Still, his show ring career wasn’t over. From there, we transitioned to a successful second career in dressage. After several good years, it was time to let this career go, too. By then in his early 30s but still not content to be fully retired, his final job was as a leadline mount for my then-young daughter. His full retirement, when it finally came a few years later, was something I felt we were both happy and comfortable with.

On the other hand, my half-Arabian mare, Sally, was an example of a difficult early retirement. A highly versatile horse, just one of her many talents was her performance in the hunter ring.

However, despite my best efforts, she has never truly been a healthy horse. Some of her health conditions we have been able to name and treat. Though these issues may have limited her, they never took her completely out of the game.

Other conditions have been mysterious and less well-managed due to their undefined nature; her treatments have been a roller coaster of successes and failures. Numerous tests have led to dead ends leading to more significant restrictions.

Though still in her early 20s, her most recent job change has been from a semi-retired trail horse to pasture-sound companion horse. By outward appearances, she looks amazing, but she is unable to tolerate a rider.

Soundness and Injuries

With so many possible retirement scenarios, what is considered an average age for retirement? What is considered an early retirement?

The decision to retire a horse is based on several different factors, according to Jud Easterwood, DVM, of Easterwood Equine Hospital in Calera, Ala.

“Most of these factors are health or soundness related,” he says. “I don’t think there is an average age. We have some horses that are able to perform well into their 20s. Other horses have had significant injuries that lead to chronic lameness or issues with pain. These horses have to retire much earlier.”

Easterwood says that he considers “early” retirement one that occurs before the age of 20. In his experience, these unfortunate early retirement scenarios are usually centered around tendon or suspensory ligament injuries. He says they can also be brought on by conditions such as arthritis or ringbone.

“Any serious injury could result in these conditions that a horse can’t overcome to get back into high-level performance work,” he says.

Metabolic & Back Problems

Sometimes, conditions such as PPID and the insulin resistance that sometimes accompanies it can necessitate early retirement, especially when it leads to other conditions, such as chronic laminitis and potentially founder. Easterwood says that while these issues are typically seen in horses over the age of 20, they do occasionally occur in younger horses, too.

Over the years, because imaging has improved, he notes that horses being diagnosed with back problems have also become much more common. Rather than undiagnosed pain, he says we are now able to pinpoint kissing spines and neck arthritis.

“These may not stand out to you like leg lameness, but they create an overall sour behavior or back soreness,” says Easterwood. Depending on their severity, these may also require retirement.

Signs That It’s Time to Retire

What are the signs that your horse may be ready to retire?

“Any sort of chronic lameness or pain issues would be the No. 1 condition that leads to retirement,” says Easterwood. “No. 2 is when the horse doesn’t enjoy his job anymore and has become sour.”

He also lists conditions such as liver disease; inflammatory bowel disease that leads to chronic diarrhea and weight loss; neurological diseases that cause ataxia, such as EPM or (less commonly) West Nile virus; or any condition that is difficult to treat and that leads to performance problems.

Semi or Full Retirement?

Regardless of age, when you decide to retire your horse, you’ll need to consider partial or full retirement. Easterwood says that he likes to use the words “serviceably sound” with owners considering partial retirement for their horses.

“You may have a horse that is not 100 percent sound and is no longer suitable for show jumping, barrel racing, or other types of intense performance sports,” he says. “But [semi-retirement is an option] if the horse is still able to get around fine and enjoy doing activities such as trail riding, flat work, ground work, or being ridden in lessons.”

He says some horses can do these things well and maintain a good exercise regimen, even though they are stepping back from their previous high-intensity careers.

However, there is one important caveat that Easterwood advises for owners considering semi-retirement. If you’re considering having a child take over the ride on your horse, he advises having the horse evaluated by a veterinarian to determine whether there are any issues the horse may have with tripping and falling in order to prevent potentially devastating accidents.

Whether or not semi or full retirement is a happy occasion for your horse depends on several factors.

Easterwood’s first recommendation for keeping retirees engaged is to exercise as tolerated. Keeping horses stabled or pastured near high-activity areas can also help keep retirees engaged, while stall or pasture toys can provide further enrichment.

Prolonging Soundness

While retirement may be inevitable for most horses, there are some steps you can take to extend your horse’s working career. Easterwood says that good veterinary care is a staple to keeping horses sound and happy in their job.

“It doesn’t have to be frequent,” he says. “I recommend annual to biannual X-rays and lameness evaluations to make sure you are keeping up with any changes to previous injuries and to make sure that nothing new has developed.”

If conditions such as arthritis, degenerative joint disease, or joint injuries exist, he recommends the use of prescription intramuscular injections for their treatment. He says that veterinarians also sometimes use intra-articular injections to relieve pain and keep horses comfortable.

Even if your horse is free of any condition requiring injections, Easterwood says that oral supplements can work to reduce wear and tear. He also says that therapies such as chiropractic adjustments, massage, acupuncture, and PEMF treatments can augment traditional veterinary care to the benefit of your horse.

Easterwood also advises screening for metabolic diseases as the horse ages, but also if your horse exhibits any signs any signs that warrant it.

