SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2021 THE RIDER/ 9 INSIDE


TLC For Senior Horses........9 Pro and Non-Pro


Senior Horses!


Check-ups and check-ins still required for equine health and welfare


Guelph, ON Sept. 1, 2021 - Trusty steed Sparky is ready to “retire”, but what exactly does that mean? Certainly, there are management changes when it comes to the senior horse. While there may be savings in some areas, there are still serious commitments of both time and finances to make sure Sparky, the once seasoned campaigner, does not suffer from preventable afflictions that come with age. Your horse may be ready for re- tirement, but are you ready for this next chapter in your horse’s life?


Test your senior savvy


with Equine Guelph’s free online healthcare tool, the Senior Horse Challenge ( equinegue lph. c a / s e - niorhorsetool) To get you started, here is a quick quiz:


True or False? 1. Senior horses require more protein than an adult horse 2. Senior horses put out to pasture no longer require vaccinations 3. Horses tend to sweat less as they get older and won’t need salt or electrolytes 4. It is easy to recognize pain in horses


The answers are fur-


ther down in this article ex- cept for number four which is quite subjective. We will discuss this one first! As a prey species, hiding pain is one of the top survival skills of the horse. Signs of pain can be very subtle like shift- ing away from you when being groomed but others, like nipping, are painfully obvious. Research papers are emerging to help horse owners hone their skills in this tricky area. From the Equine Facial Grimace Scale to ground-breaking work from researchers like Dr. Sue Dyson. The first clue for horse owners is often a change in behaviour which frequently gets dis- missed as the ‘new normal’ or missed all together if the equine is a senior “pasture puff”.


See the pain recogni-


tion information sheet on the senior horse tool which


lists: rigid posture, head lowering, squinting eyes, limp ears, teeth-grinding, in- creased flight behaviour, ag- gression, a decrease in responsiveness, flaring of nostrils, looking back at the flank, restlessness, stoic or pained expression, dull eyes, awkward tail carriage or aggressively swishing tail, reluctance to move, guarding part of their body or reluctance to be handled and more.


Practise Daily Diligence: A daily check is in


order for all equines, even for Sparky whose main job is now to munch on pasture. Thrush could develop in hooves that are not picked daily; skin diseases sneak up quickly on the ungroomed horse and an undetected wound can spell big trouble if it causes an infection.


Provide Regular Care: Farrier appointments


are often the first cutback for the retired or semi-re- tired horse, but each horse is an individual and needs to be treated as such. A bal- anced hoof helps minimize stress on the joints and hoof structures as farrier Sean Jones points out in the Sen- ior Horse Challenge feature video. The threat of lamini- tis does increase in older horses, especially if they de- velop a metabolic disorder. Senior hooves require extra attention and input from both veterinarian and farrier. “Studies show one-


third of laminitis cases are linked to PPID,” says Dr. Doug Myers, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim Ani- mal Health and sponsor of the Senior Horse Challenge tool. “The best rule of thumb is when you see symptoms of laminitis, talk to your veterinarian about testing for PPID.”


Turned Out to Pasture? – Check in Frequently: There may be a temp-


tation for owners to turn the horse out to pasture and hope all is fine but staying on top of senior healthcare is not an occasional effort. Body condition scor-


ing (BSC) is a task to stay


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Regular care for retirees can be found within Equine


Guelph’s online healthcare tool, The Senior Horse Chal- lenge (equineguelph.ca/seniorhorsetool).


on top of with great dili- gence. If Sparky becomes obese, that will also put more stress on his joints in- creasing his risk of a devel- oping a metabolic issue. Performing a regular BSC will also raise the red flag if Sparky loses weight. Weight can drop quickly in a senior and it can be more challeng- ing to restore optimal body weight as sometimes there are more than one health issue contributing to the challenge. Old age is not a valid reason for declining body condition, and it must be addressed, as is true for for any animal at any stage of its life. Senior horses often re-


quire more regular visits for dental care, modifications to their nutrition program or a change of turn-out buddies if they are not getting their fair share of resources. They also need to remain on a parasite control program. Sparky may not need


to consume as many calories as when he was in full work but what he does consume may need to soaked, ex- truded or both to make his feed easier to digest.


Move it or lose it Sparky still needs the


stimulation of regular exer- cise. Use it or lose it relates


to horses just as much as hu- mans. An unused muscle will deteriorate over time. Tendons and ligaments which have seen their fair share of work will weaken over


time. The senior


horse’s exercise regime should be carefully consid- ered to encourage mobility for health without putting undue stress on old injuries or areas of weakness. Regu- lar exercise combined with a quality protein feed is ben- eficial to maintaining the topline. Exercise is also impor-


tant for helping maintain healthy gut function. Lack of movement weakens mus- cles and bones. In many cases, mild exercise can help reduce inflammation in tendons,


ligaments and


joints. Exercise can also help prevent the senior horse from gaining too much weight. Old injuries and wear and tear may mean the aging horse will need to have its athletic ventures scaled back, but the benefits of maintaining an active lifestyle can be healthier joints. Perhaps Sparky would like to go for a light hack?


Many older horses


also suffer from pain due to Continued on Page 12.


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