Treating Seniors with Respect

This article is from the April 2020 Horse Deals magazine.

The average lifespan of a horse is reported to be 25 to 30 years, though recently a Quarter Horse named Calypso defied the odds by living a full and happy life to the age of 50. This milestone is no fluke though, with Jenny Dyson-Holland from the Tallebudgera Valley, Queensland, providing Calypso with the utmost care for the last 15 years of his life. It turns out that this isn’t the first time Jenny has cared for such horses. She has a real knack for it, complemented by a compassionate outlook.

“From before I can remember I have loved horses and I made it my passion and my career choice,” reflects Jenny. “I was extremely lucky to have an Olympic rider in my family, Neale Lavis, and a very experienced supportive father.

“My first experience with caring for older horses was when I worked at an agistment/riding school as a young teenager many years ago in Sydney, run by Mrs Peal Batchelor. Peal was a lady who had a wealth of knowledge and didn’t mind passing it on. I remember a horse called Prinnie who was used in the riding school. Prinnie was 45 years old, he was stabled and given mash feeds, but what amazed me was that you still couldn’t put a beginner rider on him! He would prance about like a youngster, yes he looked his age, but boy was he a full of spirit. And this experience has led to many years of looking after the older horse.

“I have had the honour and privilege of caring for older horses at my own agistment centre, some from overseas, namely retired racehorses from Hong Kong. In some instances they’ve had injuries or others are just lucky horses with fantastic owners.

“Older horses do not need to be thrown away and forgotten about. They can and do live a very productive life if kept in light work, fed high quality feeds that are specific for older horses and are given arthritic supplements. Yes, they are not cheap to keep, but I always think of the joy that these horses have brought their riders over the years. Some school horses maybe taught kids who went on to fulfil a dream of becoming an Olympic rider. Or maybe they taught disabled or mentally challenged people to experience the joy of moving as one without someone pushing them. These old horses have a true sense of knowing the capabilities of riders, so I think it is our responsibility to look after them accordingly.”

Jenny’s tips for caring for the older horse:

• Have your old horse regularly checked by your vet, his teeth checked, farrier out to attend to feet, wormed and given anti-arthritis medications.

• Feed a good quality feed specifically for aged horses, most need them damp and as time goes on I have found they really need the feed quite wet. Small feeds are often best, at least twice a day. I personally don’t feed hay as their teeth just don’t have the ability to grind as well as they have done as a younger horse, but be guided by your vet.

• Twice a day observation, I pick up manure daily... I know my horses by how much they do and if it changes at all. You can’t just put them in a paddock and forget them!

• In winter they definitely need rugging, as my vet would say “show me an old person in a nursing home that is fat.” It’s pretty true, most old horses, and I mean 28 plus, don’t have a lot of fat on them so they do need rugging in winter. Horses shiver to keep warm and use up calories to do so, and you don’t want your older horse doing that.

• Watch for any conditions that may develop. Older horses are more prone to colic, arthritis, Cushing’s disease, and just general degeneration of their immune system, but these things can be managed and your vet will help you. Some also develop blindness and/or hearing loss. I have experienced this with Calypso who lived to 50! Just don’t change anything in their environment e.g. keep the water trough and feed bins in the same place and move slowly around them.

“What do I get from working with and looking after these older horses? An enormous sense of love and trust, these horses have given so much of their lives, they deserve to be loved and given the respect that they have earned.”

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