How Are Your Veteran Horses?

[southerncomfort]

I have to say this Winter was a real struggle.

I have two older horses, one who is 18 and one who is 25. The 18 year old is fine and still happy and sprightly but the getting the 25 year old through Winter and a cold, wet Spring has been really hard.

She's missing a fair few teeth and has no grinding surface left on the remaining ones so she can't manage hay any more, which meant that during the worst of the winter weather I was making her up to 6 big trugs of hay replacer a day just to maintain weight. If she got even slightly chilly or wet she got horribly tucked up and dropped weight despite feeling warm under her rug.

Now of course, I have the 'giving her more grass to keep her weight up V managing the laminitis risk' dilemma.

I absolutely adore this horse, she is my horse of a lifetime but sometimes caring for her becomes exhausting!

On the plus side, after a winter off we are back out hacking which she absolutely loves, she has bright eyes and a shiny coat, and her arthritis was a lot better this Winter than I thought it would be.

How are everyone else's veterans getting on?

 

[meleeka]

My Cushings mare is doing really well (I hope I don’t regret saying that!) she’s decided she’d rsther be stabled at night with leg wraps which is ok and apart from that she’s loving life.

I’ve heard of lots of oldies struggling this year though. Weight seems to be the main factor and also struggling with the weather. I know what you mean about the daily struggle between grass to improve them and laminitis. It’s a fine balancing act which, if we are lucky, we get right.

 

[milliepops]

I have a 21 and 22yo who wintered out for the first time this year.
I have to say they look fantastic and I think that more or less by luck, we got it spot on for them. They had about 5 or 6 acres of foggage to go at and a little hay during the snow and that's about it. Both good doers, both in work up until the previous year. Both look sounder coming out of the winter than they were when they were stabled. I feel very fortunate! They are shut off into a small area now as the grass is going wild. I hope next winter is as simple

 

[be positive]

My 26 year old had a good winter, he came in at night at the end of Dec before he dropped off and maintained his weight on ad lib haylage coming out of the winter nice and slim but not thin, he has been back out 24/7 for about a month and has not yet piled on the weight which he is inclined to do so very pleased considering how wet it has been, he has 4 white legs which can get mud fever and we even avoided that this year which was a bonus.
The 22 year old pony also wintered well on the same regime, he is in regular work which really helps as he lacked any muscle tone when he arrived 2 years ago and was a bit unlevel behind at times, this year he is looking and feeling fab, his young riders are enjoying him and he seems to thrive on the work.

 

[ester]

I think it's always a balancing act. Frank stopped eating in the autumn which the vet thought was teeth (he has 1 very big hole and 2 big ones) but they weren't different to previously. Dentist thought he might have some arthritis in his jaw/bashed himself so that was a worry but after some bute (also a worry as his liver isn't great) and antibiotics he seemed to come good again. So he now gets his hay loose and soaked hay cobs instead of chaff. It also means I've opted not to muzzle him this year so they are on a track and we hope it's sufficient. But also I do think QOL has to be weighed up with any weight management at his age (25).

He was also a bit wonky at the end of the summer but that seems to have improved a bit again

Thankfully his recent bloods were the best they've been for 18 months, and he managed his routine dental without drama.

He was super naughty for a lot of the winter to the point where mum decided to stop riding him as he was too full of it, I have got her back on though so hopefully he will continue to be a bit better now they are out at night.

 

[SEL]

Militaire is considered a veteran by the vets as he's a heavy horse who has had a hard life (only 14 poor boy).

I usually struggle with him during winter because he just can't seem to manage short grass. His teeth have been checked and there doesn't appear to be any reason why, but I've noticed even in summer he sulks if he's in a paddock with short grass and doesn't eat. Which is annoying as his main job these days is to keep the grass down to stop the fat Appy eating it all!

This year because of how wet the paddocks got he came in overnight from boxing day and is still in (hopefully not for much longer). He was able to have a mix of ad lib hay and haylage and although his legs stiffened up and I used a fair amount of danilon, he is looking fabulous. Lovely shine on his coat and actually carrying a bit more weight that I would like going into Spring.

He is also feeling Very Good which means I have spent rather more time than I would like trying to catch him as he gallops in circles, trashing the ground, bucking & snorting. Hard to be cross because I love seeing him happy

 

[Sheep]

Mine isn't too bad (22yo ISH), he has come out of winter a wee bit lighter than I would have liked, but he usually does very well on the summer grass so not too concerned.
He's been on speedibeet / fast fibre, unmolassed chaff & a bit of linseed throughout the winter and apart from being a wee bit lean, he is bright and glossy.
He's been out of work now for probably 3+ years and I've definitely noticed his topline reducing, again not overly concerned by this as I think it's a work thing. Our grazing is pretty hilly, so he's still reasonably fit for a creaky old fella.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

He’s wintered well as usual.....age 23yrs

 

[Mosh]

Mine has wintered well after a colic episode. She hadn't been in much work but life has been crazy so she is a little heavier than I'd like.
She'd much rather come in at night time now but that's okay. She is mad as a box of frogs!

