Five Management Strategies To Help A Horse Live Longer

Author:
Paulick Report Staff
Publish date:
Jan 2, 2020

The way a horse is managed throughout his life has a direct impact on how long he lives. With proper care that includes disease prevention, parasite control, routine dental care and others, a horse has a good chance of living well into his twenties or even longer, reports EQUUS.

Poor mobility, founder, and the inability to chew food are the most-common contributors to death in older horses. Action taken early in life can help a horse have a more productive life as he ages. Focusing on these areas can help him age more gracefully:

Provide quality dental care. If a horse can’t eat, he cannot ingest enough nutrition and calories to support his system. Though teeth that have been worn down or those that are missing are obvious issues, abscesses and chronic pain can also play a role as to why a horse won’t eat. A horse that has issues chewing is also more at risk for impaction colic. It’s important to have a horse’s teeth evaluated every six months to spot trouble early.
Monitor weight fluctuations. While the “skinny, older horse” is a stereotype many are familiar with, a horse that is too heavy is also at risk of health issues, including laminitis and founder. Founder is triggered by a diet that is too rich and once a horse has foundered, he’s at increased risk to do it again. In addition, excess weight is hard on a horse’s joints and bones, increasing his risk of developing arthritis and other bone diseases. To prevent this, know what a horse’s ideal weight is and adjust his diet as needed.
Keep him moving. Like people, a horse that is out of shape won’t live as long as his in-shape counterparts. A horse that is in shape is stronger, allowing him to move around more easily. Fit horses are also less likely to injure themselves and heal more rapidly. Turnout and proper hoof trimming are both important pieces in the healthy-horse puzzle.
Watch for hormone imbalances. Most horses over the age of 20 will develop some degree of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, also called PPID and Cushing’s disease. Complications of this disease include muscle wasting, a predisposition to laminitis and lowered immune function, each of which can shorten a horse’s lifespan. It’s helpful to consider PPID as a potential issue before the horse gets old. There is medication available for the condition, and management changes will most likely be in order, but close work with a veterinarian is needed.