Senior Horse Care Tips for Optimizing Nutrition & Health

Updated October 30, 2024 | By: Dr. Lydia Gray

Because every horse is different, caring for some senior equines is easy while caring for others can be a challenge. Read on to learn when a horse is considered a senior, how the body changes, which health conditions become more prevalent, and what can owners do to compensate for their horse’s aging body.

At What Age is a Horse Considered a Senior?

Horses are living longer and longer nowadays, but chronological age may not be the best indicator of when a horse is a “senior.” Based on genetics, environment, nutrition, and healthcare, some 20-year-old horses look and act like youngsters, while some 12-year-old horses appear much older than the calendar suggests.

Spotting Physiological Changes in the Aging Horse

Rather than counting birthdays, use your horse’s physiological age to decide when to begin caring for them as a senior. That is, watch closely for any decline in basic physiological functions such as digestion, immunity, and others, and use these changes as your “age gauge.”

Some of the internal changes in physiological functions are visible to us externally. For example, a decreased ability to digest, absorb, and metabolize nutrients can lead to decreased body condition score. Breakdown of muscle mass and laxity of connective tissue can lead to sagging of the topline and belly. A weakening immune system can lead to increased infections and delayed healing.

Video on the Senior Horse Age Gauge

In this video, Dr. Gray explains how to know when your horse is considered a senior based on their chronological, physiological, and demographic age.

Common Health Conditions in Senior Horses

Since senior horses’ bodies don’t work as well as their younger selves, they are more prone to certain health conditions. Some common health conditions that are more prevalent in senior equines include:

• In the digestive tract, dental disease, colic, choke and sometimes diarrhea are seen more frequently in older horses.
• The metabolic disease Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID or Equine Cushing’s Disease) occurs in older horses.
• Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO or heaves) may be worse in senior horses because it is a chronic disease that causes permanent changes to the lungs over time.
• Older horses have many soundness issues including arthritis and laminitis and hoof abscesses, which may be due to Cushing’s Disease or a weakened immune system.

Video on How a Horse’s Body Changes with Age

Dr. Gray discusses what external and internal changes you may notice as your horse ages in this video.

Senior Horse Nutrition and Supplements

Fortunately, owners can help compensate for their horse’s aging body through diet, preventive care, exercise, and other management changes. Research by Dr. Sarah Ralston and others has shown that the senior horse’s digestive capacity is similar to that of younger horses that have had their entire left colons removed. This means that the older horse cannot digest fiber as well, which provides energy and promotes a healthy gut.

Help make up for this physiologic change by providing fiber that is easier to digest (higher quality hay, soaked hay cubes, beet pulp, or complete feed) as well as feeding seniors pre- and probiotics, yeast, and enzymes. Senior horses may also benefit from being supplemented with Vitamin C and B-vitamins, since their aging bodies need more of these nutrients but produce them less efficiently.

Ralston has also shown that senior horses do not digest protein as well. Offset this by providing higher-quality protein and more of it: 14 – 16% instead of the 10 – 12% younger adult horses require. Supplementing with the amino acids lysine and threonine may improve muscle mass in aging horses.

If your senior horse is on the thin side, consider adding a fat supplement for additional calories, choosing one with omega-3 fatty acids for their anti-inflammatory properties. When adding fat to any horse’s diet, but especially senior horses, it is always a good idea to also add Vitamin E as an antioxidant.

Video on Improving the Senior Horse’s Diet

Dr. Gray explains strategies for feeding senior horses with a focus on protein requirements, supplementing nutrient needs, grain, and options for forage.

Additional Resources on Diet and Weight

• Ask the Vet video on how to put weight on a senior horse.
• Video on when to switch your horse to a senior feed.
• Q&A on forage for senior horses.

Preventative Health Care for Senior Horses

Preventive care is extremely important as your horse ages. Ask your veterinarian to perform a complete physical examination on your senior twice yearly instead of just annually. Each time, review your horse’s vaccination, deworming, and dental care schedules, as these usually need to be adjusted as horses age.

For example, you may need to vaccinate less if your horse is now retired and is exposed less to infectious diseases. However, you may want to consider more frequent dental exams to keep the digestive tract functioning at its best.

Video on Preventative Care for Seniors

Dr. Gray advises on preventative care appointments for senior horses in this video. She describes what you may want to discuss with your veterinarian, such as bloodwork, parasite control, soundness and hoof care, floating, and more.

Exercise and Management Strategies for Aging Horses

Provide your horse with as much turnout as possible. Depending on your horse’s soundness, controlled exercise in the form of hand walking, lunging, or riding can help keep your senior looking and feeling their best.

If your horse is experiencing some arthritis or other painful condition, work with your veterinarian to develop a management protocol that may include pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, and joint support. Remember that older horses need longer to warm-up and cool-down, and do better with regular, even daily, exercise rather than once a week trail rides or random outings. If you are still able to exercise your horse, try not to give your senior too much “down time” during the winter or other traditional seasons because it takes much longer to restore their fitness and condition.

Also, watch this video with Dr. Andy Kaneps on ways to preserve joints in active senior horses for more advice on supporting your horse’s joints and keeping them comfortable.

Finally, here are a few other management suggestions to ease your horse into their golden years:

• Older horses do not tolerate temperature extremes as well, so keep them cool in warm weather with body clipping (if necessary) and fans. Also, keep them warm in cold weather with shelter and blanketing.
• Monitor their status within the herd, even if no horses have been added or taken away. As they age, they may fall in the pecking order and be kept away from food, water, and shelter.

Video on Exercise, Sleep, and Herd Dynamics for Senior Horses

Dr. Gray gives senior horse owners tips in this video on exercise and riding, turnout, saddle fit, sleep, and herd dynamics.

Nothing can prevent your horse from growing old, but through diet, preventive care, exercise, and a little TLC, you can make sure they grow old gracefully.