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There seems to some degree of obsession with the age of a horse.

By Kate Sagar, B. App. Sci. (Physio) M. Anim. St. (Physio)

There seems to some degree of obsession with the age of a horse. If they are older than thirteen years of age no one wants to touch them, and God help those in their late teens! I can’t understand this mentality as the average hack lives into their twenties, yet we are prepared to write them off after only half of their working years. What about experience, knowledge and maturity, all of those great qualities that come ‘part and parcel’ with an older horse?

Just as you would be wary of buying a two or three year old to be your next adult riding club horse, there are also some limitations and careful assessment needed when purchasing an older horse. However, if you find the right one and look after him well, you can have years of enjoyment, without some of the headaches involved with younger horses.

The older horse: A sixteen year old gelding in excellent health.

PURCHASING THE OLDER HORSE

It is important to ascertain the horse’s age accurately, either via a brand or by the teeth. Being told he is in his late teens is not good enough. As the buyer there is a reasonable difference between a sixteen and a nineteen year old in terms of longevity. The second important factor is the horse’s history, both past and present. The past history is relevant, as it will tell you how much wear and tear the horse has undergone. A horse that raced for eight or nine years is likely to be very arthritic compared with an unraced horse. The current history is equally important; it is better to buy a horse or pony that is in current regular work. If the horse is known to you through pony club or adult riding club it is a good guide to its soundness, and it will most likely cope with a similar workload.

Horses to be wary of are those with a history of intense work as a very young horse, i.e. racing or some western sports. Also an older horse that has been out of work for an extended period of time can have soundness issues, the old saying, ‘use it or loose it’ seems to apply.

Another important factor is the current care the horse is receiving. Are they really caring for him as an ‘old’ horse or are they just lucky that he is coping with the work they are doing.

CARING FOR THE OLDER HORSE

Having made the decision to go with the sixteen year old Anglo Arab, you now have to look after him and you may gain many extra years of riding. It is relatively easy to manage these older horses; firstly you need to get a base line on his soundness, stiffness and exercise tolerance.

SOUNDNESS

Take the time to assess how he feels and looks at the walk, trot, canter and any other relevant activities (preferably video him lunged and ridden). Also take note how he is on different surfaces and how he is after a harder riding session, i.e. a competition.

STIFFNESS

It is a good idea to pick up all of his limbs and see how flexible they feel, i.e. can his knees bend all the way and do his hind legs easily lift up. You can also look at the flexibility of his neck by asking him to bend to either side and down between his front legs with a carrot. Take note if he is stiff when you first get on and just how long he takes to let go. Also feel if he is worse after any activities, i.e. jumping, hill work or faster paces.

EXERCISE TOLERANCE

It is helpful to have a rough idea how much exercise the horse can cope with in one session, and how many sessions in a week. Ideally you want to work the horse at a level that will maintain his fitness without the risk of damage to his older legs and joints. Horses are very good at telling us when they have had enough, so listen to him and next time try to finish the session just prior to this occurring. How many sessions he needs in a week is trial and error to some extent. Try every second day if you have time and increase or decrease accordingly. The maximum should be four–five sessions and the minimum two sessions a week.

ANTI-ARTHRITIC MEDICATIONS

Older horses benefit from some form of anti-arthritic medication. There are basically two forms: veterinary based drugs (like Pentosan) and oral feed supplements (Glucosamine based). There is good empirical evidence as to the effectiveness of Pentosan type products, they are shown to decrease the destructive nature of arthritis and improve overall joint function. The best system appears to be an initial course followed by one follow up injection every three–six months.

Oral supplements do not come with the same evidence-based actions, however anecdotally they appear to work well with the general arthritis suffered by older horses. Look for the well known brands and check the levels of active ingredients (sometimes the cheaper alternatives do not have the levels of ingredients needed). Allow at least a month for it to work, and if you get results continue indefinitely.

Whether you decide to go with the Pentosan or the joint food, is a matter of personal choice. Weigh up the cost against the horse’s improvement and be critical about the result or lack of result that you achieve.

Kate Sagar has a degree in Human Physiotherapy and a Masters in Animal Physiotherapy. She has sixteen years experience treating elite racehorses, competition horses and kids’ ponies. Kate runs Melbourne Animal Physiotherapy and is available to travel interstate by arrangement. She treats horses in Victoria on the Mornington Peninsula area on Wednesdays and the Yarra Valley on Thursdays. Telephone 0412 563 597

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