Working an older horse
If you have an older horse you may be seeing the signs of aging.
Perhaps they are slowing down with their work and just generally in the paddock.
Maybe they don’t seem to hold weight or muscle the way they used to.
As we see our horses into their twilight years, the longer we can provide them with age appropriate work the healthier their body will stay even when degenerative diseases start to come into play.
Feed
Before we even think about the work our senior horse needs we need to make the adjustment of feed.
Older horses need a different macronutrient (proteins, carbs and fats) content in their grains compared to younger horses, and if you are noticing your horse just isn’t making or keeping the muscle mass it used to, it's probably time to change feeds.
Have a talk to your local produce about what grains and feeds they have available for senior horses, and then it is often a bit of trial and error. If your horse is going to pick up on a feed they should do so within 3 to 5 weeks, so if you aren’t seeing an improvement, don’t stick at a particular product just because you’ve been told it’s the best thing since sliced bread. All horses are different and have different needs from their feed.
Teeth
It is important that you see your horse dentist at least annually and have an honest conversation and your horses teeth.
As they age, horses do lose teeth and their back grinding teeth can become worn away - in fact, they can become so worn they lose any ability to masticate. By that stage you will start to notice your horse balling up hay and chaff, sucking the juices out of it and then spitting it out. This is because they can no longer chew the hay and grass anymore. They will eventually have to go onto a mash.
What you don’t move you lose
Keeping your senior horse in light work is key to the longevity of their muscle health - especially if they have arthritis.
Even if they can no longer carry a rider, it is a good idea to still exercise them.
Long straight lines and gentle curves are ideal when working with them, so consider light trail riding, gentle hills and ponying them off other horses.
Depending on their age, it could be worth considering leasing your older horse to a sensible beginner rider. This can be advantageous to both as hopefully our older horse is a bit more sensible and capable of looking after a more beginner rider, but also a sensible beginner rider will ask less of them.
Avoid a lot of concussion and stress on their body.
As their body ages their joints and muscles don’t absorb concussion the way they used to.
Avoid jumping, hard surfaces and long periods of canter.
Ground poles are a good option to keep the joints in work as they don’t create concussion on the landing and just encourage the horse to pick their legs up higher.
