When do you consider a horse senior?

[Seven]

When do you consider your horses 'senior' for care purposes? They may not act old but may need a little extra consideration, special management, or a more individualized feeding program?

[shakeytails]

About 17-18 or so.

[McVillesMom]

Thanks for posting this. This is a timely topic for me as well, since the barn manager has asked me several times if I've thought about switching my boy to senior feed - he's 17, but is still in regular work, eating well and maintaining his weight just fine. I'm inclined to think if it ain't broke, don't fix it, but I'm very interested to see other people's thoughts on this.

[Petstorejunkie]

i consider a horse senior at 20 or when they start to show signs of aging.

[goodhors]

I call them senior at about 20yrs, but few actually need any feed or work changes from previous, younger years. We constantly change feed by the work horses are doing, so that would not be an "extra" for us. Most start a bit of changes at age 25, with not shedding well. They would get body clipped for summer. Maybe not be taken on the longer trail rides over 10 miles if not in EXCELLENT conditioning program. Might get a blanket at night in the coldest winter weather, below 20F.

All ours are stalled daily, for part of the day in summer to avoid bugs or in at night in cooler or winter weather. Feed might be changed if tooth loss or very worn from age, would call for it. We keep them fit rather than fat, can feel the ribs, so old leg bones are not carrying much extra weight. Could separate the elder horses away from the younger, bouncy animals, so they are not pestered in turnouts.

Ours like being outside as much as possible, with a buddy if possible. We try to keep them as normal, horse-like conditions as possible, not babied. So they go out almost daily, exceptions would be cold pouring rain for hours, ice if they are not shod for ice. Cold doesn't count if day is bright!

Each equine is different, they don't age according to their calendar years, so you can't just change things if horse doesn't need it yet. Horses are living MUCH longer than previously. So under 20yrs now, is not physically an old horse these days. Before the good wormers, 15-20yrs WAS an old horse and they looked like it then.

[Saidapal]

At 20. Although if the horse is showing age/arthritis/weight issues at 18 or so I would treat them like a senior. But if they are kicking along just fine - 20.

[CatOnLap]

My 20 year old is kicking along just fine so far, and the only change in his diet has been to reduce the amount of food he gets as somehow he has become an air fern after years of being a munching machine and not gaining weight. We examine his teeth annually and have had to float them about every 2 years so far. He is fat and glossy. But not too fat...

Our usual regimen includes about 6 hours of pasture a day, supplemental hay, small amounts of beet pulp with a mineral/vitamin/yeast culture supplement and a fat based pellet for grain. The yeast culture helps our horses get the most from their plain jane local grass hay.

[Bluey]

Our 29 year old still eats well and doesn't need any different nutrition than the rest, yet.
We got a somewhere around 25 year old that was already having teeth problems and he was put on special meals and is doing fine at now probably over 30.

If your horse is doing well, you really don't need to change anything, unless you feel you can improve what you are already doing, just not because he hits a certain age.

I agree with you and others that say horses age like people, each one at their own rate and that individual horse is what we need to go by, not what of number years he has been around.;)

Now, maybe that person that advised you to make some changes is seeing that they are needed?

[Janet]

I don't associate it with age. If they need joint supplements, they get them, whether they are 7 or 27. If they don't need then they don't get them.

My 4, aged 4, 13, 23, and 27, all get the same feed. The 23 and 27 yo both get joint supplements, but they have been getting them since they were about 10.

[TB Fan]

I have two geldings, one 25 yr old OTTB, the other about the same age QH. The TB would be insulted if I called him a senior. Mentally he's 'almost' grown up. They are both on joint supplements for some arthritis, other than that they are treated the same as any other horse at the barn. My TB gets so wooly in the winter he still goes un-blanketed. He sheds out just fine for summer. They both have a stall with a run out paddock so they can be in or out as they decide. I think lots of turnout or movement is important as they age but other than that, I think each horse is different and should have their needs addressed individually.

[aiken4horses]

It's as individual for a horse as it would be for a person.

I had a 15 year old "senior" who had a very tough life. He looked 10 years older, stiff, bad teeth, but with good care and management - 3 meals a day, lots of hands on care, monitoring, good vets - he lived another 15 years.

I've got 3 27 year olds -
- the mare is plump, sound, alert;
- the QH gelding shuffles around, he's a hard, hard keeper, has his "senior moments" - he seems to get somewhere and forget why he was there?;
- the TB gelding is alert but also needs lots of TLC to keep his weight. He'll come bucking for his bucket, then go "ouch, ouch!"

The 19 year old pony is the easiest keeper on the farm but doesn't like the cold.

The 20 year old TB mare took a hard road to get here and it's a constant struggle to keep her comfortable.

I've got an 18 year old ISH who looks great, sound, bouncy, healthy. Wouldn't even put him near the same category as a senior.

I think senior is a state of mind and condition, not necessarily age.

[RG Equestrian]

When he pulls out his AARP card and hands it to the vet for a discount.:)

[aiken4horses]

hee, hee! I've always wondered how I could get them SSN's, unemployment benefits, disability insurance :lol:

[McVillesMom]

AARP? Oh boy, I wish!

Nice to hear everyone's thoughts on the matter. My 17 yo TB, as someone else said, is ALMOST mentally grown up. I rode the 24 yo mare today, who IS getting a special diet, etc (she has Cushings, and while she has not been proven IR, improved dramatically when I switched her to a low-starch diet) and we had to have a discussion about who was in charge. ;) I think I'm sticking with my "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude. :)

[Ebvann]

I'd like to take a deduction for mine as feed and vet bills for a 36 and 34 year old seem to be charitable contributions since they havent been ridden in years>>>>>

[Seven]

When he pulls out his AARP card and hands it to the vet for a discount.:)

:lol:

If it only worked that way! :cool:

I started wondering after reading the back of the 'senior' feed I use that indicates it's suitable for horses over 5 years old. I know that probably only means that it's suitable for adult horses but it reminded me of the senior classification I read about for dogs as any dog over 7. 7 in dogs is about 60% of the average dog lifespan. Applying that to horses puts it somewhere around 13. Since I also don't think of horses as senior until older like most of you, I just was wondering if it was something I should start thinking about sooner rather than later?

I'm not sure what I would do differently other then watch and try to meet my horse's needs as I do now, but if I could anticipate needs/requirements better it might make him happier and more comfortable for longer.

Just thinking...:)