Signs of an aging horse
When you think of an old horse, almost everyone sees a horse with gray hair and a sagging back. Besides these two signs, there are more things you can see that your horse is getting older.
While eating his hay you can very quickly notice if a horse is suffering from problems with his teeth. Does he avoid his grains? Does he drop food while eating? Does it take a long time to finish his hay? Then have a dentist look at your horse's teeth. Soon as your horse gets older it will have trouble eating. There is also special feed for horses that suffer from reduced dental function.
Does your horse come out of the stable stiff in the morning? Or does he have difficulty getting up after lying down? As horses age they will have to deal with stiffness. Your four-legged friend's resistance may also decline. This makes your horse more susceptible for diseases or infections.
What to do against old age
Unfortunately, you cannot prevent old age but you can make sure that your horse has a happy old age. You can, for example, take away inconveniences such as difficulty eating by purchasing special feed. Also give your old horse enough attention and pamper it with a good cleaning. This will not only allow your horse to relax but will also help it with shedding. There are supplements available especially for older horses, for example to boost their resistance or to prevent stiffness after training.
Movement
Do you ever feel stiff after sitting all day? If an (older) horse doesn't move much, he will also become stiff. Therefore it is important to give the horse enough exercise. This depends on whether your horse has physical limitations or not. Can you still train your horse lightly? Then that is not a bad idea. Can you no longer ride lightly? Then let him walk in the meadow or paddock as much as possible. To keep your quadruped supple, ground work is also recommended. This will keep your horse not only physically, but also mentally busy.
Do's
-Give your horse the freedom to move as much as possible
-Practice with ground work so your horse does not get stiff
-Provide soft ground cover
Don'ts
-Don't feed roughage in a slow feeder/ hay rack etc.
-Don't feed the same concentrated feed when your horse was young
-Be too careful with your older horse
Want to know more around an aging horse? Pavo has now produced a handbook on the subject. You can read more about feed, training, points of attention and common diseases. In addition you can do a test to see if your horse has signs of ageing.
Click here to download the free handbook: the old horse!