

When is a horse old?
Just as medical advances have extended and improved the lives of humans, advances in veterinary medicine have extended and improved the quality of life for older horses. It was not all that long ago that people used to consider any horse over the age of 10 to be old, and yet now we see horses of double this age competing at the top levels of the sport.
Each horse is an individual

Ultimately, as with everything, each and every horse is an individual. They will age at different rates; have different health issues; be of different breeds; and will also have different working careers that may put more or less strain on them. We would assert that a horse is ‘old’ when he is consistently showing more and more signs of old age. Technically, most vets would assert that a horse going through the ageing process when the deterioration is occurring at a faster rate than regeneration or repair.
The ageing process
In the ageing process, microscopic changes occur first in the horse’s tissues. As the changes multiply, they become more obvious and are, therefore, detectable by modern diagnostic techniques.
Tissue degeneration and fibrosis, or an increase in the size and number of fibres running through the tissue, are two such microscopic changes which commonly occur with age. Eventually, stiffness that is visible to the naked eye will be seen because of the inflammation and the fibrous tissues that build up in the area of the joints.
Degenerative changes occur in the other organs and body systems as well. For example, the skin is one of the first areas to show signs of change in older horses as the collagen below the skin layers loses elasticity. If the hair starts to look dry and dull and the horse’s skin becomes flaky, this is also a sign of internal changes that are happening.
Vets can also spot the signs of aging before they become visible clinically, through blood work, lab tests, X-Rays and regular check-ups.
The earlier you can spot these subtle signs, the earlier you can begin management and the longer and healthier life your horse is likely to have.
Genetics


Some breeds are genetically predisposed to live for longer. Arabians were bred for endurance and that seems to help them survive for longer. However, light coloured Arabians are also predisposed to developing certain forms of cancer.
Similarly, ponies often outlive their horse friends. It is difficult to know if this is because they generally lead lower-stress lives, with few of them competing at the very top levels; due to their temperament; or simply their more hardy nature.
Conformation seems to be key as well. Conformational defects often speed the degenerative process. Horses with straight, well balanced forelegs; strong uninjured tendons and ligaments; flexible joints; well-developed muscles; and well-proportioned feet tend to do much better.
What can we do?

Your goal should be to slow the rate of degeneration to the absolute minimum. Ultimately, horses will lose their race with time, but we can work hard to keep them going in the best health until then. We owe it to our horses to do as much as possible to enable then to live for as long as possible in comfort.
Obviously, there are some horses with other health conditions that cannot be cured or solved, but if you have a healthy older horse then providing the proper diet, care, environment and exercise programme can give them more happy years of life.
No one can miraculously extend the lives of their horses forever, as much as we may wish we could, but we can all take action right now to help our horses look and feel their best throughout their lifetimes. A good wellness management programme will set you on track to achieve this.
