The defnition of senior or geriatric horse is very individual dependent.  Some of our patients are slowing way down at 18 to 19 years, others are being ridden 3-4 times per week and even still showing in to their late 20s.  Many factors determine how your horse handles the years but diet, exercise history and genetics are very strong components.

I drew from some human research to determine that the biggest reason we slow down as age is fat.  Young adult humans are at maximum muscle mass which slowly declines over the years and is replaced by fat.  Nerve conduction velocity decrease and we lose some ability to move oxygen from our lungs to our tissues.  But I said slow down, not stop.  This means many older horses can continue to compete, trail ride or whatever you wish.

The type and extent of conditioning primarily will depend on several factors, including the age of the horse, training history, body condition, and the main goal of the conditioning program. For example, the amount of training that is reasonable for a 15-year-old horse will likely be considerably greater than for a horse in his mid-20s. However, regardless of age, we need to consider the horse’s training history carefully. There are many eventers, show jumpers, and endurance horses which have sustained a high level of fitness throughout their teen years–those horses appear capable of training and competing at a level not far below that of a much younger horse. However, because they are well-schooled in their respective events, these seasoned campaigners often can remain competitive with a lower training volume. This helps reduce excessive wear and tear on the musculoskeletal system.

The situation will be much different for the middle-aged and older horse which has received little exercise for a number of years. A much more cautious approach to conditioning is required.  As well, there is an impression among riders and trainers that those horses take more time to attain fitness compared to the youngsters.  Therefore, you must start out very gradually, be patient, and closely monitor your horse for signs that indicate you are overdoing it.  For horses of any age, injury and lameness can occur when the training volume is increased rapidly.  Carefully palpate tendons and ligaments of the lower limbs for signs of heat, swelling, and pain.

Obviously, the level of training also will depend on whether or not you are aiming to compete your horse. This is a reasonable goal for the teenager, but (in most cases) less reasonable for the horse in his mid-20s. More realistic is a program of regular light exercise that helps maintain body condition and muscle tone, and allows the horse to be used for trail riding or similar tasks. This is a win-win situation–regular exercise will help prevent or even reverse some of the age-related changes in muscle mass and strength, and will also improve your horse’s quality of life. Daily turnout is another way to ensure that the horse receives regular exercise, and is certainly important for maintaining good spirits.

The most common limiting factor in older horses is chronic lameness.  It’s a good idea to have one our Doctors examine your older horse before putting the previously idle horse back into work. Lameness associated with foot pain is common in older horses, and some medication as well as special shoes might be necessary.  Pain associated with degenerative joint disease is common; again our Doctors will be able to identify these problems and make recommendations concerning pain relief and exercise programs.

It is advisable to schedule regular veterinary check-ups, particularly for horses in their 20s. Keep a close eye on the joints, tendons, and ligaments of the legs–any stiffness or swelling might signal the recurrence of an old problem and the need to moderate the conditioning program.

Start your conditioning program slow.  Monitor your horse’s response to increased work very closely.  As a guide, do not increase the weekly training distance by more than 5%. Three 10-15 minute sessions per week on the longe line or under saddle might be an appropriate place to begin–the length of these workouts can be increased over the next month. Then, you can add another weekly session and/or begin to increase the intensity of the workouts gradually by inserting some low-speed cantering. Try to vary the workouts as much as possible to maintain the horse’s interest. If possible, include a little hill training–this will help muscles strengthen.

Be cautious during the hot summer months, particularly when beginning training during the summer.  Older humans and animals are often less able to lose body heat during exercise, in part because of a decline in cardiovascular performance and a reduction in sweat gland function.  For that reason, it is wise to limit exercise on very hot days–either shorten the duration of work or reduce the intensity of exercise. In hot weather, actively cool the horse after exercise by applying cold water over the neck and body.  Also allow him to drink a moderate amount of water after exercise to replace fluid losses due to sweating.

