Care for the elderly horse
Caring for elderly horses is a bit of a constant balancing act. We want to keep the horses fit and healthy, still able to move with ease so they can age the best way possible. Cold weather, restricted turn out, slippery muddy fields, lack of grass, too much grass, lack of movement, arthritis flare ups, it can be difficult to manage joint pain and stiffness, especially in the UK.
The name of the game is to adapt their exercise regimes to help their joints and surrounding structures to be strengthened without further strain.
To make it easy and concise, here is a bullet point list of things to consider when caring for an elderly horse:
Ideally, have a clear diagnosis from the vet, so you know if and where they is arthritis. An appropriate plan can then be made regarding medication/supplementation to get your horse comfortable initially, settle the affected joints down, and then ongoing plans to maintain comfort levels and good quality of life.
If you don’t use it, you lose it! Keeping your horse moving with appropriate turnout daily is ideal - some horses thrive better on full turnout, some prefer to be stabled overnight - but either way turnout is essential to allow movement which helps the health of your horse in so many ways. Stabled for long period= lack of movement=muscle waste and decrease core strength=poor posture=pain.
NB: movement is also important for digestive health! Long periods without movement can slow down your horse’s digestive system, and therefore putting him at risk of colic (especially if they don’t drink enough). Even a 20 minute hand walk will be beneficial if you can't do anything else!Be creative: Ok, so you can’t ride your horse as much anymore… There are so many other ways to exercise your horse, you can start with core stimulation exercises in the stable, you can do long reining, hand walking, walk over poles, walk around yard, hand grazing, gentle hack on the buckle with a lightweight rider (ask around!)… and if you are going to lunge, just simply walk (you can add poles and transitions to stop) and be as wide as possible. Walk work is the best for arthritic horses: it is low impact, but you can still achieve a lot in terms of flexibility and strengthening. Be fun & consistent, have a little but often: 20 min 5/6 times a week to maintain some core strength, mental stimulation and bodily functions.
Make it toasty: especially in winter, it is worth considering keeping your horse extra warm to help these arthritic joints. Heat pads, rugs, neck covers, boots, wraps. Keep him dry & warm.
Take it easy on the clippers: avoid a full clip to keep your horse warm in all places, and if you have to clip, just do the bare minimum, just the belly or upper leg for the mud.
The cherry on top: Do your own research and look at recommended supplementations, from herbal to scientifically proven, there’s a lot to choose from. Look also at magnetic wraps/rugs, infrared wraps/rugs (see www.premierequine.co.uk) and microcurrent devices (such as Arc Equine www.arcmicrotech.com).
Be a team player. Don’t be on your own, surround yourself with professionals you click with (farrier, body worker, vet, herbalist and why not an animal communicator!) and encourage them to communicate with each other. It’s all about your horse’s wellbeing.
I hope this help you finding new ways to give the best for your faithful life companion. He/she’s lucky to have you!!
Love and light
France x
