How should you care for a senior horse? Royally, of course - their owners will certainly agree. They will also agree that age brings not only distinction but special care requirements. A senior horse has specific needs, usually greater than those of younger horses, whether still in light work, competing at a high level or enjoying the golden years of retirement at pasture.
As the years pass, the body undergoes many changes, and typical signs of ageing may appear: difficulty maintaining healthy weight and muscle, dental problems, deficiencies showing as weaker coat and hooves... Holistic, multifaceted care helps tackle these effects, because proper senior horse care means more than an extra carrot in the feed bucket: it means meeting the species' needs with flying colours. And an extra carrot too. :-)
How can you keep your senior horse in good shape?
Proper care of senior horses can be quite a challenge. However, it need not be so complicated if you follow a few key principles.
Above all - movement!
Movement is fundamental for senior horses. In many cases, there is no need to stop structured or voluntary activity as soon as your horse's career ends. To maintain condition and keep bones and joints flexible, strong and functional, provide space and opportunities to exercise, including outside the paddock. If circumstances force you to stop training, even regular walks over varied terrain or a little aerobic exercise can help counter the effects of degenerative joint disease. Any physical activity is good!
Physiotherapy can also be invaluable when your senior horse struggles with declining mobility: older horses' muscles often weaken and stiffen over time. Hooves deserve attention too. Regular trimming is as important for keeping a senior moving as ongoing supervision is for a youngster's development. Ageing can highlight conformational faults that a previously capable body successfully compensated for. Preventative hoof care helps keep these faults under control. :-)
Make friends with your vet
Senior horse care often also involves managing degeneration, metabolic disorders, ulcers or breathing difficulties. Sometimes the scope of care is extensive. Equine geriatrics, or senior horse health problems in general, is a multifaceted field in which cooperation between specialists and regular consultations are essential for successful treatment or maintaining health. Dental condition, treating joint degeneration, immune support, hoof care, blood tests, regular faecal tests and sometimes tumours in senior horses...
However unappealing closer cooperation with a nutritionist, vet, farrier or physiotherapist may seem, it is worthwhile. An older horse's health is not always entirely within your control. Breed, history and often sheer chance play a role, but it is still worth acting wherever you can. Owners of healthy, fully active seniors can sleep soundly. :-)
What should a senior horse's diet look like?
Senior horses' nutritional requirements differ from those of younger animals. As metabolism slows, account for it when planning rations. Fibre, structural carbohydrates or roughage remain the foundation of the diet, ideally as hay or pasture and, when chewing is difficult, as mash, grass pellets or chaff (remember that chaff should be easy to chew and should not irritate the stomach walls). Fibrous food keeps the digestive system working, buffers its acids and satisfies the behavioural need to chew. These guidelines also matter when feeding horses with gastric ulcers.
A senior horse's diet should also account for declining condition and increasing difficulty maintaining muscle mass. Protein for tissue building, particularly essential amino acids, and fats, especially omega-3 and -6 in the right proportions, play important roles, alongside controlling non-structural carbohydrates and simple sugars in the diet. Ready-made mixes for seniors and active older horses make it much easier to maintain these components in the correct proportions. Choose veterinary-approved feeds.
For quietly retired seniors, feed supplementing hay should meet basic nutritional needs. Choose mixessuitable for horses with dental problems and those prone to illness, avoiding excessive calories and high simple sugar levels.
To address poorer digestive absorption, supplementation of major and trace nutrients in a senior's diet should be straightforward, ideally using a highly bioavailable carrier and supporting intestinal motility. Additional joint supplements for seniors with MSM and glucosamine ease stiffness during movement and support treatment of joint degeneration. Also account for your horse's increased vitamin requirements.
A good habit - do not abandon your horse
Senior horses often lose condition with age: that is a fact. However, you need not send your horse to a retirement home immediately after hearing the vet's recommendation. Some people love equine seniors and are passionate about caring for herds of older horses, but would your beloved horse really want to leave you? The end of a sporting career is not the end of a senior's life. Give your horse a healthy, happy retirement by your side so that they can continue enjoying life with their owner.
