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EQUINE MATTERS
OLD FR I ENDS
The nursing and management
of our
old friends
Veterinary nurse
Alex Clark
XLVets Equine practice
Bishopton Veterinary
Group
Horses are cosidered geriatric at around 20 years of
age
although they are generally classed as senior above
16 years of age but some age earlier or later than this.
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a drooping lip;
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grey hairs around eyes and muzzle;
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tooth wear;
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deepening hollows above the eyes.
NURSING FEATURE...
General management
As horses age they will benefit from as
much turn out as possible. This allows
gentle exercise to keep joints supple,
reduce stiffness, aid digestion, help with
the prevention and control of respiratory
disease and aid mental stimulation.
Older horses are more susceptable to
changing weather conditions, so some
may be happier being partially stabled.
If they need to be stabled for some of the
time the space available to them should be
big enough to allow easy movement and
turning as they are likely to be less supple
than a younger horse. Older horses’
immune systems are often compromised
and therefore the stable should be well
ventilated to reduce the build up of dust
and mould spores, remove stale air
and ammonia gases from urine soaked
bedding as all of theses can cause
irritation and inflammation of the respiritory
tract. Regular removal of droppings and
wet beddng is advisable.
Suitable bedding should be provided,
ideally dust extracted chopped straw,
hemp or shavings, shredded or diced
paper. Rubber matting is also useful but
may be better used with a deep bed to
cushion old joints.
Regular grooming helps encourage
circulation and keeps the coat clean which
reduces the chance of skin infections and
parasites. It also keeps the pores open
which aids the regulation of body
temperature as the sweat glands don’t get
blocked by dirt or mud. It also gives the
opportunity to keep the mutual trust and
friendship with your horse. Grooming is
also an ideal time to obtain a body
condition score and weight, perhaps using
a weigh tape, to help maintain optimum
weight and condition.
When being turned out many of our old
friends benefit from being rugged up as
this reduces the amount of energy they use
to remain warm. This in turn helps them to
maintain body condition and weight, it will
also reduce stiffness (which especially
benefiits the arthritic horse). The use of a
well fitted rug which doesn’t put excessive
pressure on boney prominences and
allows moisture/sweat to escape will
prevent your horse from getting chilled
due to the rug becoming damp through
retained moisture. Do not over-rug as this
can cause as much weight loss due to the
sauna-like condtitions as being exposed
to freezing condtions. Regular removal
of the rug to check body condition and
carry out grooming is essential.
Older horses are prone to carrying a
thicker, longer coat. Some horses need
to be clipped all year round. If this is
the case ask your vet to test your horse
for Cushing’s disease (PPID). If you do
need to clip, only clip the areas of the
coat which become damp and take
time to dry. The type of clip will also
depend on health status, the work load
and how well they can regulate their
body temperature.
Alex Clark RVN
Bishopton Veterinary Group
Common signs of old age: