Senior horse
I remember exactly how you came to me from a school horse farm. You basically taught me how to ride. We spent some great years together, during which I could always rely on you 100% - and you could rely on me.
Our best time is now! When your horse is getting on in years...
You can rely on me today too. At the age of 22, a new phase of life began for you, but also for me. At first, it was difficult to accept that I could no longer ride you. A few half-hearted attempts at riding ended with a guilty conscience and an exhausted horse. So it was with a heavy heart that I let you retire. You are clearly enjoying being with other horses in a huge pasture with a shelter. You are doing well, but age is leaving its mark - and I have to adapt to this in terms of exercise, housing, feeding and care. Because a lot changes in an ageing horse.
But how does the ageing process manifest itself? And above all: What can I do for you so that you stay fit and agile in your senior years and we can still have a good time together? Answers to these and other questions can be found here.
DEFINITION
Help, my horse is getting old!
As your horse gets older, the changes affect all areas of its life. We can easily recognize the first signs of ageing: for example the first grey hairs (especially around the eyes and ears, as well as on the mouth and forehead), a change in coat texture or a decrease in the horse's willingness to move. Less obvious signs include a reduced appetite, dental problems or weight gain. The immune system also works less efficiently and the horse's resistance to infections decreases.
Despite all this, many horse owners describe life with a senior as a special experience because the relationship between human and animal becomes closer and more intense. In addition, there are now many ways to alleviate the symptoms of old age in horses and give them a pleasant, comfortable life for a long time. An important prerequisite for this is a stable, healthy musculoskeletal system - and there are a number of things you can do to maintain this.
How old does a horse actually get?
The average life expectancy of a horse is around 20 years. Some horses live to be over 20 and even up to 30 years old. As a rule, your horse reaches its peak performance at around 12 to 16 years of age. However, the lifespan can vary depending on the size of the animal and the breed of horse: Smaller animals often age faster than larger ones. We can assume that Arabians and Shettys have a slightly longer life expectancy than other breeds. They can often be ridden beyond their 20th birthday - as long as the training is adapted. The so-called "robust horse" breeds such as Icelandic and Fjord horses can even live up to 35 years. How old your horse actually gets also depends heavily on health, feeding, husbandry, use and care. Racehorses, for example, often do not reach a very old age, as the physical and mental strain is high.
We can lay the foundations for a horse's long and healthy life from an early age. Among other things, regular exercise, a good, nutritious diet (adapted to the horse's age), fresh air and contact with other horses of the same species all contribute to a horse's health. If you keep an eye on your horse's weight and think about regular hoof care, this will help to prevent misalignments and overloading of tendons and joints.
FURTHER INFORMATION
When the joints age
For horses, the joy of life consists primarily of movement. However, their musculoskeletal system changes over the years: The muscles become weaker and the bone structure also changes with age. Changes to the joints in particular can then cause problems. The cartilage layer on the ends of the bones in the joint, which serves as a shock absorber, wears away with age and loses elasticity. At the same time, less synovial fluid is produced. All these changes lead to damage to the cartilage and the friction in the joint causes pain. Recurrent inflammation also promotes the breakdown of the cartilage. This is where chronic joint wear and tear (= osteoarthritis) begins.
Poorly healed injuries, overloaded or incorrectly loaded joints as well as obesity and lack of exercise promote this process.
Good to know
Articular cartilage functions like a sponge. It can only absorb synovial fluid and thus be supplied with nutrients through regular loading and unloading. You should therefore continue to exercise your horse regularly. Without exercise, osteoarthritis progresses more quickly.
How can I tell if my horse is suffering from osteoarthritis?
At the beginning of osteoarthritis, you and your horse usually don't notice much of the change that is going on inside the joint. You may notice that your horse needs a little more time to warm up, or you may notice when shoeing that your horse can no longer hold its hooves up as well. If the cartilage degradation progresses further, however, the problems become obvious: there is often noticeable shrinkage, or the animals have difficulties when lying down or turning in the box, when parrying through or when collecting. Even if you are surprised that your horse, which is actually used to jumping, is suddenly reluctant or makes mistakes, this may indicate pain caused by osteoarthritis. Incidentally, severe cases of osteoarthritis almost always manifest themselves as lameness.
Especially if your horse is already in its prime, you should become aware of possible signs at an early stage: The sooner osteoarthritis is recognized and treated, the greater the chance of pain-free ageing.
How can I support my animal?
If you suspect that your senior horse is suffering from osteoarthritis, the vet can make an accurate diagnosis by examining the horse during exercise, flexion tests of the joints, thorough palpation and X-rays or ultrasound and then initiate the appropriate treatment straight away. Although osteoarthritis cannot be cured because the cartilage is permanently damaged, it can be treated.
However, the therapy is demanding because it is usually necessary for the rest of the horse's life. It should therefore be well tolerated and easy to use. What is the aim of this treatment? On the one hand, it is important to relieve the pain and inflammation and, on the other hand, to preserve and protect the joint cartilage for as long as possible. In addition to pain therapy, long-term therapy with natural veterinary medicines that have regenerative effects on the joint cartilage is therefore recommended.
Good to know
Older animals often suffer from different illnesses at the same time. Therefore, make sure that the medication to be administered can be combined well and has as few side effects as possible. Your vet will be happy to advise you on treatment options with natural veterinary medicines.
Tips for everyday life: This helps horse joints stay healthy
The signs of ageing in a horse are not always visible on the outside of your horse. Osteoarthritis progresses gradually and does not immediately lead to lameness. Therefore, keep a close eye on your horse so that you can take action at an early stage and alleviate symptoms.
Exercise is the be-all and end-all for osteoarthritis. This keeps tendons and joints flexible for longer and muscles supple. As long as your senior's condition allows it, work under the saddle and on the ground helps to maintain or rebuild the muscles. The basic rule is to build in sufficient warm-up times and avoid cold starts in the pasture.
Without something to do, your old horse will quickly deteriorate both physically and mentally. However, there are also a number of useful activities for very old animals: e.g. walks together, ground work in a riding arena or intelligence games.
Too much weight puts additional strain on the joints. Check your horse's weight regularly and adjust the amount of food if necessary. It is better to give your horse several small portions, as its digestion becomes increasingly sluggish with age.
The intensity and duration of physical work should be adapted to your horse's age. Rest periods help to take the strain off the joints. Remember that senior horses usually need longer to "get going" again after periods of rest.
Older horses have a higher requirement for vitamins, minerals and trace elements, as the body's ability to store nutrients decreases. Feeding adapted to age and activity helps to counteract weight problems and age-related metabolic problems.
Good and regular hoof trimming is immensely important, especially for older horses. It should be geared towards joint relief in order to avoid misalignment and overloading of tendons and joints.
