As horses age, their care needs change. Ensuring your senior horse stays healthy and comfortable requires additional care and attention. By understanding the common challenges faced by older horses, you can provide the support they need to maintain a good quality of life.
Have a Trusted Veterinarian
Every horse will have slightly different needs, and it can be difficult to know when your senior horse will start to require more. That’s why it is important to build a relationship with a trusted veterinarian as soon as your horse comes into your care. Your veterinarian can establish a health baseline for your horse that can be monitored as your horse ages. This will help you identify when your horse’s behaviour and health changes, and allow you to make informed decisions regarding your horse’s welfare.
You should always consult your veterinarian if you begin to notice changes in your horse’s behaviour such as:
- Difficulty standing or laying down
- Unexplained weight loss
- Lethargy or reduced activity
Weight loss can be common in senior horses for a number of reasons.
- Dental issues can lead to a reduction in ability to chew hay or pasture
- Decreased digestion efficiency leading to a reduction in nutrients absorbed
- Cushing’s disease or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID)
- Displaced from feed by more dominant horses
Each of these requires different treatments which can be discussed with your veterinarian. To ensure your horse receives the nutrients required to remain healthy, you may need to provide supplemental, specialized feed such as concentrates, cubes or pellets. Because of social hierarchy, provide ample food for all horses in your care to reduce competition.
Arthritis and Mobility Issues
You may begin to notice your elderly horse begin to slow down as they age. While this is a normal part of aging, monitor them closely for signs of arthritis or other mobility issues, which can cause significant pain. If you notice your horse has trouble standing or laying down, consult your veterinarian to properly diagnose the underlying cause. While some treatments may require regular exercise to maintain mobility, it depends on the cause of the issue, meaning diagnosis before treatment is essential.
Protection from the Elements
Although all horses need protection from severe heat, cold, wind and precipitation, this becomes more essential for elderly horses. Ensure your horse has access to proper shelter and consider their ability to access their shelter as they age. A run-in shelter with dry bedding is ideal. If you care for multiple horses, multiple shelters may be required to reduce competition.
Other Health Issues
Horses of all ages are susceptible to illness, disease and other health problems — however, these problems are both more common and more difficult to overcome in senior horses. Issues such as colic or laminitis can be exacerbated in older horses, and recovery can be slowed. Regular monitoring and early diagnosis are the best approach to ensuring these problems are identified and treated early.
End of Life Care
As caregivers, we want to ensure our animals experience minimal pain and suffering as they approach the end of their lives. Determining when euthanasia is the compassionate path forward for your horse is a difficult decision, but not a decision that needs to be made alone. Your veterinarian can discuss treatment plans for your horse and help discuss proper end of life care. Learn more here.