Though no guarantee, the above steps, along with maintaining a good diet and exercise plan—as well as updated vaccinations, deworming, and dental care—can go a long way toward ensuring that your horse enjoys a long career.

By and large, the decision to retire your horse can be one of the more difficult decisions that horse owners face. By watching for indications and taking the appropriate steps, you can rest assured that you are making the best decisions for your horse’s future.

This article about when to retire your horse appeared in the October 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post When Is It Time to Retire Your Horse? appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

This is particularly important should you bring your horse home for retirement, versus keeping him at a boarding stable. We’ve gathered advice from a veterinarian and an equine retirement facility manager for tips to help you keep your elderly equine healthy, happy and comfortable in his twilight years.

What is Considered a “Senior Horse”?

In general, the bigger your horse, the sooner he’ll reach senior status, according to Julie Wilson, DVM, of Turner Wilson Equine Consulting in Minnesota and past president of the Equitarian Initiative, which provides philanthropic veterinary care for the working horses of the developing world. A horse can live to be in their 30s, but they’re considered senior at around age 20.

“Ponies don’t seem to become senior until they’re in their early 20s,” says Wilson. “Whereas some of the bigger horses I think are in that senior category as they get into their late teens.”

A horse’s riding career can also determine how quickly they age. A horse who had a strenuous job with many hours of riding can show musculoskeletal signs of age sooner than a horse ridden more moderately.

Deanna Chamberlin co-founded Shadowcreek Equine Retirement Ranch in Sanger, Texas, in 2011 along with her husband. The 73-acre facility only takes horses over age 20, providing end-of-life care for around 11 horses that are no longer being ridden.

“When a horse has reached 25 or 26, you’re not really trying to get them to perform at what they’ve enjoyed doing in their life—you’re starting to move into the mindset of just allowing them to be what they are, and making sure they’re comfortable,” says Chamberlin. “You’re medicating them for conditions that need intervention for stability or comfort, but you’re no longer trying to build them up.”

Age-Related Concerns

Much like humans as we age, horses experience a gradual deterioration of their bodily systems, according to Wilson.

The main issues that contribute to the eventual end-of-life decisions are related to your horse’s musculoskeletal system. Arthritis is often the sign that appears soonest.

“Arthritis, in particular, can reach the point where it’s hard to manage to make the horse comfortable,” says Wilson. “Joint injections or phenylbutazone [bute] get to where they aren’t worthwhile anymore.” Although other medications and supplements are available, this is the time when many horse owners may want to begin considering end-of-life decisions.

Endocrine issues, such as Cushing’s disease and equine metabolic syndrome, can necessitate retirement from riding or even euthanasia if you’re no longer able to effectively manage the symptoms.

Your horse’s immune system can become less capable, especially if your horse also has a disease like Cushing’s, says Wilson. This can lead to your horse contracting infectious diseases and viruses more easily, such as strangles, herpes or encephalitis—even if he’s vaccinated.

Dental issues can contribute to less efficient consumption of nutrients, injuries, and other problems. Luckily, good dental care and an appropriate senior diet can reduce these complications. Your senior horse may also pass more whole grains into his manure, so switching to a senior feed can help him maintain his weight by providing more readily available nutrients.

Digestive issues like fecal water syndrome can dehydrate your senior horse and cause other problems, according to Wilson.

“Sometimes these senior horses start to have a lot of water passed along with their manure, which may or may not start to soften, and it makes a mess of their hindquarters because it drips down the back of their legs,” she says. “This creates a management issue trying to keep them clean.”

Colic is a concern in older horses, especially when it’s a result of fatty tumors, such as lipomas.

“If an old horse presents with colic, fatty tumors would be higher on the list of causes than if they were younger,” says Wilson.

A loss of muscle tone and body structure also occurs. This can mean changes in the way your saddle fits, and Chamberlin says this change in appearance can be disconcerting to owners.

“Part of the natural decline in a body is that it tends to not be as muscular, showing more ribs,” she says. “You’re not going to see the same body structure as you would on a 10-year-old. You want to make sure your horse has everything but let him evolve as his body needs to.”

Care and Management of the Senior Horse

A senior horse needs conscientious care to enjoy his best retirement years, according to Wilson. Here are some ways to best care for your elderly partner.

Routine Medical Care for the Senior Horse

Don’t simply turn your horse out to pasture and forget about him, she says.

“Yearly exams are still really important, and you need to have an increased awareness that these issues are likely to crop up,” says Wilson. “[Senior horses] still need to be vaccinated and dewormed.”

Consider your horse’s lifestyle. Will he be around horses going to shows, or ever-rotating boarded horses? That may mean he needs to receive the full slate of recommended vaccines. But if he’s in a pasture where he doesn’t contact horses who travel, he may not.

“We may want to review [a senior horse’s] vaccination schedule and drop some of the ones for diseases he’s unlikely to get exposed to,” she says.

Deworming is still very important, even if your horse lives a relatively isolated lifestyle, according to Wilson.

“Particularly as their immune systems wane, deworming still needs to happen,” she says. “The usual advice of monitoring fecal egg counts and pasture management for parasites are all important.”

