Over recent years there has been an overall increase in the life expectancy of our domestic horses, ponies and donkeys. This has a lot to do with better management and improved veterinary care throughout their lives; together with an increased interest in looking after and treating an older animal. ‘Geriatric’ is the general term used to refer to animals over the age of 20 years (although for many fit, healthy, lively horses and ponies in their twenties this may not seem to be very appropriate!). Geriatric veterinary medicine is a rapidly expanding field, as we see more and more horses and ponies reaching this age. We usually refer to horses and ponies over 20 years of age as being old, and those that are over 30 are usually classed as being ‘very old’. It is often the smaller breeds that are the ones that are more likely to reach the very old category (although there are always exceptions).
Routine management
When a horse or pony starts to get older, routine veterinary/husbandry management such as dentistry, hoof care, worming, nutrition and vaccination should be a priority to try and prevent problems occurring. There are some diseases which are more common in older horses, and so they should be monitored carefully for any signs of these.
It is important to monitor the general conditions an older horse is kept in to assess if they are still suitable. A younger horse may cope fine living in a herd in a steep paddock with a muddy areas. An older horse, however, may find the slope puts too much strain on arthritic joints, going through the mud takes a lot of effort and damages the skin, resulting in mud fever, and that he gets bullied by the other horses so doesn’t always get enough feed, and starts losing weight. It will depend on the individual horse and the circumstances, but it is important to be aware and check that the paddock conditions still suit your horse.
Dentistry
Most geriatric horses need a dental check-up twice a year. Some, if they have had regular dental care throughout their lives, may be fine to continue with annual check-ups for a while, but those who haven’t had regular care, and have developed problems, may need work done more frequently until the issues are reduced. Often, a dental problem that has taken years to develop cannot be corrected in one go; it must be corrected gradually over time. Optimum dental care will prevent the pain associated with dental disease, and allow maximum nutrition to be obtained from your horse’s food.
Hoof care
Regular trimming with or without shoeing is important to keep your horse as comfortable as possible. Correct foot trimming will reduce excess strain on joints and can help reduce pain from arthritis in some cases. It also reduces the chance of getting cracks in hooves which can predispose to foot abscesses. Foot abscesses are very painful and some horses won’t put any weight on the affected foot at all, this in turn puts more strain on the other legs which is not ideal if there is a possibility of arthritis being present.
Worming
Ideally older horses should have regular worm faecal egg counts performed, three to four times a year) as well as a targeted dose for tapeworms and encysted cyathostomes once a year (talk to your veterinarian to discuss this). We don’t yet know if older horses become more susceptible to worms as they age; some vets suspect this to be the case but it may vary with the individual horse. Monitoring will allow those horses with a larger worm burden to be treated before the worms cause serious problems.
Nutrition
A geriatric horse will still need a fibre-based diet but may require extra supplementation with a feed designed for older horses if there is an issue with weight loss. It is also important to ensure that your horse is receiving all the vitamins and minerals they require, either in the form of a vitamin supplement or in a premixed feed. If your horse is susceptible to laminitis, then you will need to be careful to not feed a diet high in sugars and starches but choose a feed higher in fats and proteins along with the fibre. It is worthwhile getting advice on the best option for feeding your individual horse.
Diseases more common in geriatrics
PPID/Cushing’s Disease
Although this has been diagnosed in horses as young as seven, the incidence of PPID increases in the older population, and is very common in geriatrics. Some of the signs to look out for are:
- Not losing their winter coat, so keeping a shaggy coat into spring
- Recurrent laminitis (founder)
- Muscle loss, especially along the topline, together with a pot belly
- Drinking a lot (and peeing a lot)
- Increased episodes of infections; PPID makes the horse more susceptible to infections by depressing the immune system, so your horse may get a lot of respiratory and/or skin infections
It is diagnosed with a simple blood test sent to the lab. Talk to your vet about this. Although PPID cannot be cured, a combination of medication and good management will reduce the clinical symptoms, and greatly improve the quality of life of horses and ponies with the condition.
Management is the same as recommended for all geriatric horses, including monitoring the environment, keeping regular dental and hoof care, and feeding appropriately, together with clipping out the long hair coat to keep the horse comfortable (and this may also help with preventing skin infections). Prompt veterinary treatment of any infections is also important in the care of these horses.
The medication we use is pergolide, and it is licenced for treatment of PPID under the trade name Prascend. Work with your veterinarian to find the appropriate dose for your horse. A normal shedding of the hair coat should occur at the correct dose, but this will only happen in the right season. Blood tests can be used to monitor the effectiveness of treatment.
Dental disease
As we have already discussed regular dental examinations are very important in the older horse. Some may still have great teeth but other may have serious problems including:
- Missing teeth and corresponding overgrowth of the opposite tooth.
- Gaps in between the teeth leading to food packing and painful gum disease.
- Loose or broken teeth
- Sharp points causing ulceration of the inside of the cheek.
- Overgrowths, preventing an efficient chewing motion.
There may be few signs of a problem or you may see weight loss, dropping of food, eating slowly, packing food in the cheeks or problems when ridden. Dental disease can also show up as a smelly discharge from one nostril, as the infection spreads into the sinuses. If you see any of these signs, it is important your horse’s mouth is thoroughly examined.
Colic
The incidence of a certain type of colic due to a fatty lump on a stalk wrapping around the intestine (called a strangulating lipoma) increases with age. This type of colic requires surgery.
The decision to send an older horse for surgery may be a very difficult one, and involves humane, emotional and financial considerations. You would need to discuss with your veterinarian the likely prognosis, given the vital signs the horse is showing at the time, to be able to make an informed decision.
Osteoarthritis
Many older horse and ponies have some degree of degenerative joint disease (arthritis). These may be managed on medication such as ‘bute (at a low a dose as possible and while being monitored) and/or joint medications/nutraceutical supplements. Often different options will need to be trialled to find what works best. Light, regular exercise usually helps, as opposed to being kept confined with restricted movement, or irregular exercise.
Melanomas
The incidence of tumours in general increases with age. About 80% of older grey horses have evidence of melanomas; these start as very small black lumps under the tail region and usually grow slowly over several years. However, at any point they can start to grow more rapidly and spread to internal organs, or as they get large they can cause physical problems by preventing normal bodily functions.
Saying goodbye
Unfortunately, we may get to the time when the decision about euthanasia arises with an older horse or pony. It can be very difficult to know what to do for the best. Sometimes horse owners have expectations as to how long a horse or pony should live a useful life, based on experiences in the past. As veterinarians, what we try to consider when discussing euthanasia is the quality of the horse’s life. We think about what keeps a horse or pony happy and enjoying life, and ask ourselves is this still happening?
It may be helpful to think about your horse’s quality of life and have decision-making criteria as to when the quality of life has deteriorated eg. if he stops coming over for his morning feed that he used to be very enthusiastic about, if he is standing around looking miserable, or if he continues to lose weight despite all your efforts to prevent it. In the case of an older horses losing weight, you could use a weigh tape to get an objective measurement then have a few treatments/management changes to trial, then reassess with the weight tape. If there is still deterioration and the quality of life and welfare is poor ,then the decision may be made for euthanasia.
In summary
The number of geriatric horses and ponies is increasing and with just a little extra care they can potentially live useful, comfortable lives for many more years. There are a few diseases that are more common in the older horse and we should look out for any signs of these, as prompt treatment will be beneficial. The quality of your horse’s life is something you should carefully monitor at any age, but especially as they get older and may start to develop age-related conditions. Always discuss with your veterinarian if you have any concerns about the health and welfare of your horses.
