Five problems owners of older horses need to be on high alert for this winter
To mitigate common problems, Catherine Welton speaks to two experts to find out what subtle changes owners of veteran horses should look out for over the coming months
Our horses creep into old age with varying levels of health. But at what point do we need to become extra vigilant for conditions in our veterans we never had to consider in their early years?
“On paper, 15 is considered geriatric and some horses at 15 do have a lot of problems,” says Nicky Housby-Skeggs, veterinary director at The Horse Trust. “But a lot of horses are still in their prime.”
Equine vet and dental specialist Dr Chris Pearce says: “Horses can be very active in later age, but we need to be careful to look out for certain problems. Things to look out for are gradual changes, not necessarily the ones that are dramatic.”
1. Arthritis
Arthritis is a commonly cited reason in retirement decisions, but early signs of the disease can be subtle.
“Behaviour changes in older horses are often a sign of pain,” says Nicky. “It presents as not being happy to do things they always used to be comfortable doing – for example, being grumpy with the farrier because they don’t want their legs lifted is a common one.”
Equine vet Dr Chris Pearce recommends owners talk to their vet about a suitable pain relief plan if their horse has arthritis
When signs are spotted, simple changes in management can help make the horse more comfortable.
“For example, if you know they’re a bit arthritic, you maybe take them for a walk to loosen them off before the farrier comes,” she says.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Despite the high prevalence, arthritis doesn’t have to mean the end of a horse’s ridden career, and Chris advises owners to talk to their vet about a suitable pain relief plan.
“One of the best things for keeping horses healthy and fit is to keep them doing some work. And if that means providing them with some kind of support for arthritis, then that is a really beneficial thing.”
2. Dental issues
As a horse ages, its teeth change in several ways, including losing some of the enamel.
“The grinding surface changes, and they lose wear-resistant enamel from the surfaces, especially on the upper teeth,” says Chris. “The amount can vary between horses, but as a general rule, we see this pattern of enamel loss occurring with age. The surface becomes very smooth and it reduces their ability to masticate.”
Older horses’ teeth are also likely to be smaller, they develop more gaps and may lose teeth entirely, all of which can also reduce their ability to grind.
“Also more prevalent in teenage horses onwards is a very progressive, painful, autoimmune disease called equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis [EOTRH],” says Chris. “It mostly affects the incisors and requires X-rays or radiographs to get a diagnosis. Sometimes it’s appropriate to have extractions but following this, horses are usually dramatically improved and can have a much better quality of life.”
Regular dentistry by a suitable professional is essential as horses age
Horses are very good at hiding dental pain, but Chris says there are signs an owner can look for.
“Any change of their normal habits relating to eating and mastication – taking too long to eat, weight loss, halitosis, dropping food that’s partially chewed [quidding]. But there are also other behaviours that have been proven to be linked to dental pain in certain situations. These can include playing with water in the water bucket, soaking the hay, dropping the hay in the water bucket, ridden problems, headshaking and so on.”
Regular dentistry by a suitable professional will pick up any issues and can be preventative too.
“If a horse has had good routine dental care, then they generally have less in the way of some of the age-related changes that we would see in horses that have not had good routine dental care.
“Good dentistry throughout the life can definitely reduce many problems, and some horses can retain excellent teeth well into their late 20s.”
3. Weight loss
Dental issues, and specifically losing the ability to grind, are a common cause of weight loss.
“Horses are designed to eat long fibre. That chewing action maintains healthy dentition and produces saliva that helps protect the stomach against acid, and allows the large and small intestine to absorb nutrients properly,” Nicky explains.
Older horses may need their feeds adjusted as their teeth become less able to grind forage
For horses with poor dentition, soaked fibre pellets or mashes can be the only way to ensure the necessary intake of fibre and calories.
However, Nicky also points out it’s important not to confuse weight loss with muscle loss in the older horse, saying: “One of the difficult things with older horses is they start to lose muscle mass, especially on their topline.”
She advises turnout and keeping the horse as active as possible.
“It’s healthy for them to maintain as much muscle as possible and I often talk to people about trying to do some low-level exercise – such as long walks, for example.”
4. Cushing’s
Another possible cause of weight loss in older horses is pars pituitary intermedia dysfunction (PPID), also known as Cushing’s, a disease affecting the horse’s hormones, which is linked with laminitis as well as lowered immunity.
One of its telltale signs is a thick, curly winter coat that they’re slow to shed in spring, but there are other things an owner can look out for during the winter months.
A curly coat is a typical sign of pars pituitary intermedia dysfunction (PPID), also known as Cushing’s
“Because Cushing’s suppresses their immunity, during the winter, mud fever can take a long time to heal,” Nicky explains. Dental problems such as diastema (gaps) and painful periodontal disease can be worse in this group too.
“Cushing’s is probably the single most important thing to look out for in this senior age group,” says Chris. “Getting treatment can be a dramatic turnaround in their health.”
5. Eyesight
A horse’s eyesight will decline with age and, while they are not as dependent on their sight as we are, deterioration can still impact their quality of life and increase the risk of injury.
“A lot of older horses have cataracts,” says Nicky. “Obviously you can’t give a horse an eye test, but it must disrupt their vision, as something is physically stopping the light going in.”
It is normal for a horse’s eyesight to decline with age
Signs that a horse may be struggling with their eyesight include not wanting to load, for example.
“Or they might start wanting to be led from one side, become more spooky or struggle to find their feed bucket as accurately,” Nicky adds.
She advises keeping surroundings as familiar as possible and giving the horse enough time, especially if moving from light to dark or vice versa.
End-of-life care
Ultimately, a horse’s declining health may mean they need to be euthanised, but deciding when isn’t always straightforward.
“Something you commonly hear is, ‘I won’t put them through another winter,’” says Nicky. “I disagree with that to some extent because some horses struggle on hard ground in summer, and that’s the time of year they find hardest. Consider the environment and conditions that your horse finds difficult.”
She also recommends keeping evidence of the horse’s condition and quality of life. “Changes are often so gradual, so having objective measurements – for example, their weight is useful.”
The horse’s vet can also help with an objective assessment: “Vets are very experienced in assessing the welfare of individual horses,” says Chris. “The challenge is always finding the right balance, not recommending euthanasia too soon, but also not waiting until a horse is suffering or has collapsed.”
“The other thing I would say about end-of-life decisions is that it’s really important for horse owners to discuss their wishes and understand the practical arrangements with their vet well before a crisis develops or occurs,” he continues. “That gives owners time to understand the options and the process, which can make a distressing day a little easier to manage.”
Meet the experts
Nicky graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2007 and joined The Royal Army Veterinary Corps. She served for 10 years: firstly, with military working dogs preparing them and their handlers for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. Later she served as the veterinary officer for The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
She now works as the veterinary director for The Horse Trust providing both the onsite veterinary provision, internal and external training and providing part of the RVC final year rotations.
Chris has considerable experience in equine dentistry at all levels. He has post-graduate veterinary qualifications in internal medicine and soft tissue surgery and was the first vet in the UK to also qualify as an equine dental technician (EDT) in 2001.
In 2011, Chris won the Pet Plan Vet of the Year Award, an achievement that the judges awarded in recognition of Chris’s work in equine dentistry and the benefits for equine welfare. Professional posts have included chairman of the BEVA/BVDA examining committee for EDT exams, BEVA Council representative for equine dentistry for seven years, past chairman of the BEVA Dental Working Party for political aspects relating to dentistry and past president of the European Veterinary Dental College.
- For unlimited access to advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
Catherine Welton graduated from City University in London with a degree in journalism, and now combines a successful career as a TV producer with her first loves, writing and horses.