Caring for your veteran horse

As your horse gets older, you may notice changes in their physical and mental wellbeing. It's not uncommon for them to live into their twenties or even thirties. So, it's important to recognise the signs of ageing and how best to support their needs, so that their quality of life is maintained.

Signs of old age in horses

When your horse is aging, you may notice some obvious physical changes including:

• greying hair around the eyes, ears, forehead and muzzle
• reduced muscle development
• hollowed appearance of the face and back

But there are also other potential changes. These can include:

• loss of appetite or difficulty eating
• dental problems
• weight loss
• stiffness and reduced mobility (such as reduced ability to get up or down to roll)
• hormonal changes such as Cushing’s disease 

Routine care for older horses

Maintaining routine care and your horse’s environment can help to manage their health as they get older.

Feeding and nutrition

Not all veteran horses will need a specialist diet. If their body condition and physical health is good, you may not need to change anything. But some older horses may need nutritional support if their needs change (such as if they develop dental issues). If your veteran horse’s ridden work is reduced or stopped, they may not need as much hard feed, or may need feed which provides less energy.

If your horse has problems with their teeth, they’ll need feed and forage that is easy to chew and digest. Short, chopped forage and mashes are easiest to chew.

It's also important that the best quality of clean, dust free forage (hay) is fed. A mix of meadow grasses instead of seed hay may be more palatable for older horses or those with digestive problems. Plenty of fibre can also help to keep your veteran horse warm from the inside out.

If you’re unsure about what your horse needs, speak to an equine nutritionist or your vet for advice.

More on feeding your horse

Weight

There are several reasons horses may lose weight or find it difficult to maintain weight as they get older. It’s a good idea to body score your veteran horse throughout the year, and measure them with a weight tape. This can help you to identify if your horse is at a healthy weight. You can also compare their weight to previous years, so you’re aware of any changes (such as losing more weight compared to the previous winter).

If your horse is struggling to keep weight on, begin rugging and extra feeding in autumn, when the nights get cooler and grass growth slows down. Make sure your horse isn’t being bullied off their feed by other horses. Spread piles of forage out around the field, and monitor horses while they eat hard feed.

Not all horses lose weight as they get older. It’s important to be aware of obesity and adjust your horse’s diet if necessary.

How to body score your horse

Hoof care

As horses get older it's important to continue with regular hoof care, even if they are not ridden any more. This will ensure their feet remain balanced and healthy. Regular hoof care includes picking the feet out daily as well as regular farrier visits.

Veteran horses may have stiffness in their limbs. Take care not to lift the leg too high when picking out their feet. Your farrier should also be mindful of this when trimming and shoeing.

More on hoof care

Worming

Older horses may be more vulnerable to worms because their immunity to parasites decreases. A high worm burden can leave horses weak, cause them to lose weight and put them at risk of diarrhoea and anaemia. Maintain your regime of regular worm egg counts, and worm according to the results. Remember to also test or treat for encysted redworm and tapeworm. If you’re unsure of a suitable worming programme for your horse, speak to your vet.

More on managing worms in horses

Vaccinations

Vaccinations for flu and tetanus must be kept up to date. A lot of people don’t vaccinate for flu if their horse is retired and not going anywhere, as they think they are at less risk. But the risk of contracting flu is still high – particularly as your horse gets older and has a reduced immune capability. You should also be aware that if other horses on site are going out and about (even on hacks) the virus can get bought back and transmitted.

More on vaccinations for horses

Exercise and enrichment

As a minimum, horses need daily turnout as a form of exercise. Moving around as much as possible is essential for their circulation and gut health. It’s also a key part of meeting their mental and social needs. A good grazing system can provide them with the exercise and enrichment they need.

Some veteran horses still enjoy hacking out. It’s good for their mental and physical wellbeing as long as they’re physically coping with the exercise. Look out for signs they’re not coping, such as pulling faces when being tacked up, or reluctance to go forwards. Your horse’s body may change shape as their muscles deteriorate with age, so check their tack still fits correctly.

