Care Of Older Horses

Care Of Older Horses

How is looking after an old horse different from caring for other horses?

As a horse ages, his bodily functions become less efficient. His teeth may deteriorate to the point where he can¡¯t graze properly or chew his hay. He may be arthritic. With less fat cover, he has more trouble keeping himself warm. Such things as good shelter, routine worming and regular dental care, which were important when the horse was in his prime, now become vital.

What kind of shelter does my horse need?

Remember that your horse is now a senior citizen. He needs protection from wind and wet. A dry, three sided shelter bedded with straw is a good choice. Some old horses might need to be brought into a barn when the weather is bad.

What do you mean by "routine dental care"?

The way a horse care chews his food wears the teeth unevenly. Most horses need their teeth floated by a veterinarian once a year to file off the sharp points that form on the molars. If the teeth aren¡¯t floated regularly, the inside of the mouth can become cut and sore, making eating difficult.

The teeth of some old horses can become so worn down that they can¡¯t bite off grass or chew properly. Lost or broken teeth can also cause problems for an old horse care.

What should I feed my old horse?

Pasture

The most natural food for a horse care is good quality pasture. Most mature pleasure horses doing light work will do well on pasture alone if they have sufficient grazing. However, the teeth of older horses often prevent them from grazing effectively. If a horse can¡¯t keep weight on when out on pasture, he will need supplemental feed.

Water

Fresh water is a vital part of your horse¡¯s diet. Horses drink from 5 to 10 gallons a day.

Clean water should be available at all times except when the horse is very hot from work. While horses can survive on snow in the winter, it is far from ideal. The horse¡¯s body has to melt a lot of snow to get enough water, thus wasting body heat. An old horse, whose body is not as efficient as it used to be, cannot afford to waste the energy. A horse not getting enough water is more liable to impaction colic. An inexpensive stock tank heater can keep the water trough ice-free.

Blanketing

Stabled horses need blanketing when they're turned out during the day, but the best blanket for an outside horse is his own full winter coat. If you do blanket your pet horse, make sure you take it off and brush him often. Also, realize that a blanket that is not warm enough is worse than no blanket at all. In cold weather, the hair coat stands up to trap additional warm air close to the body. A blanket keeps the coat flat.

How often should I feed my horse?

The basic rule for feeding horses is to feed little and often. The more meals you can split the day¡¯s feed into, the better for the horse. Keep to a regular schedule. For practical reasons, most people feed two or three times a day.

Is there anything I should know about feeding several horses?

If you are feeding more than one horse, make sure each horse gets enough food. Horses have a strong social order and the top horses will take more than their share. To give your old horse a chance, spread the hay out with one more pile than the number of horses. If you can¡¯t physically separate horses to feed the grain ration, use separate feed bins spaced wide apart.

Is there a way I can tell if my horse is the proper weight?

A system called "body condition scoring" has been developed to determine just how fat or thin an animal is.

To a large extent it is based on common sense, looking at the amount of flesh on the ribs, on the base of the tail, between the hips and on the bony prominences. These are the bones that stick out from the spine behind the rib cage.

In a horse carrying ideal weight, the ribs have a slight fat covering but you can feel them. The base of the tail has a smooth shape with slight fat covering. The neck is firm but, except for stallions, has no crest.

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