Your horse’s teeth need to be checked at least annually, and sometimes twice a year, says Wilson.

“They will begin to lose teeth and have uneven wear,” she says. “One of the more common issues in this age group is equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis [EOTRH], a disease that primarily affects the incisors, and some pretty drastic care may be needed.”

Check Saddle Fit

If your horse is still being ridden, you need to pay careful attention to the way the saddle fits.

“Some [senior horses] will get swaybacked, and then they really need some attention to saddle fit,” Wilson says.

Pay Attention to Herd Dynamics

When a horse is elderly, you don’t want him to have to fight for hierarchy in the herd out in the pasture, according to Chamberlin.

“You don’t want him to be with 10- and 12-year-old horses that are trying to prove themselves or move the herd around,” she says. “You want him to be with other horses similar in age, who fit well together temperament-wise.”

Adjust Your Senior Horse’s Diet

When your horse stops working due to retirement, you’ll want to adjust his diet, since his caloric needs will go down.

“That may mean dialing back on the amount of grain or concentrate he’s getting,” says Wilson. “Most of the time, he’ll still need that hay or grazing to maintain his body weight.”

If you do reduce or eliminate concentrate, consider adding a ration balancer to make sure your equine senior is getting enough protein, vitamins and minerals. Wilson says not making these adjustments can contribute to the horse becoming overweight and possible metabolic syndrome.

However, keeping weight on an older horse is often the bigger challenge. You don’t automatically need to switch to a senior diet, but it can be helpful in some situations.

“Watch [your senior’s] weight carefully, and depending on how well he’s eating, you can decide if you need to add an equine senior concentrate and still want to feed hay,” Julie says. “If he’s really not handling hay well anymore due to dental problems or bad absorption in the gut, you might consider putting him completely on senior feed [one containing fiber and meant to be fed as a complete diet] or a forage that is easier to eat, such as soaked hay cubes.”

Watch for Health Concerns

If your horse starts showing signs of Cushing’s disease, such as late shedding and a shaggy hair coat, of course you’ll have your vet test for the disease. But Wilson says that your horse’s veterinarian may recommend testing senior horses more routinely to get a jump on it.

“It is manageable with treatment,” she says.

You’ll also want to visually check your horse’s body regularly for issues such as melanomas and tumors, particularly on gray horses. Horses with white markings on their face and/or sheath may develop scabby areas that progress to squamous cell carcinoma, which warrants treatment as soon as possible.

Back to Nature

Your horse may enjoy going barefoot, although he should still get regular trims. Most will acclimate to being outdoors with appropriate shelter in all but the most extreme weather, according to Chamberlin. This allows for movement, which helps circulation, stiff joints and muscles.

“We want [our senior horses] to be out as much as possible—[preferably] 24/7, unless it’s really inclement weather,” Chamberlin says. “We bring in horses when there’s ice on the ground because we don’t want them slipping and falling. But for most of the year, they’re out a lot.”

Pasture shelters should be provided, and blanketing during turnout may be essential in northern states with freezing weather.

When the Time Comes

Ultimately, all horses will reach the end of their lives—often sooner than we’d like. Chamberlin recommends looking for a place to keep your horse where he won’t need to be moved much as he ages.

“By the time a horse is in his mid to late 20s, trailering around a lot and moving him can be a concern,” she says. “It’s hard on a horse. You need to find a place where you’ll be OK with him staying until the end.”

Before your horse’s final day is upon you, Wilson recommends planning with your vet ahead of time for euthanasia and/or disposal of your horse’s body. Laws in your area may prevent burial on your property, so you need to research what options are available.

Chamberlin says having a support person can help you figure out when you need to make the final decision about your horse’s care.

“You don’t ever want him to suffer, but you want him to live a life as full as possible,” she says. “For some people, that end is a little easier to see than others. I always encourage people to have another person that can look at your horse and say, ‘I think it may be time.’ Don’t be afraid of that, because modern veterinary care at the end of life really does provide a merciful way to say goodbye. It can be scary, but at the same time, it’s such a gift that we can make things comfortable for an animal so it’s not a traumatic end.”

Key Takeaway

After everything they’ve given us, older horses deserve some extra TLC in their golden days. While senior horses may require extra care and attention to detail, it is well worth watching them continue to thrive.

This article about senior horse care appeared in the October 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Senior Horse Care 101 appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

“See past the physical and find the loving essence inside.”

—A senior horse on aging appearances

This is what any senior horse might say if humans sat quietly and took the time to listen to them. So many of us fear aging, in ourselves or with our animals. We are scared of getting sick and moving closer to death. We try to cover up gray hair or sagging body parts. Yet if we look closely at a senior horse, there is no judgment of their gray muzzle or swaying back.

There is so much value put in youth and being athletic, especially in the equestrian world. Yet that doesn’t immediately equate to happiness. In fact, if you ever watch retired senior horses who have friends, great forage, and space to move around, they are quite content.

They don’t seem to regard their aging bodies with as much distaste as humans. What if we could learn to love our own bodies just by watching how horses enjoy being in theirs?