In hand walks are a good option for your veteran horse’s mental wellbeing. Other non-ridden activities include gentle obstacle courses and enrichment that will engage their brain. To keep their body supple, you can also try gentle stretches during grooming sessions. If you aren’t sure what’s suitable for your older horse, always seek advice from your vet before starting an exercise routine. 

Common conditions in older horses

Arthritis

As horses get older, they’re at higher risk of developing arthritis, particularly if they have had a joint injury in the past or their confirmation makes them prone to it (such as being very upright).  If your horse has arthritis, you may notice a shorter stride, slower movement, stumbling, reluctance to move forward and reduced flexibility.

Good management and suitable exercise (as advised by your vet), can reduce the impact of arthritis on your horse. There are also many feed supplements available, which can help to reduce joint stiffness and aid joint repair. Contact your vet for advice on your horse’s condition.

Cushing’s disease and laminitis

Equine Cushing’s disease (also known as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction – PPID) is a hormonal condition that affects the pituitary gland in horses.

The signs of Cushing’s disease in horses are:

• lethargy and depression
• pronounced localised fat pads on the shoulders, rump and above the eyes
• growing a thick, coarse, curly coat which does not shed in the summer
• excessive drinking, sweating, and urinating
• a much higher susceptibility to laminitis

Once detected, your vet can offer several treatments for Cushing’s disease. These can improve your horse’s quality of life, but all treatments are a lifelong commitment. Early detection of Cushing’s disease is vital before it causes a case of laminitis. If your horse develops laminitis, they will always be susceptible to it.  

More on laminitis

Cataracts  

A cataract is a cloudy opacity which forms in the lens of the eye. It can occur progressively in some horses as a symptom of old age. Mild cataracts may make your horse’s vision cloudy – most horses cope well with this.

If your horse’s vision is affected, make any changes to their environment gradually. Try to remove anything they could bump into or injure themselves on. Be aware they may be easily startled or spooked more often. 

Melanomas

Melanomas are the most common skin tumours found in horses. They’re more prevalent in older, grey horses.

They usually develop on sensitive areas of the body, such as the inner thigh, belly, eyelids, udder, sheath and dock. Melanomas are usually slow growing and less aggressive than other types of skin tumours. But you should inspect your horse regularly for signs of skin nodules and growth. Any changes should be monitored by you and your vet.

Dental conditions

Healthy teeth are vital to your horse’s digestion and health. But there are several issues they can develop as they age. This includes:

• losing teeth
• gaps between teeth (known as diastemas)
• infections
• broken or unevenly worn teeth
• root abscesses

Diastemata are abnormal gaps between a horse's teeth that can cause a problems such as food impaction. If food gets trapped in the gaps, it can lead to painful periodontal disease. Horses with diastema may have difficulty eating and chewing (especially on short grass or from a hay net), which could lead to weight loss.

If your horse has dental issues, you may notice your horse quidding – dropping feed from their mouth while they’re chewing, or leaving lumps of partially chewed feed behind. Veteran horses should have their teeth checked regularly (every six to 12 months) by a veterinary surgeon or a vet-approved dental technician.  

More on dental care 

Quality of life checklist

Your horse’s mental and physical wellbeing is an important part of their quality of life. As they get older, quietly observe your horse for a period of time every month or so. Then use this checklist to see if you notice any changes.

If your horse’s quality of life has changed, or you notice changes you’re worried about, contact your vet for advice. 

Euthanasia and when to say goodbye

Although there are ways to manage your horse’s health as they get older, there will come a time when you have to say goodbye.  

One of the most important things for any horse owner is to make sure you have a plan in place if you do have to consider euthanasia. Although it won't make saying goodbye any easier, you can rest assured that the practical aspects are taken care of.

More on saying goodbye to your horse