Like humans, horses are living longer than ever. Typically, older horses will live into their 20’s and often times, their 30’s. It’s natural to worry about your horse’s health into the golden years.
Sam and Lucky in pasture - Two horses with signs of aging.
Understanding what an aged equine body looks like will help you determine how you can best manage your horse's golden years and make the time as comfortable as possible.
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Studies report that 70% of horses 20 years or older have some type of health issue requiring modifications in management practices and veterinary care. Let’s examine the key six issues your older horse might face – as well as tips to help you keep your horse feeling comfortable during those senior years.
Understanding what an aged equine body looks like will help you determine how you can best manage your horse’s golden years and make the time as comfortable as possible.
There are some external signs of aging that guide us in characterizing a horse as a senior citizen:
- One of the first signs – dip in the horse’s back and loss of muscle mass
- Loss of strength in tendons and ligaments – especially around fetlock joint
- Drooping lips
- Hollow eyes
- Grey hairs around muzzle and eyes, paired with a dull hair coat
- Movement is stiff, slow, and more arthritic
1. Dental Concerns
One of the most common health issues of senior horses is dental disease. Extra diligence needs to be paid to the health of teeth in the senior horse. Horses’ front teeth continually erupt at an angle that increases as they age. Cases of unbalanced chewing surfaces escalate as the horse ages. Horses wear down their teeth as they chew but that wear is not always even. The development of sharp points in the mouth is much higher in the elderly equine and this can result in ulcerations, reluctance to chew their food, poor digestion and a higher incidence of choke.
Severely uneven wear can lead to a condition called ‘wave mouth’. Missing or loose teeth can lead to ‘step mouth’ which requires regular inspection and care as food can get packed in leading to dental disease, abscess or infection. In very elderly horses, the teeth may lose their rough edges and become entirely smooth which results in an inability to grind food.
Maintaining good dental health into old age is probably one of the single best ways to encourage longevity. It is far more difficult to address and fix a chronic dental issue once the horse has reached an older age.
Teeth Tips
- If you notice your horse is no longer chewing in a regular circular pattern, this can be an indicator of sharp points and uneven wear – and warrants a vet appointment for dental care.
- Horses with smooth mouth should be fed highly digestible feeds that are easy to eat, such as soaked hay cubes or beet pulp; your veterinarian or equine nutritionist will be able to recommend the best course of management.
- Foul odors coming from the mouth, difficulty chewing, dropping food, nasal discharge, loose incisors, broken teeth, red or inflamed gums, quidding, weight loss, not finishing feed, grain in manure and resistance to the bridle are all reasons to call the vet for a dental check-up.
2. Joint Health (Arthritis)
60% of all equine lameness is due to arthritis. Arthritis can be caused by injury, but most often in the senior horse, it is the result of simple wear and tear over the decades.
Common causes are:
- Every day wear and tear – Repetitive and excessive force on a joint may cause inflammation and break down the lubricating synovial fluid, damaging the supporting tissues of the joints. All of this, in turn, triggers more inflammation, and the cycle continues, leading to chronic arthritis.
- Physical Injury – Triggers inflammation.
- Weight-bearing joints – Knee, hock, fetlock, pastern and coffin joints are more prone to be arthritic since they endure the majority of the concussive forces. Maintaining correct hoof balance is important as a poorly balanced hoof can further overload joints.
- Poor conformation – May cause abnormal forces, placing additional strain on joints.
- Other injury – bacterial infection (septic arthritis) and joint fractures will stimulate an inflammatory response that damages the joint surfaces.
Joint Tips
- Keep your horse moving. Slow and moderate exercise – even as simple as pasture turn-out – helps to keep joints lubricated and stiffness at bay.
- Consider a joint-support supplement for your senior horse. Consult with your veterinarian on recommendations that combine active ingredients that will be most beneficial for your horse.
- Talk to your veterinarian about nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. firocoxib) to help control routine arthritis pain in your aging equid.
Learn more about caring for senior horses with Equine Guelph's course The Senior Horse – Fall ’23 Sep 18 – Sep 29 - 2 wks (5-10 hrs/wk) - CE Eligible
Press release by Equine Guelph - The Horse Portal