Old horse. What should I be looking out for?

[Highmileagecob]

My old boy is 27 and has always been a good do-er. Has always had to have his exercise tailored to his food intake to keep him trim. Works barefoot, trimmed every six weeks, regular dental checks, up to last year was hacked out daily (weather permitting). Last summer he came off the summer pasture looking thinner than usual, and during the last six months I have slowly reduced his ridden exercise to nil. He is now walked out in hand three or four times a week. Normally he would start to body up during the winter, but this year he hasn't. I've noticed muscle tone dropping over his quarters and neck, and he is looking his age.
He is eating his usual amount, but generally slowing down, and I have to face the inevitable that time is not on his side. What should I be watching out for at this stage of life? It seems to be happening so quickly - I know the adage that once they stop working they age quickly, but the point has been reached when it was right to retire him, and I am trying to prepare for this next phase.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Has he had a Cushings test recently? If not I would start with that.

 

[Annagain]

My best friend and I have two oldies between us, we both care for them both. Monty is definitely 26, Archie's passport (issued when he was '9') says 26 but we suspect he's a bit older. A's been retired since 2020 (coffin joint arthritis), M (damaged suspensory now healed - he could come back into work but we chose not too) since last year. A still looks like you could put a saddle on him tomorrow and take him for a ride, he hasn't changed a bit. M lost all his top line within 2 months and looks old but he's a good weight, has had everything checked and is fine. We're learning to ignore the lack of muscle and focus on other indicators. We think a big part of it is A still plays with the other horses so keeps fairly active, M was never active in the field, he's always been a loner and never joins in the games so now he isn't ridden, he does nothing, just mooches and grazes.

As long as your boy is eating and moving well, the weight loss isn't too acute and he's otherwise bright and interested in his surroundings, I wouldn't be too worried, although as PAS says a cushings test wouldn't go amiss. Both of ours are very slightly elevated (in 30s, 25 is considered threshold) but not enough to warrant medication, especially as they don't really have any symptoms.

 

[TheLoneWanderer]

Definitely have a Cushing's test done. My old lad was very dull and just not himself, Cushing test done, pergolide started and he's like he was 5 years ago.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

My 27 yr old is a good weight and ridden 2-3 times a week and very lively. He struggles to eat hay due to teeth wearing out. I spend between £200-300 a month on hard feed and hay replacers. Some of that for my younger horse but most for him. He’s recently tested negative for Cushings. I test about once a year.

Bucket feeds consist of Saracen Releve and a fibre nut in varying amounts depending on condition. Also Equijewel and micronised linseed. Plus joint supplement and Buteless. Fed soaked. He used to get hardly anything as such a good doer so don’t think the same feed will have have the same results in an oldie.

Overnight hay replacer currently consists of one Stubbs scoop Spillers fibre nuts, 2 scoops Simple Systems Haycare, half a scoop Baileys nuggets and two scoops Honeychop veteran chaff. I feed it dry and he wiffles through it like a pick n mix. When wet he left loads so although there is a risk of choke the chaff slows eating down and all the nuts easily break up with a bit of saliva. He also has a small hay net to pull at which mostly gets deposited on the floor.

He’s actually a bit too well at the moment and I’ve cut down his feed since I took this photo last week pending spring grass.

 

[milliepops]

i don't think they always drop off when they retire so i would definitely be looking to see if there is a cause that can be addressed. i have a 25 and 26yo who have been fully retired 3 years and both look ready to saddle up and go (or would do underneath the feral attitude and yak like coats )

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Cushings test-they’re free. Maybe get bloods done, increase hard feed, check teeth to ensure they’re not stopping him chewing properly. I used fast fibre whe mine wasn’t well during a strangles outbreak, don’t think it’s very calorific tho, but useful for adding veteran supplements maybe.

 

[cauda equina]

My 27 yr old is a good weight and ridden 2-3 times a week and very lively. He struggles to eat hay due to teeth wearing out. I spend between £200-300 a month on hard feed and hay replacers. Some of that for my younger horse but most for him. He’s recently tested negative for Cushings. I test about once a year.

Bucket feeds consist of Saracen Releve and a fibre nut in varying amounts depending on condition. Also Equijewel and micronised linseed. Plus joint supplement and Buteless. Fed soaked. He used to get hardly anything as such a good doer so don’t think the same feed will have have the same results in an oldie.

Overnight hay replacer currently consists of one Stubbs scoop Spillers fibre nuts, 2 scoops Simple Systems Haycare, half a scoop Baileys nuggets and two scoops Honeychop veteran chaff. I feed it dry and he wiffles through it like a pick n mix. When wet he left loads so although there is a risk of choke the chaff slows eating down and all the nuts easily break up with a bit of saliva. He also has a small hay net to pull at which mostly gets deposited on the floor.

He’s actually a bit too well at the moment and I’ve cut down his feed since I took this photo last week pending spring grass.

He looks great!

 

[Gloi]

Cushing's test as everyone else says and a specialist dentist. When mine was that age he had a lot of work done on a regular basis treating diastemas and packing other problems.

 

[Frano]

Do you use a senior balancer. I give my

 

[Highmileagecob]

Has he had a Cushings test recently? If not I would start with that.

Yes. He was Cushings tested annually to the age of 25, always mid range normal. He doesn't show any symptoms of anything at the moment - his winter faecal water has cleared up, his appetite is normal, the amount he is eating is normal. He is still sound, no arthritis, no laminitis, really the only thing that has caught my eye is the poor weight gain and general slowing down. I think I know it's old age, but I don't want to miss anything.

 

[Goldenstar]

He is as you say a little tubby in he photo but he looks tremendous well done.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Brilliant picture Sussexbythesea!
Feed wise mine can be a bit tricky, as he has an allergy to hay and hay type products and goes into heaves with much coughing and struggling for breath. Emergency steroids sent him into laminitis, which took an entire summer to calm down, and this year I have had to remove all fibre based bucket feed to sort out his faecal water problem. It has crossed my mind that he could well be older than I think he is. He was bought in mid winter as rising eight, and both the dealer and I agreed that the hooks on his teeth probably placed him around that age, as the dealer hadn't had him long.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Cushing's test as everyone else says and a specialist dentist. When mine was that age he had a lot of work done on a regular basis treating diastemas and packing other problems.

Yes agree. I think this is the way to go.

 

[honetpot]

It depends on if it's just muscle shrinkage, which is normal with age or fat covering. I am a convert to Spiller Super Senior Mash, they want to eat it, and as it high calorie forage, you can replace or add to their normal forage. The ones that are getting older, I tend to start feeding the end of August, so they do not lose weight over winter.