Of course, care costs can go up with a senior horse for blankets in the winter or extra supplements or feed to keep weight on. It’s the same with all animals, humans included; we may need some extra support in our later years.

In fact, learning about what an aging horse needs nutritionally, fitness-wise, and even emotionally can also serve as a reminder to do that work for ourselves so we stay balanced and healthy as we age.

One of the best things about horses is their non-judgmental nature. They embrace the now moment and what is: full acceptance. We can learn from their way of being and their environment. We would never judge an older tree or want a branch to be skinnier. Why do we do it to ourselves?

Horses can be way-showers for us on how to accept the aging process and how our body changes and adjusts. They would remind us that physical looks are not what truly matters, but that our energy, lifeforce, and loving presence have a much bigger ripple effect.

The next time you go to judge your gray hairs, remember how you find it adorable on a senior horse and apply that compassion and kindness to yourself. Confidence will grow from there!

“We are more than what we do, we are here to be.”

—A senior horse on work and retirement

We attach so much meaning, identity, and purpose to being able to work. So often horses are abandoned because of their age, supposedly not “earning their keep”—a saying that drives me and my horse-loving community a bit bonkers. 

However, our purpose is not connected to just our work in the world. Our purpose is to love and be loved. A senior horse is the perfect teacher of this concept, one that will take us far when practiced.

We have to ask ourselves what our horses truly need and deserve after they have been a part of our lives for so long and provided entertainment, sport, work, and companionship. I personally believe they deserve to be treated like royalty and pampered after so much dedication. Yet many discard them, and they can end up in precarious situations.

Tucker’d Out Ranch Rescue, based in the front range of Colorado, takes in many of these horses. Another is Saffyre Sanctuary in Los Angeles, Calif. I’ve been blessed to work with horses from both facilities in my equine-partnered life coaching practice and helped them with fundraising or animal communication and healing services when needed.

Rescues that specialize in senior horses are incredible at providing a safe haven for their last chapter and making sure a horse that isn’t ready to pass gets to live and end his life on a great note. It can be harder to take these types of horses in if they have extensive medical needs, and because their time is limited, getting emotionally attached to them can create an added difficulty.

At both of the rescues mentioned above, the horses are cared for by the humans who love them, and while they are providing a service to the animals, the horses also provide a service back. They comfort the volunteers who come to clean, they participate in community and educational events, or they are rehabilitated and adopted out to forever homes to become new companions.

I’ve watched both of these rescues completely turn senior horses around even though they once seemed hopeless and helpless. With good food, friends, and care, they became young at heart again.

“All of life matters and is precious; be there for those in need and you will feel blessed.”

—A senior horse on service

One of the ways senior horses are partnering with humans is in the equine-assisted psychotherapy/equine-assisted learning (EAP/EAL) space. They do groundwork exercises to help all types of people with mental health, emotional intelligence, leadership, and more.

Hooves & Heroes, a non-profit based near Seattle, Wash., has predominantly senior horses in their program. They specialize in supporting veterans and first responders.

Led by Sonia Jorgensen, she finds great joy in how her older horses support those coming for stress reduction. Jorgensen spent her career working in healthcare and finally made the leap to leave corporate life and go full-time into her service-based business.

She has found that her horses enjoy having more time with her now and love to work alongside her. They find that the veterans who come need support and to see a model of collaboration that her herd demonstrates.

Her seniors show the participants how beneficial staying calm and grounded can be and the reminder that wellness begins within. Her horses are happy to be working, and seem fulfilled serving the local community.

“Breathe and be with us, dip into the silence and remember that time is an illusion and all that matters is now.”

—A senior horse on wisdom and grace

Older horses have seen and been through a lot. They have often witnessed multiple homes, humans and living conditions, as well as many other horses and training styles.

They have silently observed humans and have a lot to share. They exude a presence of confidence and clarity based on a life fully lived. If only humans were willing to slow down and breathe with them, they can receive from this field of wisdom, which in some ways is like talking to a grandparent who has lived much more of life.

This is the work I most enjoy doing through the human-horse-heart connection in the EAL space. I create mindfulness containers for healing, coaching, and intuitive guidance to surface just by meditating with horses, brushing, watching them or journaling.

I have been blessed to have been given two senior off-track Thoroughbreds that were once performance athletes, later passed around because they weren’t ridable anymore. I’ve watched them blossom with a new “career” as a partner in equine coaching and become so enamored with teaching and helping humans that they often leave their food just to be with clients. They are proof that a good forever home that sees them as sentient beings and doesn’t need them to be ridden can still help realize their potential.

There is simply an energy of grace to watching these seniors work, whether it’s how they nuzzle a human’s cheek when they need it or intentionally move around a chair as a person surrenders to receiving from them. It’s an incredibly moving experience for both myself as the facilitator and the clients as they sit in awe and wonder that wise, older horses want to make a meaningful contribution to their lives before they pass.

Their remarkable selfless service and lives are significant, and they deserve to be honored, remembered, and immortalized.

