How to Care for Old Horses: 5 Senior Horse Care Strategies
This is Cory—he worked lightly until he passed away at the age of 30. He was one of the best lesson horses ever!
Ellison Hartley
5 Tips for Caring for an Old Horse
Old horses serve an important purpose in the horse world. It seems that the majority of the time, horses don't begin to slow down until they are older—mid-teens to even horses in their 20s. My whole program rests on the backs of horses that are almost all senior citizens. They are all great at their jobs, and I hope to keep them all working as long as possible. Here are five tips for taking care of an older horse.
- Make changes in their schedule and workload.
- Be aware of your horse's physical condition.
- Provide supportive care for your senior horse.
- Change your horse's living conditions.
- Retire the horse from riding if needed.
Older horses may need special care. Here are five tips for caring for senior horses.
1. Make Changes in Their Schedule and Workload
One of the best lesson horses I ever owned, Cory, lived to be 30. We used him for lessons up until a few days before he passed away (from colic, unexpectedly).
We got Cory in 2000, and supposedly he was about 12, though there were no registration papers to prove it. He could have been older or younger; who knows? Needless to say, he was stubborn and persnickety, but he was a wonderful lesson horse.
Gradually Reduce the Horse's Workload
In his early years, he worked hard doing walk, trot, and canter lessons. He even jumped and competed in eventing and dressage. He began showing signs of aging—things like generally getting slower. He had a harder time maintaining his weight in the hot weather and cold weather months. Luckily, Cory never seemed to have any sort of aches and pains; he was always sound.
Since he was comfortable, we continued using him in his later years. He just didn't work as hard. We gradually reduced his workload to reserve him only for brand-new riders or those in need of a confidence boost. His running and jumping days were over.
Earlier in the summer before he died, I realized that his trail-riding days needed to end because the trailer ride to the park was hard on him, and he would be so exhausted that he had trouble negotiating hills that earlier in his life, he would have trotted right up.
This is Buddy. He is now fully retired from work because of pain in his front feet that we haven't been able to find a way to remedy. He had a long career as an event and dressage pony.
Ellison Hartley
2. Be Aware of Your Horse's Physical Condition
Be aware of your horse's physical condition as they age. Do they still have their usual energy level? Are they able to maintain their appropriate weight? How is their muscle tone? All of these things are a good indication of how your horse is aging.
If your horse seems to be having trouble keeping weight on, there are many options to help with that. Chopped forage can allow horses without good teeth to get the forage they need. Sometimes, if they can chew it, alfalfa can help keep weight on them. I have also found ground soybeans help a lot with putting weight on and keeping it on. Your vet can advise you on what will be best for your horse.
My personal horse, Kemerton, had a long racing career, and then I used him for dressage and eventing. Before retiring, he required a lot of supportive care.
Ellison Hartley
3. Provide Supportive Care for Your Senior Horse
When you begin to see signs of aging in your horse, there are a lot of measures that you can take to keep them working comfortably and hopefully slow the aging process.
What to Do if Your Horse Lacks Energy
A horse that seems to lack energy may need a change in the feed to something specifically made for seniors. There are supplements like red cell that can give older horses a little boost. It is very easy to administer on top of the feed, and most horses enjoy the taste of it.
What to Do if Your Horse Is Stiff or Arthritic
If your horse seems to be feeling arthritic and showing signs of stiff joints or joint pain, there are a lot of joint supplements on the market that can help. Look for products with glucosamine and chondroitin—they are known for their specific ability to aid in joint health.
There are also choices your vet can offer, like joint injections. Or medications like Bute or Previcox. Bute is good for short-term use, like an extra stiff or sore day, but can have negative long-term effects on the kidneys if overused. Your vet should be able to make some recommendations about what is right for your horse.
Your farrier is also a good resource and may be able to help some pain issues with corrective shoeing.
Dublin is over 20. He requires medication because he became insulin-resistant. He is still working hard in our program and is comfortable and happy.
Ellison Hartley
4. Change Your Horse's Living Conditions
If you have an older horse that tends to get stiff standing in a stall overnight, changing them to a field board situation where they can move around as they chose could be helpful. I have found it very helpful for some of my horses.
Just remember: If your horse tends to struggle with keeping weight on, especially in the winter, if you decide to go with field board, you may need to start blanketing them, depending on your climate.
5. Retire the Horse From Riding if Needed
Some horses, due to their particular ailments, may need to be totally retired from riding. Hopefully, if that is the case, you can find a nice pasture board situation for them and will still be able to spend time with them regularly.
In my experience, older horses do best if they are kept in work at whatever degree they can handle it. It is good to keep them moving and good for them to have a purpose.
Due to an episode of founder and not being able to keep her front feet comfortable, Brownie has been retired to living the good life out in the field since this picture was taken.
Ellison Hartley
Old Horses Are the Best Horses
Old horses are some of the kindest, most reliable horses of all. They are gentle, have been there and done that and are the best teachers. We owe it to them to meet their changing needs as they grow older.
Cory again. He lived a great life and was used lightly until the end of his life! He was my trail horse of choice for years.
Ellison Hartley
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
© 2018 Ellison Hartley
Comments
Ellison Hartley (author) from Maryland, USA on November 01, 2018:
Tons of them!! I had him for almost 16 years!
Mark dos Anjos, DVM from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on November 01, 2018:
I saw his picture in your Haloween hub too. You must have built up a lot of photos of him over the years.
Ellison Hartley (author) from Maryland, USA on November 01, 2018:
Thank you, I had Cory for so long, we went through a lot together. He was such a gentle soul. I was lucky to have him.
Ellison Hartley (author) from Maryland, USA on October 28, 2018:
Thank you so much!! I got Cory when I was 15, then when I graduated to a fancier horse, he became a lesson horse, we had him for 15 years. He was a wonderful horse. Thanks for reading my article.
Ellison Hartley (author) from Maryland, USA on October 28, 2018:
I couldn't do my job without my old horses! They deserve every bit of extra care they need. As I'm sure you feel the same way about your kittys!
Mark dos Anjos, DVM from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on October 28, 2018:
That is a great picture of you and Cory at the top of the article. It really shows how much you care about all of his help over the years.
Elaina Baker from USA on October 27, 2018:
You love your old horses like I love my old cats. It’s wonderful to see someone who appreciates animals who are older and have medical problems that need attention.