 

[AandK]

21yo and 28yo. Both have wintered very well. 28yo got a bit stiff with her bad knee during the cold spell but she is looking fab now, lives out 24/7. Losing teeth but still eating hay.
21yo doing really well after losing an eye end of Feb, having issues with his feet at the mo, but otherwise looking fab.

 

[Britestar]

26yr old was getting a bit stiff at the end of winter, but a change of field so no longer mud around the gateway and she forgot all about being stifff. This morning I let them into a new paddock (they rotate every 10 days), and she was walking around on her hinds legs!!
22yr old, has lost weight over the winter (on purpose) and looks fab, also dancing in the grass.
21yr TB actually looks great and has kept weight on.
21yr TB x look fab too, and too full of himself when being ridden.

 

[Fiona]

Sophie our 20yo ID is the poorest she's ever been despite ad lib hay, grass coming through and two big fibre based feeds per day.

Have just changed her fast fibre to cushcare from Dodson and horrell. If that doesn't work will be top spec linseed mash next.
Fiona

 

[Hallo2012]

He’s wintered well as usual.....age 23yrs

he looks fab!

our 24yo is just picking up, hopefully we can keep him at this weight all summer.

he dropped a bit over winter but that was totally due to being diagnosed with mild cushings and reacting badly to the prascend (1 tablet per day) by stopping eating. He is now on 1/2 tablet, bloods are good and come summer he is strip grazed so gets a small amount of good grass per day and is now looking really well. No topline but equally no fat pads.

teeth are good, liver is good, joints are good.

he has quite clearly said he doesnt want to do any more school work, but the odd trot or canter out hacking is fine, so that is what we shall do he goes out once or twice a week for 45min/1 hour of walk exploring.

 

[huskydamage]

My 25yr old pony a lot more sprightly now its warmer. Lovely to ride. I just can't work out if she is fat or thin though! You can always see her ribs a bit which i put down to her getting a bit saggy lol but with the new grass she looks well bloated. Really not sure

 

[windand rain]

Lives out 24/7 and is incredibly hairy but is casting like mad and looking a bit cleaner than usual. She is 23 years old and still doing everything she always did keep a slight arthritic fetlock at bay by feeding turmeric she is not on any medication of any kind. Deliberately dropped her weight this year as she is ridden less than usual as her friend has gone to Australia for a year

 

[pansymouse]

Mine is 25 and dropped a lot weight in the winter due to a heavy tapeworm burden which was treated as soon as it was diagnosed. She now is fully up to weight to a bit plump (grazing muzzle deployed already) and has virtually shed all her winter coat. She looks amazing and is going like 5 year old.

 

[_HP_]

Jasmine..22...doing an impression of a Yak, has come out of winter the skinniest she's ever been but still lively and alert.

 

[emilylou]

My 25yo pony has never shown his age except for slightly arthritic hocks. However this winter he dropped a bit of condition, had a reaction to alfalfa and his usual ravenous attitude towards anything edible was somewhat subduded. Has good teeth for his age but now needs feed soaking otherwise he struggles with choke as can't chew as well as he used to.
Despite this, now the grass has come through he is back to his porky, cheery self with a gleaming coat and is hacking out with huge enthusiam as he is still happily in work. Its the first time I've seen him struggle though as usually winters extremely well. I'm not afraid of making 'the' decision when the time is right and am not a fan of keeping them going for sentimental reasons. As soon as life gets too uncomfortable for him, that will be that as I have promised him he will go with dignity. We will take it a day at a time.

 

[LeneHorse]

My Cushings mare is doing really well (I hope I don’t regret saying that!).

I know what you mean. It is tempting fate to say your horse is looking good, particularly Cushings ones! However I'm pleased with my 20 year old mare too as it is normally very hard to keep her weight down but she has come out of the winter looking quite slim - in the right light you can almost see ribs! The grass is coming through though so no doubt she will have her belly back again before too long and I will be into the summer weight control battlefield once more.

 

[JJS]

If that doesn't work will be top spec linseed mash next.

TopSpec Linseed Mash is great stuff!

