{"id":550,"date":"2012-03-26T19:24:05","date_gmt":"2012-03-26T19:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.performanceequinevets.com\/web\/?p=550"},"modified":"2012-03-26T19:24:05","modified_gmt":"2012-03-26T19:24:05","slug":"10-tips-for-caring-for-the-older-horse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.performanceequinevets.com\/web\/10-tips-for-caring-for-the-older-horse\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Tips for Caring for the Older Horse"},"content":{"rendered":"

10 Tips for Caring for the Older Horse<\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Because of advances in nutrition, management and health care, horses are living longer, more useful lives. It\u2019s not uncommon to find horses and ponies living well into their 20s and 30s.\u00a0 While genetics play a role in determining life span, you too, can have an impact.<\/p>\n

You may think that turning your old-timer out to pasture is the kindest form of retirement. But horses are individuals.\u00a0 Some enjoy being idle; others prefer to be a part of the action.\u00a0 Whatever you do, don\u2019t ignore the horse.\u00a0 Proper nutrition, care and exercise will help the animal thrive. Follow these guidelines to develop a total management plan for your older horse:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Observe your horse on a regular basis.\u00a0 Watch for changes in body condition, behavior and attitude. Address problems, even seemingly minor ones, right away.<\/li>\n
  2. Feed a high quality diet.\u00a0 Avoid dusty and moldy feeds.<\/li>\n
  3. Feed your older horse away from younger, more aggressive ones so it won\u2019t have to compete for feed.<\/li>\n
  4. Feed at more frequent intervals so as not to upset the digestive system. Two-three times daily is best.<\/li>\n
  5. Provide plenty of fresh, clean, tepid water.\u00a0 Excessively cold water reduces consumption which can lead to colic and other problems.<\/li>\n
  6. Adjust and balance rations to maintain proper body conditions.\u00a0 A good rule of thumb is to be<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    able to feel the ribs but not see them.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Provide adequate, appropriate exercise to maintain muscle tone, flexibility and mobility.<\/li>\n
    2. Groom your horse frequently to promote circulation and skin health.<\/li>\n
    3. Be aware that older horses are prone to tumors.\u00a0 Look for any unusual lumps or growths from head to tail as well as beneath the tail (especially on gray horses).<\/li>\n
    4. Schedule routine checkups with your equine veterinarian.\u00a0 Call immediately if you suspect a problem.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

      A quick response to ailments, injuries or a decline in fitness can keep your older horse from having a serious or prolonged setback.\u00a0 That means less worry for you and a better quality of life for your old friend.\u00a0 For more information about caring for the older horse, ask your equine veterinarian for the \u201cOlder Horse\u201d brochure, provided by the American Association of Equine Practitioners in partnership with Educational Partners Bayer Animal Health and Purina Mills, Inc.\u00a0 Visit the AAEP\u2019s horse health web site, www.myHorseMatters.com, for additional information about caring for the older horse.<\/p>\n

      \n

      Reprinted with permission from the American Association of Equine Practitioners.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      10 Tips for Caring for the Older Horse   Because of advances in nutrition, management and health care, horses are living longer, more useful lives. It\u2019s not uncommon to find horses and ponies living well into their 20s and 30s.\u00a0 While genetics play a role in determining life span, you too, can have an impact. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-horse-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceequinevets.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceequinevets.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceequinevets.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceequinevets.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceequinevets.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceequinevets.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceequinevets.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceequinevets.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceequinevets.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}