This article about lessons learned from senior horses appeared in the October 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Lessons Learned from Senior Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

“After age 15 is when we typically see senior dental changes; most senior horse dental problems we see in their 20s, but some are as early as age 15,” says Christine Staten, DVM, a large animal veterinarian and owner of Adobe Veterinary Center in Tucson, Ariz.

Dental conditions frequently found in senior horses include:

◆ Broken teeth
◆ Worn-down teeth
◆ Overgrown teeth
◆ Steps and waves
◆ Periodontal pockets
◆ Abscesses
◆ Infected spaces between teeth (“diastema”)
◆ Incisor disease (equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis, aka EOTRH)

Staten points out that studies show dental problems are more common in senior horses who didn’t have regular dental care when they were younger.

“Routine dental care can decrease or delay the onset of many of these malocclusions [misaligned teeth],” she notes. “Early dental care helps keep growth rate more consistent so the teeth can take that horse into his older years.”

Inconsistent Growth

Horses have hypsodont teeth, which grow and erupt throughout their lives. One reason for senior mouth troubles is the fact that tooth eruption is not consistent.

As the horse ages, tooth eruption can slow down or stop completely as a tooth grows and falls out. Because growth rate is specific to each individual tooth, the mouth can end up unbalanced as each tooth “does its own thing” independent of other teeth.

“Where you get problems is when one tooth may be slowing down, while the tooth next to it is still growing,” says Staten. “Abnormalities like steps and waves develop specifically because of the unpredictable eruption rates of each individual tooth. No horse is going to get into their 20s and have all their teeth growing at the same rate.”

The inconsistency in eruption rate can also cause small spaces between the teeth, known as diastemata. When food gets caught in these gaps, it can be uncomfortable for the horse, but may also lead to periodontal disease. If abscesses develop, infection can spread to the tooth root and even the sinuses.

Regular exams by a qualified provider will catch these and other senior mouth problems and allow them to be corrected. In some cases, extraction (tooth removal) is required.

Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resportion Hypercementosis (EOTRH)

Veterinarians are seeing more and more cases of equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH).

“This is very specific to senior horses,” says Staten. “It’s extremely frustrating because we don’t know what causes it or how to prevent it.”

She explains that, for unknown reasons, the tooth roots begin to get resorbed by the body, and the body reacts by building excess cementum on the roots of the tooth. As tooth roots become diseased, the front teeth become infected, unstable and very painful. Because the onset of EOTRH is gradual, most owners don’t notice until the horse is in obvious pain.

“The first signs are usually small red dots or ‘pimples’ on the gums above or below affected teeth,” Staten explains. “In later stages, gums start to recede on those incisors and because the roots are thickened, you can see bulging under the gums. It’s a slow process and we don’t know how invasive or painful it will get for a particular horse.”

Treatment of EOTRH requires extracting the affected teeth, which in some senior horses can include all 12 incisors and sometimes also the canine teeth. Radiographs are taken to determine which teeth need to be extracted.

After extraction of diseased teeth, the horse can immediately return to eating.

“Most horses weren’t using their front incisors anyway because it was so painful, so their transition to eating is instant,” notes Staten. “The day of surgery, the horse is eating better than the day before. It is a dramatic-appearing surgery, but the pain of keeping the diseased teeth in is much higher than the potential pain of the procedure.”

The “carrot test” is a simple way you can determine if your horse has painful incisors. If he can use those front teeth to bite and break a carrot, he’s likely not experiencing significant pain. But if he can’t, this is a sign those teeth are in some pain and require dental care and attention.

Nutrition’s Impact on Horse’s Dental Health

When the teeth can’t do their job—because they don’t meet properly, are worn down or perhaps even missing—nutrition is compromised, sometimes dramatically.

Feed must be chewed appropriately for the horse to absorb nutrients. In addition, horses have to go through the mechanics of chewing in order to produce saliva, which is crucial for proper digestion.

Over 23 years as a veterinarian, Staten has found that virtually all skinny horses have dental issues of some sort.

Remarkable Turnaround

Staten was called to a local rescue to determine whether euthanasia was needed for a 19-year-old horse who came in with a Henneke Body Condition Score (BCS) of 1 out of 9, with 9 being most obese.

“He was clearly starved,” Staten recalls. “When I first saw him, I didn’t think he could be saved, but then I looked in his mouth. A top molar had fallen out, and one of his bottom molars had grown into the space [left behind] and was embedded in the gum. He couldn’t even shut his mouth or chew normally because none of his top and bottom teeth touched.”

After Staten reduced the problematic bottom molar to normal size, the horse was able to eat and chew.

“Within four weeks, this horse was a BCS of 5,” says Staten. “He looked like a new horse.”

Staten has also had cases where owners assumed their horses needed to be retired, but their lack of performance was due to dental problems that could be corrected.

Importance of Dental Exams for Your Horse’s Care

The case of the rescue horse underscores the importance of the annual full oral exam. Problems such as this that are far back in the mouth can’t be caught without an oral exam done under sedation using a speculum to closely examine the entire mouth.

Older horses may require “floating” as often, or even more often, than younger horses. Because their teeth are growing differently, they can have sharper and larger points.

