Welcome back. In the last session we heard from Rick Baedeker,
about the potential for race horses after the track.
Since race horses retire at a fairly young age,
they potentially have a long productive life ahead.
But what about our older horses?
It happens sooner or later,
and we never like to see it coming.
But horses like humans, do age,
and with age comes some special responsibilities to ensure their welfare.
In this lesson, we'll talk about the needs of the aging horse.
When is a horse considered old?
What are the signs of aging?
At the end of the discussion,
you'll be able to recognize the signs of aging and
develop a strategy for dealing with an older horse.
The good news is that horses do appear to be
living longer with advancements in veterinary medicine,
improvement of dental care,
and the availability of dietary options for the geriatric course.
The average horse in the United States lives to the age of approximately 24,
with many living well into their 30s.
Some breeds appear to have greater longevity than others,
with ponies tending to outlive horses.
As horses age, they tend to suffer from similar issues as other geriatric mammals.
These include degenerative joint disease or arthritis, reduced digestive function,
reduced dental grinding capability,
declining strength and agility,
impaired vision and hearing,
metabolic dysfunction, and increased incidence of cancer.
Horses also often passed
their physical peak performance earlier than they passed their mental peak.
Many of the elite English discipline equine athletes
are in their teens at their peak competition,
since they require the mental maturity to complete
the complex athletic requirements of the sport.
So for example, they might reach their athletic peak at 9 or 10,
but their mental peak comes later with experience.
There is some debate about the age at which a horse is considered geriatric.
Most consider 16 to 20 years of age to be the threshold,
which roughly equates to about 60 to 70 human years of age.
There is great variability among horses in their athletic longevity.
Many factors contribute to the decision of when to stop riding a horse.
These include rider safety, degree of lameness,
underlying medical conditions that affect athleticism or comfort, and mental stability.
Many geriatric equines enjoy
a regular riding routine with their owners
at a level of work that suits their physicality.
Their mental maturity often make them
ideal beginner horses with lower physical expectations.
A competitive athletic horse may also enjoy many years as
a pleasure horse used in semi retirement for light riding only.
The geriatric horse will require
some special attention when he or she is fully or semi retired.
Care of the geriatric horse is multipronged,
and regular veterinary visits help to ensure that
any medical issues are identified early on.
An annual examination that evaluates Soundness,
dental health, metabolic health,
nutrition and neurologic status is important to identify problems early on,
and track overall health and welfare.
A geriatric horse may require additional exams throughout the year by the veterinarian,
but the owner can play a vital role in monitoring the status of the aging horse's health.
The meadow criteria, M-E-D-W,
are a good rule of thumb for monitoring and assessing the progression of aging,
the quality of life and when it may be time to make a decision about humane euthanasia.
The meadow criteria includes movement which is the M,
eating which is E,
drinking which is the D and body weight which is W.
Be sure to check out the article on these criteria in the resource section,
especially the horse report from the Center for Equine Health,
looking at caring for horses through life and death.
As you begin to assess the needs of your aging horse,
you should monitor the horse in several key areas.
The first is Soundness.
As horses age, they acquire a wear and tear in their joints and soft tissues.
This can lead to arthritis and pain associated with movement.
Horses must be able to walk comfortably to food and water,
and should be able to get up and down without assistance.
Your veterinarian can assist you with tracking the soundness of your geriatric course.
Horses cannot stay down for long periods of time.
So if you notice your horse is lying down longer than usual,
or are having difficulty rising,
this is a red flag alerting you to look closely and consult your veterinarian.
Next is dental health.
As horses age, they wear down the grinding surfaces of their teeth,
and acquired dental fractures and cavities that can compromise the health of the tooth.
Teeth loosened, and may fall out,
while other teeth develop very long hooks that might cut into
the soft tissues of the cheeks, tongue and gums.
Signs of dental problems and oral pain include: drooling, foul breath,
an open mouth or cocked head while chewing,
a one-sided nasal discharge,
and quitting, which is food falling from
the mouth often in tight wads that are notable around the feeding area.
Horses should have their teeth examined and
floated once a year by a trained veterinarian,
and an aged horse may need an exam twice a year.
Floating involves the introduction of hand instruments and
motorized dremel tools to manage overgrowth on
the tooth's surface and improve the functionality of the mouth.
The geriatric horse may need a loose tooth removed by a veterinarian,
or perhaps the owner will need to flush the dental
space's weekly to avoid packing of food materials.
The point is, the mouth and teeth cannot be ignored in our older horses.
And unfortunately, oral pain is
a common chronic source of pain and discomfort in the geriatric equine.
Systemic problem should also be taken into account.
Horses like humans can develop issues with their internal organs as they age.
They are not always visible to the naked eye.
So annual lab work is a good idea in horses over 18 to 20 years of age.
Internal problems can include kidney and liver dysfunction,
as well as heart abnormalities,
although cardiovascular disease is much more rare in horses than in humans.
Older horses are especially prone to metabolic disorders such as
equine Cushing's disease also known as PPID, and insulin resistance.
Both of these syndromes can lead to significant health issues such as obesity,
laminitis and muscle wasting if left untreated.
Nutrition is another factor to consider.
As horses age, their chewing capacity can decline,
which can require careful selection of hay and pelleted feed.
Geriatric horses ideally should have diets that do not exceed 12% protein,
and that limit available sugar.
The form of feed also needs to be taken into consideration.
For example, an older horse may not be able to chew
hay and may require special pelleted feed that is softened with water.
Consult with a veterinarian to develop a diet and food source that suits
the metabolic and physical requirements of the geriatric horse.
And remember it is not uncommon for a geriatric horse to be on the lean side,
and they will often have hollow depressions
above their eyes from loss of fat in this area.
Think of it in context to the human geriatric patient.
Finally, you should monitor Neurologic Status.
Arthritis of the neck or skeleton in the horse can cause pressure on the spinal cord,
which can manifest as stumbling or uncoordinated behavior, or abnormal stanching.
Geriatric horses are also susceptible to vitamin E deficiency if not on pasture,
which can also affect neurologic status.
Advanced neurologic compromise can cause
the horse to have difficulty getting up or laying down,
and can create a safety issue for the horse and the caretaker.
Hearing and vision impairment which are also part of the neurologic system,
are not uncommon in geriatric horses.
These topics of the ageing horse highlight
the intimate partnership between horse and human.
The fear and stress a horse experiences in facing the challenges of
survival may be accentuated as he or she ages.
Will a dominant horse keep them away from food and shelter?
Will he or she be able to move quickly enough to avoid a stronger,
younger horse playfully kicking?
Is the footing stable enough for him to get up or down?
This is where a bit of extra attention and care by the human can help
to promote the horse's welfare at a very vulnerable stage of life.
In our next lesson in this module,
on the human horse partnership,
we'll look at what happens when the human partners for
whatever reason cannot uphold their commitments and responsibilities.
More and more horses are ending up as unwanted horses,
or rescues in this country.
And we'll talk about this difficult topic next.
We will also discuss the topic of
international welfare initiatives worldwide. Stay with us.
Claudia Sonder, DVMEmeriti Director of Equine Outreach
