Caring for the Retired Horse

This article is from the February 2021 Horse Deals magazine.

Nestled in the lush farming region of Timboon, Victoria, is Genevieve Rounds and Martin Van de Wouw’s Pullenboon South Equine Retirement Facility. Gen has more than 50 years of experience in the horse industry, and within the last five years has opened the farm to cater for aged care for horses. All retired horses at Pullenboon South have an aged care plan, stipulating the wishes of their owners as they near the end of their life.

On fulfillment of their roles as pleasure, competition or race horses, it is our duty of care to nurture our horse’s health and wellbeing into their senior years. Horses, like humans, have deteriorating health as their years go on and require additional monitoring and care. Gen outlines her professional recommendations on providing the best care for horses in their twilight years.

VET & HEALTH CHECKS

General well-being should be constantly monitored in aging horses. Daily monitoring is an important way of detecting any injury or change in behaviour. You need to understand the horse and their personality, and therefore be able to recognise the slightest change in behaviour, which could be an indicator of illness. This gives you the opportunity to act promptly if a serious situation were to arise.

Observe the older horses for any changes in their ability to move freely around their paddock, which could indicate injury, arthritis, hoof problems, or illness. Also assess for decreases in muscle mass or sudden weight loss, and dull coat. In the spring months, monitoring for excessive weight gain is equally as important.

At Pullenboon South we require all of our retirees to be up to date with their vaccinations prior to entering the farm, to ensure the health and safety of other retiree horses. All retirees should have regular worm treatment as required.

SHELTER

As horses age they become more affected by harsh weather, making shelter a strong recommendation. Trees and shelter belts are ideal if the horse doesn’t have access to a man-made shelter. We have paddocks with large, established shelter belts of cypress trees surrounding them which provides protection from wind, rain and the harsh summer sun.

HOOF CARE

Regular farrier visits will maintain the condition of the older horse’s hooves. Changing weather seasons can affect the integrity of older horses’ hooves, meaning careful attention should be paid to horses prone to issues such as seedy toe and abscesses. Our retiree horses generally remain barefoot, but shoes will be applied in very individual circumstances. Between farrier visits, inspect hooves frequently to monitor for any unexpected deterioration in condition or lameness.

TEETH

Dental care/maintenance as a horse ages is a crucial part of looking after their overall health and wellbeing. Over the course of a horse’s life, their teeth constantly grow. Through their normal chewing action, their grinding motion will wear down the superficial surface of their teeth. In our older horses, tooth growth will eventually stop. Continued chewing/grinding will eventually lead to decreases in tooth size and surface area. This can lead to decreased efficiency in chewing and digesting food, leading to complications such as weight loss and malnutrition if early signs of deterioration are not detected. Our horse dentist generally visits every 6-12 months, or earlier if a clinical need arises. Soaked and softened mixed feeds can be fed if concerns arise about the horse’s dental integrity.

FEEDING

Our preference is to have the retired horses grazing on sufficient amounts of pasture for the majority of the year. As with managing any horse, ensure paddocks are rested for a period and not over-grazed. Inspect the paddock occasionally to ensure pasture levels are adequate to maintain an older horse in good condition. Depending on nutritional requirements and general health conditions, you may like to consider supplementing with pasture hay, mixed feeds, and gut-supporting supplements.

RUGGING

Rugging the retiree is optional and we recommend judging your own horse’s condition and the season when deciding.

COMPANIONS

Companionship is very important for older horses, or any horse, especially if they’ve had multiple homes throughout their lives. Another equine makes the ideal companion for a retiree and will assist in avoiding any unnecessary distress. Over the years we’ve noticed horses form a very close bond during their retirement, and we always keep them together when the need arises to change paddocks.

EXERCISE

For the majority of retired and aged care horses, no additional exercise is required. Grazing freely in the paddock with a buddy, is a gentle, low impact way for the retired horses to keep moving. For weight management, hand-walking may be an option.

MANAGEMENT IS KEY

Caring for the retired horse can be an intimidating task, but a little extra care and attention to the basics will ensure your horse lives out their days in enjoyment and comfort. When the time comes, and your much loved four-legged friend reaches the end of his life, planting a tree at the burial site is a beautiful way to honour them. It will stand as a lifelong reminder of that special horse and the journey you’ve been on together.

Article by Genevieve Rounds of Pullenboon South Equine Retirement.

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