Keeping The Older Horse

By Sarah Gee
©Voice, September 2006

With advances in equine nutrition and veterinary care, horses are living longer than ever. There are many reasons owners are eager to hold on to their older horses. For some it’s all about emotional attachment, as bonds grow stronger over time. For others, the older horse is a safer more reliable mount. After all, it takes a long time to train a horse that is safe, trusting, and trustworthy. Still others value their older horses because of their bloodlines and breeding potential. Whatever the reason, the older horse population in the United States continues to grow.

So, when is a horse considered old? Well, the general consensus is that, upon reaching maturity, one year of a horse’s life is equivalent to about three years of a human’s life. Thus, a 20-year-old horse is chronologically equal to a 60-year-old human. Of course, the genetics of the individual plus how it was cared for during its life will also have a lot to do with when a horse’s needs shift to those of a geriatric horse.

Some physical signs that a horse has entered old age include a loss of muscle tone resulting in a flabby or “pot belly” appearance, a change in weight distribution causing the horse to plump up in one place yet appear skinny in another, changes in facial appearance usually resulting in a drooping lower lip and a deepening of the pockets above the eyes, and changes in the hair coat including color changes, a coarsening of the texture, and the growth of longer hairs that don’t shed out properly. The well managed older horse will have adequate shelter from the weather, a regular deworming program, regular vaccinations, exercise, a constant supply of fresh, clean water, a diet tailored to their individual needs, continual access to forage, freedom from stress, regular hoof care, and yearly veterinary examinations. However, even with the best of care, all older horses are predisposed to certain problems.

Many horses experience dental difficulties in their old age. Incisors increasingly slope forward making it hard for them to graze while molars develop sharp points, which can cause pain and hinder their ability to chew. It is very important to have an older horse’s teeth checked and floated regularly. Additionally, horses’ teeth continually erupt with a certain amount wearing off from use each year until there is no more left to erupt. Consequently, very old horses are often left with no teeth. Badly damaged teeth or a lack of teeth affects the horse’s ability to chew. The horse needs to chew its food long enough to produce the amount of saliva necessary for proper digestion. Saliva contains important enzymes and also helps lubricate the esophagus for ease of swallowing. For horses with no teeth or with severe tooth damage owners should consider feeding a slurry of complete pelleted feed and/or mashed alfalfa pellets. Long stemmed, soft, leafy alfalfa hay and beet pulp are also good sources of fiber and calcium for the dentally challenged. Feeding soft foods decreases the need for saliva and increases the likelihood of proper digestion.

Digestion problems are very common in older horses. As the horse ages, the motility of the digestive tract becomes compromised making the horse more susceptible to excess gas production and impaction. To compensate for the decrease in motility, owners should feed smaller meals more frequently. Reducing starch or grain may also be helpful as well as increasing the amount of high quality, easily digestible fiber. Older horses also experience a decline in their ability to absorb nutrients. Because of this, owners should consider feeding a processed feed rather than whole grains. Owners should look for a processed feed with fortified nutrient levels.

Older horses are more prone to liver and kidney problems. Animals experiencing these problems may be dull, listless, and stumbling. They may also be unable to gain weight and they may drink excess amounts of water, which causes them to urinate excessively. If you suspect liver or kidney problems contact your veterinarian and have him do a blood screen. These problems can usually be addressed with diet changes and medication.

Respiratory problems including heaves and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are also prominent in older horses. Symptoms include a chronic dry cough and, in more sever cases, rapid breathing, difficulty inhaling and exhaling, and the development of a “heave” line along the muscle on the lower sides of the abdomen. If you suspect that your horse is experiencing respiratory problems call your veterinarian. Treatments include medications and changing the horse’s feeding program and environment. You’ll need to reduce the amount of dust and allergens with which your horse comes into contact. Affected horses will need to be fed only high quality, clean hay. They may need to have their hay wet down prior to feeding or they may need to be fed a complete feed that includes forage instead of hay. These horses also benefit from being turned out to a grassy pasture (not a dusty lot).

Body weight is often an issue for the older horse. Some older horses will tend toward obesity often due to over feeding and/or lack of exercise. In some individuals weight gain may be due to hormone imbalances, which a veterinarian can diagnose. Whatever the cause, excess weight puts additional stress on the lungs and heart as well as the joints. The overweight older horse is more prone to arthritis, laminitis, and navicular disease. They are also more likely to be afflicted with lipomas or fatty tumors that, in extreme cases, can compromise their internal organs.
Of course, you don’t want your older horse to be malnourished either. While you definitely don’t want to overfeed, you also don’t want to underfeed your equine senior citizen. The older horse may need a 10-20% increase in feed to make up for the loss of digestive efficiency. They need higher quality protein, more digestible energy, and increased minerals as compared to the maintenance requirements of the adult horse. Horses over 20 years of age often have the same dietary requirements as yearlings.

Today, more than at any time in the past, horses are living and being productive, on average, well into their 20s. It is not uncommon to see horses enjoying retirement into their mid-30s. With proper management and a certain level of awareness, there’s no reason your horse can’t join the ranks of these equine senior citizens.

References:
Haughen, Steven, DVM, Managing the Horse In Old Age at www.xcodesign.com/aaep/displayArticles.cfm?ID-231

Raub, Dr. Randel, Nutrition for the Older Horse at http://horse.purinamills.com/bulletins/nut_Old.htm

Swinker, Ann, PhD, Caring For The Older Horse at
http://beef-mag.com/mag/beef_caring_older_horse/index.html