Watch your older horse’s weight while increasing workloads.  Some older horses can have trouble absorbing nutrients from their feed.  If your horse is having trouble maintaining weight with an increased work load consider switching to a Senior diet.  With their easily digestible nutrients and higher fat content they are the perfect choice.  Additional fat in the form of vegetable oil can also be added to increase weight.

Hope these guidelines help you keep your older horse in work!

The defnition of senior or geriatric horse is very individual dependent.  Some of our patients are slowing way down at 18 to 19 years, others are being ridden 3-4 times per week and even still showing in to their late 20s.  Many factors determine how your horse handles the years but diet, exercise history and genetics are very strong components.

I drew from some human research to determine that the biggest reason we slow down as age is fat.  Young adult humans are at maximum muscle mass which slowly declines over the years and is replaced by fat.  Nerve conduction velocity decrease and we lose some ability to move oxygen from our lungs to our tissues.  But I said slow down, not stop.  This means many older horses can continue to compete, trail ride or whatever you wish.

The type and extent of conditioning primarily will depend on several factors, including the age of the horse, training history, body condition, and the main goal of the conditioning program. For example, the amount of training that is reasonable for a 15-year-old horse will likely be considerably greater than for a horse in his mid-20s. However, regardless of age, we need to consider the horse’s training history carefully. There are many eventers, show jumpers, and endurance horses which have sustained a high level of fitness throughout their teen years–those horses appear capable of training and competing at a level not far below that of a much younger horse. However, because they are well-schooled in their respective events, these seasoned campaigners often can remain competitive with a lower training volume. This helps reduce excessive wear and tear on the musculoskeletal system.

The situation will be much different for the middle-aged and older horse which has received little exercise for a number of years. A much more cautious approach to conditioning is required. As well, there is an impression among riders and trainers that those horses take more time to attain fitness compared to the youngsters. Therefore, you must start out very gradually, be patient, and closely monitor your horse for signs that indicate you are overdoing it. For horses of any age, injury and lameness can occur when the training volume is increased rapidly. Carefully palpate tendons and ligaments of the lower limbs for signs of heat, swelling, and pain.

Obviously, the level of training also will depend on whether or not you are aiming to compete your horse. This is a reasonable goal for the teenager, but (in most cases) less reasonable for the horse in his mid-20s. More realistic is a program of regular light exercise that helps maintain body condition and muscle tone, and allows the horse to be used for trail riding or similar tasks. This is a win-win situation–regular exercise will help prevent or even reverse some of the age-related changes in muscle mass and strength, and will also improve your horse’s quality of life. Daily turnout is another way to ensure that the horse receives regular exercise, and is certainly important for maintaining good spirits.

The most common limiting factor in older horses is chronic lameness.  It’s a good idea to have one our Doctors examine your older horse before putting the previously idle horse back into work. Lameness associated with foot pain is common in older horses, and some medication as well as special shoes might be necessary. Pain associated with degenerative joint disease is common; again our Doctors will be able to identify these problems and make recommendations concerning pain relief and exercise programs.

It is advisable to schedule regular veterinary check-ups, particularly for horses in their 20s. Keep a close eye on the joints, tendons, and ligaments of the legs–any stiffness or swelling might signal the recurrence of an old problem and the need to moderate the conditioning program.

Start your conditioning program slow.  Monitor your horse’s response to increased work very closely.  As a guide, do not increase the weekly training distance by more than 5%. Three 10-15 minute sessions per week on the longe line or under saddle might be an appropriate place to begin–the length of these workouts can be increased over the next month. Then, you can add another weekly session and/or begin to increase the intensity of the workouts gradually by inserting some low-speed cantering. Try to vary the workouts as much as possible to maintain the horse’s interest. If possible, include a little hill training–this will help muscles strengthen.

