Practical management of the older horse

The ageing process in the horse is associated with a number of physiological changes, and a higher risk of developing diseases. It is therefore necessary to keep a closer eye on the older horse than on younger horses. This increased surveillance should be careful enough to detect clinical signs of illness as soon as possible, and bring the treating vet in quickly.
In addition to the signs of good health typically monitored in all horses, the horse owner should pay particular attention to the following parameters with the older horse :

General health

The treating vet should regularly carry out a clinical examination, as the older horse has a higher risk of having a chronic disease, and clinical signs will be less obvious than in a young horse. Any weight loss must be considered as a warning sign and the vet should be called in. Even if old age itself can be a factor of weight loss, it is however more often then not the sign of one or several pathologies. The veterinary check-ups are also important when the decision to euthanise the horse arises.

Because of the changes to the immune system, it is advisable to increase the frequency of vaccine injections :
•    Vaccination for tétanos : Yearly jab.
•    Vaccination for equine influenza and EHV : a jab every 3 to 6 months. This frequency can be adapted by the treating vet, it depends on the lifestyle of the horse (contact with young horses or horses moving in and out of the yard…..) and whether the horse has Cushing’s syndrome.

Deworming should be undertaken in the same way as for the other adult horses.

Teeth

Having the teeth checked twice a year is advisable : dental problems are very frequent in the older horse, and are the main cause of weight loss.

Hooves

Shod or unshod ?

The old horse is usually kept unshod. For horses having been shod and worked all their lives, it may be necessary to be careful when the shoes are taken off for the first time, and go through a transition period to help the hoof adapt.
When the hooves are too fragile (impeded locomotion, lameness) light shoes and adapted farriery will give more comfort, especially to the front feet.

When possible the hind feet are unshod, to prevent injuries when the horse lives in a group ( kicking with shod feet).

Maintenance advice

Having a farier trim the horse’s hooves regularly, will help avoid putting stress on his joints and increasing pain in the musculoskeletal system, frequent in the senior horse.
The general condition of the hooves also needs regular checks, and an adapted care response :

• In damp or wet weather, dry the hoof out by using a tar based hoof ointment (on the sole and frog)
• In extremely dry weather, apply linseed, laurel oil or neatsfoot oil based hoof dressings to rehydrate the horn.

In winter, it is advisable to give access to a stabilised, relatively dry area, so that the horse is not constantly standing in mud.

Adapted living conditions

The older horse should ideally be kept out in a field :
•    This enables movement, and therefore limits muscle loss, and joint stiffness.
•    It also limits chronic breathing problems due to a dusty environment.
The field should be well kept, with no dangerous elements , as the older horse pays less attention to his environment, and can show signs of lack of balance, or overall weakness.
As with youngsters, it is also better to keep the senior horse out with other animals. Ideally keep the group of animals fairly stable as the senior horse is sensitive to change.

Senior horses do not regulate body temperature as well, often due to the decrease in body fat. He should therefore have constant access to a shelter to protect him from rain and wind, but also from the heat in summer. This shelter should enable the horse to lie down on a dry non slippery ground, to help lying down and getting up.
In winter avoid very muddy areas,  they can cause mud fever, a frequent infection in senior horses, or can make moving around difficult.

Specific feed

Rationing

The senior horse’s ration should cosist in fodder (a minimum of 20 % cellulose in the ration) and supplemented with a hard feed, even when excercise is restricted. The hay should be palatable and of good quality (rich, but not too rich, dust and mould-free). Hay harvested early, and  haylage can be used, as they are more digestible.

The market today offers a wide range of muesli type hard feeds for senior horses. They are generally very palatable, and compensate for appetite loss sometimes noted in senior horses.

The horse feed should be high in protein and essential amino-acids, particularly lysin and threonin. (alfalfa and soya). On the other hand, the senior horse’s diet should contain low starch levels, especially for insulin resistance disorders ( such as Cushing’s disease (PPID)and  Equine Metabolic Syndrome EMS) causing chronic laminitis. Alfalfa, or wheat- bran, sugar beet, all have a lower starch level, than corn, oats or barley. Oil can also be used as it is twice as high in energy than cereals, without the starch. Mineral and trace element balance requirements are similar to those of other horses. Supplementing with vitamin C or E appear to enhance response to vaccines. Other vitamins (A, E, C) and other trace elements have an antioxidant effect, and help combat ageing of the tissues.

Distributing the feed rations

When in a group, the senior horse is often dominated by younger horses at feed time. It is therefore essential to isolate him when feeding, and make sure he has sufficient space for access to hay.
The feed bucket can be placed at height, to help in eating, as the senior horse may be stiff in the back or feet. This will restrict lowering of the neck ,and extra weight on the forehand.
It is better to give several small portions of concentrates, but give constant access to hay.

If the horse has problems chewing, hay can be minced, and concentrates given in the form of softened pellets or mash, extruded concentrates can also be given rather than hard, dry pellets.
Finally, access to water and hay should be easy for horses with musculoskeletal pain.

Help alleviate seasonal unpleasantness

In winter, the hardier horse doesn’t necessarily need to be rugged up, especially if his body condition is satisfactory.  Those whose coat remains light, or with a tendancy to weight loss, can benefit from being rugged with a rainproof rug, or brought in at night. These measures will avoid the horse losing too much weight. Remove the rug regularly to check  for chaffing, and skin infections.

In summer, the horse can be equipped with a mask to protect his eyes, which become more sensitive, from irritation due to insects, and from UV rays. It is also important to provide hime with a shady area and/or a shelter to offer protection.

Physical exercise, moderate, but maintained

Exercise adapted to his physical abilities can be beneficial for the senior horse’s health, as it will delay rapid muscle loss, help promote joint suppleness, and maintain a good cardio-vascular system. There are however a certain number of factors to consider.

Choosing to have the horse put down should be taken in agreement with :

• The treating vet, who knows what the prognosis is for any illness diagnosed, and who can assess the state of the  horse’s well-being during the visit. Regular vet checks are therefore very important.
• The person in charge of the horse, who sees him every day and can have an opinion on the quality of life.
• And the owner

Having the horse put down  can be due to :

• Acute illness, when the decision must be made quickly, as for example in the case of colic. It is important to have thought through prior to their occurrence
• Chronic disorders, giving severe pain and /or a deterioration of quality of life despite veterinarian medication (problems eating, hampered movement, difficulty getting up, severe weight loss...)

To favor euthanasia in good conditions for both horse and owner, it is advised to first sedate then administer a general anaesthesia, before the lethal injection.
To dispose of the horse’s body, the following services need to be contacted :

• Either a carcass removal service, in France via ATM Equidé-Angee
• Or an animal incineration operator for cremation