My old boy has had a very hard winter, TBH! He's anywhere between 25 and 35, but probably more towards the latter end of that spectrum. He's never struggled until last year, and this year has been even worse. He looked fantastic all the way through to March, when we had the Beast from the East come along. He dropped a ridiculous amount of weight in the space of a week or two, despite being rugged up to his eyeballs, and slightly prior to that had decided that hard feed was a no go, which definitely didn't help! After an MOT from the vets to rule out anything underlying, we had a very stressful period of trying all of his usual favourites, plus lots of other feeds, none of which got his seal of approval. We finally decided that weight gain would have to take priority over managing his Cushings, so tried him on TopSpec Linseed Mash. His appetite immediately came back with a vengeance, and we're now feeding the more Cushings appropriate TopSpec High Fibre Mash alongside Fast Fibre and a tiny little bit of Linseed Mash. He's gradually putting the weight back on, is full of energy, bright, and happy in himself, so he's bought himself another summer at least!

 

[EmmaB]

My 22 year old who also has cushings - been on prascend a few years now and each year he seems better than ever! This was a couple of weeks ago at arena eventing -

 

[Sophire]

Mine has wintered well as usual. 22yo Warmblood. Hasn’t seen a rug all winter. Out with 6 others on about 8acres. Hay from start of December.

 

[claret09]

fab. well done

He’s wintered well as usual.....age 23yrs

 

[mavandkaz]

My elderly mini has had a tough time recently. She was doing really well until the snow hit. Her teeth aren't great and so she can't eat hay, but she managed quite well on large amounts of fast fibre (she lives out but gets shut in the field shelter for a few hours each evening to eat her feed in piece or the fatty Shetland steals it) found it hard to keep her warm during the first bout of snow but we managed, by wearing 2 rugs and I was feeding her every few hours (having to stand with her to stop fatty getting it) unfortunately she then needed to have a tooth removed. She was fine at first but then the snow hit again and she just shut down. Refused to eat anything and was in a very sorry way, thought I was going to have to call it a day.emergency vet called out. But bute and a couple of days of small, almost hourly feeds and she pulled through. She is now bright and happy in herself but it has really knocked her, not helped that she has decided she only wants to eat unmollassed chaff. She now has the majority of the paddock to herself, and is still getting substantial feeds twice a day. Meanwhile fatty is in his starvation paddock with soaked hay. Will see how she goes over the summer, but if she isn't looking 100% in autumn I don't think I will put her through another winter. She is in her mid 30's now, so has had a good run, and I don't want her to struggle. ☹️

 

[TheresaW]

Mine has been a mixed bag. They live out 24/7/

Dolly is 25, and has cushings. She came out a little poor, but is picking up. Now just keeping an eye on her grass intake. She’s not on as much as the pic looks! Taken tonight.

Mac was really poor going into winter. His passport says he’s 21 but after a full MOT last November when I was really concerned about him, he is apparently a really healthy horse internally. His teeth however appear 10 years older than Dolly’s. I have been piling the food into him, and he’s come out slightly better than he went into winter. If I don’t get some decent weight on him over the summer, I won’t put him through another winter. He has been retired for the last 3 years, so has lost all his muscle.

Again, pic taken tonight. He needs a good groom which I will do tomorrow, and may even clip at the weekend.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

One of them is far too well having wintered out rugless with only a handful of unmolassed chaff to carry supplements and hay. Now watching him carefully!

The other hasn't done well at all and I'm very concerned about her. The snow knocked her back badly so she's having 3 feeds a day to try and get condition back on.

 

[Landcruiser]

19 yr old good doer fat as butter and just about to do a L2 TREC tomorrow. 27 year old retired also done well un rugged and hairy

 

[southerncomfort]

Love reading about all the golden oldies. Sounds like most coped well with the extended winter.

My girl has reached the stage where even if the air temperature is warm, if she gets even slightly rained on she ends up a shivery, tucked up mess and it's unbelievable how quickly she can drop weight/condition.

Yesterday morning her rug leaked and she looked absolutely awful and was so stiff she could hardly move. I'm having to watch the weather forecast like a hawk at the moment. Having said that, by the afternoon the sun came out and she boinging around the field like you wouldn't believe!

 

[TelH]

26 yo mini, weight wise she still lives on little more than fresh air, had a couple of days mid winter when the temperature struggled to get above freezing, she seemed rather unhappy in herself and I thought perhaps it might be the beginning of the end, luckily it was just a minor blip and she continues to enjoy her retirement.

21 yo 13.1hh, also retired. Previously she was a very good doer, this winter was the 1st time that I've noticed she didn't keep weight on as easily. Some adjustments to her feeding regime sorted that out though.

16yo 13.2hh. Doesn't do a lot through the winter but I show her in the summer. Has a dust allergy but Bedmax shavings and haylage keep that under control. One incident where she broke out of her stable, took herself off to the barn to eat unsoaked hay and then proceeded to attempt to cough her own lungs up. Had to have a short course of steroids and dilaterol to get her back on track (and an extra bolt on the door so she doesn't do it again!) Otherwise no problems.