“Routine dental exams are going to catch problems when they’re small and they can be more easily corrected,” says Staten.

She recommends senior horses have a complete physical exam that includes an oral exam every six months. This can be scheduled at their wellness check-ups and vaccine appointments.

“At minimum, the senior horse needs a sedated oral exam every 12 months,” she notes. “Every single senior horse needs something corrected annually. We’re not talking about just ‘floating.’ That’s a very important part of it, but we’re looking for abnormalities and other disease processes in the mouth.”

In her practice, Staten has numerous owners who are still riding their horses into their late 20s and early 30s. But even fully retired horses need that annual dental exam.

Keeping up with your senior horse’s dental care can only enhance his golden years—and may even extend them.

Signs to Watch For

Not every horse with dental problems shows obvious signs, but many will show that something is amiss if you’re paying attention. Any of the following can indicate a problem in the mouth:

◆ Dropping feed (“quidding”)
◆ Salivating more than normal
◆ Bad odor from mouth or nostril
◆ Tilting or tossing the head
◆ Mouthing/chewing the bit more than usual
◆ Red spots on gum directly above or below teeth
◆ Failing the “carrot test”

This article about senior horse dental care appeared in the October 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Dental Care for the Senior Horse appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Keeping weight on a senior horse can be difficult any time of year, but with the challenges of cold weather right around the corner, dental issues requiring soaked feed can create twice the headache. However, with a little planning and these feeding and nutrition tips, your senior horse can sail through the winter months in good weight and glowing health.

Focus on Forage

Grass hay, cubes or pellets help maintain weight and keep your horse warm by raising his internal body temperature. This means he can use the calories to maintain (or add) weight, rather than burning calories to stay warm in cold weather.

Aim to feed at least 1.5 to 3 percent of your horse’s body weight per day in forage, or work with your veterinarian on the right amount for your senior horse.

Using a slow feeder or small-hole hay net will help prevent hay wastage as mud and snow pile up. These have the added benefit of mimicking grazing, which decreases stress and helps keep the horse’s digestive system working well.

Soaking Feed for Your Senior in the Winter

If your senior has lost teeth or has other dental issues that prevent him from eating hay (you’ll start to see wet wads of partially chewed hay near the feeder), feeding a soaked diet will provide the right nutrition and calories to keep weight on your senior through the winter. However, wet feed can freeze, making winter feeding doubly challenging. Here are a few tips.

One of the best hay replacements is unsweetened beet pulp. With a similar protein content to grass hay (8 to 12 percent), it also has a high level of digestible fiber. Many horses like it plain, or you can make it more palatable by adding hay pellets, cubes, or a quality senior feed, and soaking them along with the beet pulp.

Even if a horse can eat hay, supplementing with soaked beet pulp is a great way to increase calories and help maintain weight.

Beet pulp pellets need to be soaked for several hours before feeding, and a common ratio is using twice as much water as pellets. To keep the soaking pellets from freezing, it’s ideal to soak them in your house or other warm place. One easy way to do this is to have one bucket soaking overnight for the morning feeding, then let the evening feeding soak during the day.

An easier, quicker solution is to feed shredded beet pulp instead of pellets. Shreds need minimal soaking time, and less water depending on your horse’s preference. These are also big benefits if your horse is boarded.

NOTE: Straight beet pulp is high in calcium and low in phosphorus, so work with your veterinarian to balance the minerals. Adding a fat source, like stabilized flax meal, increases the calorie density of each meal.

Winter Feeders

Placing a feeder of soaked food on the ground will lead to freezing more quickly, so try to find a way to elevate the feeder off the ground. An easy solution is nesting a smaller feeder into a larger feeder, or building an insulated feed box that holds the bucket.

It’s also good to rotate feed buckets so frozen feed doesn’t accumulate in the feeder.

As with feeding extra hay in the winter, try to feed only the amount that your senior can eat in 30 minutes or so. Adding smaller, more frequent feedings during the day can help your senior get the calories he needs without the feed freezing before he can eat it all.

If your barn has electricity, you can try using a heated bucket for soaked feed. Like with a water heater, be sure the cord is horse-proof.

Helping your senior horse maintain a good weight during the winter can be challenging. The good news is that with some planning and simple horsekeeping and feeding tweaks, you can laugh at old man winter and your senior horse can welcome spring in good weight and maybe even a spring in his step

This article about feeding senior horses in the winter appeared in the October 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Feeding the Senior Horse in the Winter appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

When she was a girl, Joni Miller would save her lunch money to afford to ride at a local barn. Back then, she had no idea that she would credit her current horse, a 20-year-old Appaloosa named Spud, with helping her live out her girlhood dream and with inspiring her to do more at an age when many women are doing less.

“I don’t ride as much anymore, but I’m active,” says Miller, who adopted the registered Appaloosa from the Maryland Equine Transition Service (METS), an organization that helps adopt out potentially at-risk horses, like seniors. “I’m out at the barn bathing, grooming. I’m problem solving every day. What would my retirement have been without him?”

