Caring for the older horse

AS your horse gets older, you may notice some changes in his behaviour and appearance.

The problems most often noticed include difficulty eating, stiffness, changes in coat and changes in weight, however other conditions may also occur. This article is designed to address the common problems encountered in the older horse.

Dental Problems:

As some of you may be aware, horses are born with their adult teeth already formed, and these erupt constantly throughout life and are naturally ground down as the horse eats. It therefore follows that these teeth will eventually wear out.

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Each tooth tapers towards the root, and, as the horse gets older and the teeth erupt further through the gums, 2 main problems can occur.

Firstly, as more of the tooth root becomes exposed, diastemata, or gaps, can form between the cheek teeth. These gaps can then easily become impacted with food material, which can cause pockets of infection and related gum disease if left untreated.

Secondly, teeth will become loose and eventually fall out when the root is sufficiently short to prevent good hold by the gums. In addition, the opposing tooth can become overly long as it will have nothing to grind against.

This can result in the horse being unable to chew food properly, which causes food to drop from the mouth, commonly known as 'quidding', and ultimately lead to weight loss.

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It is advisable to have your elderly horses teeth checked at least every 6 months by a veterinary surgeon, and more frequently if you notice problems such as weight loss or 'quidding'.

Weight Loss and Feeding:

Your horse may lose weight as he gets older. This is often noticed more during the winter months when the grass is poorer and weather colder, although it may also be noticed during the summer.

There are many possible reasons for the weight loss, including poor teeth, insufficient- food, cold weather, worm burden and health problems such as liver disease or tumours.

If you are concerned about your horses weight then it is important to have a check up with your veterinary surgeon. In most cases a full clinical examination will be performed, including examination of the mouth, and a blood sample and faecal sample will be taken.

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Further tests may be required depending on clinical findings and initial test results – these may include a rectal examination, ultrasound scan and abdominal tap to obtain a sample of peritoneal fluid.

In some cases we need to amend the horses diet. If your horse has few teeth left or is suffering from other dental problems, then it may be necessary to introduce a hay replacement diet.

This consists of large volumes of sloppy, easily digested food to substitute for the hay and grass normally eaten. In other cases the normal diet can be altered to increase energy and protein availability. It can be useful to work out the horses exact diet, weighed in grams, and have this information available when the vet visits.

It is worth noting that many weight loss problems can be resolved with a dental rasp and increased food intake, however some may require more extensive treatment.

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It is also important to remember that thinner animals will feel the cold more, and therefore may need rugging and/or stabling during the winter months, even if they happily lived out with no rugs during their younger years.

Stiffness and reluctance to move:

You may notice that your horse becomes more reluctant to move, slower moving or lame as he gets older.

This is often attributable to osteoarthritis, especially if your horse has had a long or hard ridden career.

It is important to contact your vet if you notice any problems like this - in some cases it may be advisable to perform a lameness work up to diagnose the exact problem, in others your vet may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylbutazone, and a joint supplement to help prevent further damage. Please ask us about the many joint supplements which may be of help.

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Some older horses may also have difficulty getting up after they have been lying down or rolling, and this often results in them becoming cast (stuck) in the stable. It is therefore important to ensure that the stable is sufficiently large for the size of horse, and is well bedded with bedding material banked up the walls to protect your horse should he become stuck.

Many horses will be able to get to their feet if moved to the middle of the stable, however some do require sedating in order to move them, and most benefit from some pain relief before attempting to encourage them to rise.

If you do find your horse cast and cannot encourage him to get up then it is important to remain calm and contact your veterinary surgeon - whilst waiting for a visit it is usually beneficial to ensure you have plenty of manpower to help move him and get him to his feet.

It is also important to keep your horse warm in cold weather, as often chilly or damp conditions can exacerbate the problems.

Other problems:

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You may notice that your horses coat seems to be getting longer than usual during the winter months.

This may be completely normal, however may be a sign of cushings syndrome, an endocrine disease of older horses and ponies. Other signs to look out for include drinking more than normal, bulging fat pads above the eyes, and a tendency to develop laminitis.

Eye problems such as cataracts are also more common in older horses, as are some heart conditions.

Many Vets run annual Health checks especially at vaccinations and many of the problems discussed here would be highlighted during such examinations.

Hopefully by dealing with problems at an early stage your horse can continue to enjoy a good quality of life for a long time to come.