As a result, caring for an older horse presents challenges that typically do not apply to younger horses. In humans, older persons require much more medical care, and must typically pay closer attention to their health on a daily basis. The same is true of horses. Geriatric horse care is about appropriate healthcare management. This means that the care of an older horse will be more extensive and much more involved than caring for a younger horse, and requires an owner that is prepared to meet these challenges physically, mentally, and financially. It’s not simply a matter of indefinitely turning a horse out to pasture who has been retired from their useful career- it’s a matter of compassion and reward for a lifetime of service.
In the recent past, horses that lived into their twenties and thirties were virtually unheard of. Today this is not the case. In fact, there are many horses now that still actively compete in their twenties. Even horses that have exhausted their usefulness are still living as many as ten years after they have been retired. This is due in large part to advances made in medical technology and horse nutrition. Additionally, horse owners wish to keep older horses around out of sheer emotional attachment, as breed stock, or to train for a new career- perhaps as a “schoolmaster,” a pleasure or trail riding animal, or as a mount for a beginner or young child. Whatever the case may be, estimates state that more than 15% of the horses in the United States are of geriatric age. This means that there is an entire industry dedicated to caring for older horses, which provides mountains of data to help nearly any horse owner care for their senior equid.
Throughout a horse’s life, hoof and dental care are consistent, vital parts of equine healthcare. This is even more so for an older horse. Horse health concerns with age expand. In fact, it is often due to the deterioration of an older horse’s teeth that the animal experiences problems with its feet- or vice versa. For instance, a geriatric horse that is fed incorrectly or is not able to properly chew its food will be particularly subject to hoof conditions such as laminitis, and horses with foot injuries will have a decreased appetite, resulting in the rapid loss of conditioning and ability to fight disease and infection. In this way, it can be seen that one deteriorated bodily system in a horse can have severe impact on another seemingly unrelated system. For this reason, special attention should be paid to an older horse’s teeth and feet. This means farrier visits every 6-8 weeks, depending on the activity level of the animal. Dental examinations should be performed at a minimum of twice per year, or more often as needed for horses that present tooth problems. Geriatric horses may need to have their teeth floated more often than younger horses, so be certain to have your veterinarian check for sharp molar points or teeth that are wearing unnaturally- or not wearing at all.
As an extension of dental care, nutrition for senior horses is directly related to length and quality of lifespan. In the case of missing or damaged teeth an aging horse may need extruded feed, or feed that is offered mashed, soaked, or otherwise made easier to chew. A horse that drops feed from its mouth while chewing.
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