A Natural Fit

Since 2010, surveys conducted by American Horse Publications (AHP) that were prepared by Jill Stowe, Ph.D., of the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky, have revealed that women 45 to 65 years of age and older represent the fastest growing segment of those most likely to own horses.

Miller is squarely within that demographic, and according to gerontologist Nancy Schier Anzelmo, M.S., one reason why women like her are becoming horse owners is purely economic.

“Older women are retired and have more time and money to spend on keeping horses than they did when they were working and raising families,” says Anzelmo, who is the co-founder of The Connected Horse, a non-profit organization that sponsors therapeutic workshops that match horses to people coping with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

Another reason has to do with a woman’s basic nature.

“Women have been caregivers all their lives, and they need this,” she says. “Horses give women a sense of purpose, especially after they have retired and their children are grown. It’s a symbiotic relationship.”

There is a physical component, too. While younger women are more likely to adopt hotter, younger horses rather than a senior horse because of the physical riding, training, and performance challenges they represent, older women are more mindful of their physical limitations.

“It’s a different dynamic,” Anzelmo says. “The older horse might not perform the way he did when he was younger—he may be stiff, might have arthritis, and older women can relate to this.”

Also read- Horse Adoption Drive: Take Home a Senior

Finding Love After Loss

That’s why older horsewomen are unwilling to give up their animals despite their own limitations, says 68-year-old Debbie Murphy Drake. When she relocated to Florida from New Jersey, Drake had second thoughts about taking her 29-year-old Appaloosa gelding, Gus, with her.

“But I couldn’t bear to leave him behind,” recalls Drake. “I wanted to be sure about the kind of care that he would get at his age.”

Just before the move, Drake was diagnosed with melanoma, and even though she and Gus had long given up trail riding and performance, she credits him with helping her through the illness.

“Gus gave me a reason to get out of bed in the morning,” Drake says.

But the pair were not to be together long. Three years after their move, Gus was euthanized at the age of 32 due to age-related health issues.

“I was devastated,” Drake recalls. “I swore I would never have another horse.”

But it was missing that horse-human bond that finally prompted her to form a new relationship with another horse.

“I kept wanting to give my trainer my saddle, but she kept refusing, and said, ‘Keep it for four months,’” Drake recalls. “Finally, I missed having a horse so much that I said, ‘I have to at least sit on a horse.’”

A few months later, Drake leased Red, a 23-year-old Quarter Horse, from a boarder at her barn. Now she and Red are regulars on her trainer’s lesson schedule.

‘When I’m riding, the years just disappear,” Drake says. “I smile like a kid.”

A Win-Win Relationship

The fear that a beloved horse might outlive you is a main reason that older women adopt older horses in the first place, according to Gabriela Rodriguez Quinn, 63, program director and founder of Blixx Horses, a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic riding and interactive education programs. Blixx Horses also advocates for the welfare of non-ridden horses, regardless of their age.

“The truth is that [older] women are not looking for a young horse that is going to outlive them,” says Quinn, owner of a 21-year-old Arabian mare named Lexxi and Fritzie, a 26-year-old warmblood. “People who know the horse industry know that there are all kinds of things that can happen to a horse that is left behind by an owner, so they have a plan for their horses when they can no longer take care of them.”

Additionally, older women tend to be more aware that if they don’t provide older horses with caring homes, nobody else will.

“Horses have no choice when they get older and are no longer useful as riding or racing horses,” Quinn says, adding that they are less desirable to potential homes.

“People don’t realize that there’s a lot you can still do with an older horse, even if you don’t ride him,” she says. “Spud and I walk, I bathe and groom him, I talk to him, and he makes me laugh every day. It’s our buddy time.”

That’s the same feeling Miller wants other older horsewomen to experience as well.

“What would I say to an older woman interested in adopting a senior horse? Just do it,” she says. “You’re not getting any younger, so give yourself this experience. It will open up a new world for you.”

This article about adopting senior horses appeared in the November/December 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Forming Bonds with Adopted Senior Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

The classified ad read almost like a bad dream: “Unstarted 20-year-old grade palomino gelding for sale. Bought five years ago as a project but never had time to train. Could go in multiple disciplines. Ready to start your way.” For many would-be buyers, this ad would be a reason to keep scrolling. But experts agree that’s not necessarily the case.

While it’s important to remember that horses are considered “seniors” at age 15, age alone shouldn’t be the sole reason to pass up an otherwise suitable candidate. With improvements in care, many horses are now living into their 20s, 30s, and even 40s. With this in mind, deciding to purchase an untrained aged horse isn’t as outlandish an idea as it might seem.

Darlene Dixon-Bottorff is the owner and trainer at Genesis Equestrian Center in College Grove, Tenn. She has professionally trained horses for over 40 years, including multiple national and international champions. She’s also a graduate of the United States Dressage Federation “L” judge training program and has earned her USDF bronze and silver medals. Among her senior horse success stories, Dixon-Bottorff has trained a 17-year-old horse for an endurance career and started a group of older, untrained horses that were part of a herd dispersal for careers as pleasure mounts.

Benefits to Maturity

Unlike horses that have been started at the more traditional ages of 2, 3, and 4 years old, Dixon-Bottorff sees fewer health concerns in unstarted senior horses, because their bodies have been allowed to mature before starting training.