Be cautious during the hot summer months, particularly when beginning training during the summer. Older humans and animals are often less able to lose body heat during exercise, in part because of a decline in cardiovascular performance and a reduction in sweat gland function. For that reason, it is wise to limit exercise on very hot days–either shorten the duration of work or reduce the intensity of exercise. In hot weather, actively cool the horse after exercise by applying cold water over the neck and body. Also allow him to drink a moderate amount of water after exercise to replace fluid losses due to sweating.

Watch your older horse’s weight while increasing workloads.  Some older horses can have trouble absorbing nutrients from their feed.  If your horse is having trouble maintaining weight with an increased work load consider switching to a Senior diet.  With their easily digestible nutrients and higher fat content they are the perfect choice.  Additional fat in the form of vegetable oil can also be added to increase weight.

Hope these guidelines help you keep your older horse in work!

West Nile has been very quiet for the last 5-6 years.  This is largely due to widespread vaccination and a reduction in natural spread in the wild bird population.  Over the past several months however, there has been an increase in virus-infected sentinel birds (birds used to detect natural virus levels in the wild) and one confirmed fatality from the disease in a horse in Alachua County.  You may have thought this disease was dead and gone, but much like Eastern Encephalitis it will most likely be an occasional presence in our area.  At Springhill Equine, we are doing our part to keep your horse protected from this killer virus by providing your horse with the highest quality vaccine, along with our reminder system and Wellness Program to make sure your horse gets vaccinated at the right time.  Keep in mind that mosquitoes spread this virus, so we may not see the true extent of resurgence before our mosquito levels peak next spring, but your horse will still be at risk over the temperate fall and winter months in Florida.  Be sure you horse is not left unprotected.

EWT

The EWT vaccination is a combination product that provides a six-month duration of immunity against deadly Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis viruses and Tetanus infection.  Despite its availability and effectiveness to prevent these diseases boosters must be done every six months, and as a result there have been several documented cases of Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis in Alachua and surrounding counties this year alone.  The more numerous these cases become, the more risk there is to any horse in the area, which remains unvaccinated and consequently unprotected.  Although this vaccination is widely available in most local feed stores, it is important to keep in mind that this vaccine is only effective if properly handled up until the vaccine is administered.  That being said, any period of time the vaccine is not kept adequately refrigerated will reduce and possibly eliminate its efficacy.

Rabies

Rabies is a yearly vaccination that provides protection against the deadly rabies virus.  Rabies is an important disease among our domestic animals because it is one of the very few diseases that we as humans can catch from direct contact with our horses.  Animals with rabies spread the disease through saliva or other bodily fluids, and do so for weeks prior to showing any outward signs of infection.  That being the case, there are strict requirements with regard to a horse that may have been exposed to a rabid animal trapped on or near your property, in order to insure that your horse may not have inadvertently exposed you to the virus.  Unfortunately, it is impossible to test an animal for exposure to the virus while it is still alive, so this necessitates euthanasia of the horse.  If vaccination by a licensed veterinarian within the previous 12-month period can be proven, than the horse is simply quarantined for the next 14 days and released if no symptoms are seen.    Again, appropriate vaccination handling and correct administration is imperative for this vaccination to ensure adequate immunity, but when done properly this vaccination will serve to protect not only your horse but also all those in contact with your horse.

Flu and Rhino

These two vaccinations have historically been given to horses as a combination product, but recently a more effective nasal influenza vaccination has been developed which provides yearlong immunity over the previous IM injection that only lasted for six months.  In addition, the rhinovirus vaccination can now be combined with your horses EWT shot, so that your horse will need only receive one   injection every six months.  The next question that most owners ask is “does my horse need to be vaccinated against flu and rhino?”  It is true that these viruses are not usually life-limiting, however they can certainly put your horse out of commission for several days with nasal discharge, fever and general malaise.  In addition, the flu and rhino viruses can even result in death when contracted by young or debilitated animals.  So, the answer to this question is yes if you have foals or geriatric hoses, or if your horse travels off the farm (or is exposed to any other horses traveling off the farm) on a regular basis.  If your horses remain isolated from exposure to other horses, you can feel very comfortable skipping these vaccinations.  It is also important to recognize that although these vaccinations are effective against many forms of these viruses, there are new forms that develop (much like the H1N1 version of flu in people) that even a vaccinated horse can contract.  Therefore, it is important to contact us if you notice these symptoms even if your horse is already vaccinated.