“I don’t think people are fully aware of the maturation process involving the growth plates,” she says. “They take a while to close. Horses aren’t fully mature until they are around 8 years old.”

Dixon-Bottorff is also not overly concerned about diseases more commonly seen in senior horses, such as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, or Cushing’s disease).

“As long as you are mindful of the horse’s condition, it doesn’t affect his ability to be trained,” she says.

Dixon-Bottorff has also found that unstarted senior horses are less likely to have experienced performance-type injuries that may lead to arthritis. She also feels that these horses tend to be more trusting during the training process and generally physically hold up better once the training begins.

Lauren Romanelli echoes her sentiments. Romanelli is a three-day-event rider, trainer, and instructor also based in College Grove, Tenn. She earned her degree in equine science from Murray State University and has been an industry professional since 2006.

Over the past four years, Romanelli has taken an interest in the sales part of the business that helps her to build on her natural talent of matching horses to riders. Her specialization is working with junior and adult amateur riders. Because of that, her sales focus tends to be more on horses under $10,000.

“Because I’m in that market, I get a lot of older horses that are a bit feral,” she explains.

Romanelli isn’t overly concerned about many of the health issues conventionally thought of as red flags in senior horses. She is more concerned about what the horse’s job is going to be and if there is anything present that might prevent him from being able to do that job.

“Since I’m in eventing, most of my [clients] are going to want a horse that jumps,” she says. “I’m more concerned about arthritis. Most horses that are older and have never done anything aren’t going to have a whole lot of work-related arthritis. I’m looking at how their hocks work. Basically, if they flex well, I’m not worried about it.”

Romanelli pays particular attention to the front feet and ankles.

“I’m always worried about ringbone,” she says. “But pretty much anything can be maintained.”

When evaluating behavior, Romanelli says that she seeks horses who are sweet, responsive, and interested in her.

“Horses don’t mature mentally until they are around 7 years old,” she says. “By the time you are starting an older horse, you pretty much know their personality. If they are jumpy and spooky, they are probably going to stay that way. If they are quiet and calm, they are probably going to stay that way, too.”

Both trainers agree that maturity, both mentally and physically, helps in more ways than one. Although some positive physical changes can be expected with training, you can already see the finished product in terms of height and build when evaluating an older horse.

Senior Horse Health

Meggan Graves, DVM, Clinical Assistant Professor, Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Veterinary Medicine, supports the sentiments of both trainers that older horses can make good candidates for potential buyers.

With her specialty in ambulatory medicine, Graves tends to see many senior horses, many of whom are adopted from unknown past histories. She says that the age of the horse doesn’t change how she goes about making her assessments.

“I think at any age, for an athletic horse, we’re looking for lameness issues, but having them doesn’t eliminate a horse right away,” Graves says.

One condition not addressed by either trainer but very important to Graves is vision issues.

“We see a lot of deteriorations in the eyes as they get older,” she says. “Making sure that they are fully visual and don’t have any issues—such as uveitis—that could limit their performance ability and their safety is a central part of my evaluation process.” Graves notes that uveitis can be costly to treat and may be a bigger burden than some owners want to bear. Blindness, either complete or partial in one or both eyes, is a concern. She says that while some horses do well that are blind in one eye, it does help if the owner is aware of the animal’s limitations.

Another issue that Graves frequently sees in older horses is weight loss or the inability to maintain weight.

“It’s important to know what [the horse’s] dentition looks like,” she says. “In older horses, especially if they have never been started before, their teeth may have been neglected over the years. But sometimes that’s the one thing we can get back ahead of with routine dentistry. Then, with proper nutrition, that changes a lot.”

Like both trainers, she feels that this and many other health conditions can be managed.

Regarding overall behavior or ability to learn, Graves has found older horses to be more accepting and less reactive than their younger counterparts, making them ideal choices for training.

Minor Disadvantages

There are a few potential disadvantages.

“Sometimes there is a reason that horses are advertised as being unstarted,” Dixon-Bottorff says. “Maybe somebody tried to start them the first time and scared them. Then, when you pick them up and try to start the process yourself, they’ve had a bad experience that you have to work through. But that’s true for youngsters, too.”

The horse may also have had some type of injury that halted the training process. Getting as accurate a history as possible is very important.

Another disadvantage is that, by the very nature of the horse’s age, you may simply run out of time to accomplish your goals.

“If you’re looking for an upper-level sport horse, and the horse is already aged, you’re going to run out of time to get him fully going,” Romanelli says. “As far as the lower levels and pleasure riding, there’s no reason that you should discriminate against a horse because of age.”

Romanelli adds a final consideration to be on the lookout for.

“If he’s been turned out to pasture with one horse for a while, he may be herd-bound,” she says. “But that’s a very individual thing. And training can help.”

All things considered, physical issues and routine training problems can be successfully addressed, so that classified ad with the unstarted senior should not be passed over for age-related reasons alone. The cute senior palomino gelding may just be your next diamond in the rough.

This article about training older horses appeared in the November/December 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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