To help ensure your horse stays well protected, Springhill Equine is once again happy to offer our Wellness Programs.  There will be three programs, each available with customized deworming program targeted to your horse’s lifestyle.   We take care of remembering everything and you get a discount on services!

Is the grass always greener on the other side of your fence?  Wonder how your neighbors have such beautiful pastures and you have weeds?  Jim Smith at Growers Fertilizer in Newberry and Cindy Sanders from the Alachua Country Extension Service gave us some pointers for pristine pastures.

You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken.  Start with a soil test.  This will highlight any deficiencies in the biggies: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.  Testing will also give you your soil’s pH level and let you know if any of the trace minerals are out of balance.  Many of our local farm supply stores sell soil sampling tools which allow for deeper samples or you can use a shovel.  Either way, be sure to get twelve to fifteen samples per area you are interested in, mix well and then take your final sample.  Once you have your final sample, your fertilizer company can send it off and determine an appropriate mixture for your property.

A few tips:  If you have a large property with several pastures, separate your testing samples so individual pastures can have different mixes if necessary.

Have an area that just won’t grow grass?  Sample that area separately to see if anything special should be done.

Sand-spurs are often an indication of low soil pH.  We usually have a low pH problem in this area.  This is easily corrected with the application of dolomite.

Now that you know what your pastures need for Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus, you have your pH and your trace mineral deficiencies you are ready to grow some grass!

Your fertilizer company will be a very valuable resource here.  This time of year fertilizer is usually applied.  Grass seed can be added to overseed your pastures and boost grass production in the summer months.  Trace mineral packages may be needed to even out those minor but important components. The pH is generally addressed in the Fall but consult with your fertilizer company on the best plan for your needs.

What should you do for weeds?  Soil testing will, most likely, show some abnormalities in your soil.  Once corrected many of our common weeds will have trouble growing in your pasture.  However, Chamber Bitter and a few others are annoying, invasive weeds that drastically reduce your grass’s ability to compete.  These weeds are best treated with targeted weedkillers.  Once again contact your fertilizer company or the County Extension service for advice on time of year to attack and chemical to use.  Most of these chemicals are very safe for horses and only require a small amount of time off the pastures.  Once under control, weeds can often be addressed every few years rather than being a constant battle.

Because horses are like potato chips and we can never have just one, our pastures often end up overgrazed.  Overgrazing causes a loss of soil quality and gives weeds the opportunity to take over.  Grass can deal with overgrazing if it is given a rest period.  Dividing your pastures so that you can rotate horses off for at least 2-3 weeks will give your grass a chance to catch up.  We will discuss the benefits of rotation for parasite control in the next section.  During our great summer growing season you will see a huge increase in growth by rotating.

Lastly, let’s talk about managing your pastures to help reduce parasites.  Our horses get their internal parasites from themselves and their friends so manure management is very important.  The best method is to remove the manure and composting it will provide you with excellent fertilizer.  For larger properties manure removal can be very difficult.  Dragging your fields is a good alternative but can spread parasites.  Following a few rules will help kill parasites in the manure.  Keep your fields mowed to reduce thatch where parasite eggs can hide.  Only drag when temperatures are over 85 degrees during the day.  Hot temperatures kill the parasite eggs.  Give the pasture a three week break from grazing to kill those parasites with time and temperature.

With these guidelines and a little help from your fertilizer company the grass can be greener on your side of the fence!

Thanks again to Jim Smith of Growers Fertilizer and Cindy Sanders at the County Extension Service!

Jim can be reached at 352.474.6274 or jsmith@growersfertilizer.com

Cindy can be reached at 352.955.2402 or sanders1@ufl.edu