The Aging Horse
Your 20-year-old gelding is starting to look like a senior citizen; there's more sway in his back and less bounce to his step. Horses generally don't become senile or as physically frail as elderly humans, but their bodies go through a number of physical changes as they grow older.
Julia Wilson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of Turner Wilson Equine Consulting LLC, in Stillwater, Minn., says horses experience both external signs of aging as well as internal changes. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract, heart, immune system, and other body systems might not function as efficiently as they did when the horse was younger.
Debra Powell, MS, PhD, associate professor at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, says most people consider old age in horses to be 18-plus.
"Some individuals age more quickly or slowly, depending on physiologic conditions," she explains. "Some show signs of aging as early as 16, and some don't look old until they're in their mid-20s. We see more evidence of aging problems today, just because horses are living longer, thanks to good care. Life expectancy has increased." She adds that some horses age more quickly simply due to genetics.
In this article we'll explore how the horse's various body parts and systems age and what to look out for in your equine senior citizen.
Appearance
Often one of the first signs of aging is a dip in the back; the withers become more prominent and the "saddle" area sinks. "This is due to weakening of the supraspinous ligament that supports the back," explains Powell. As the back sinks, some horses lose muscle mass as well. The withers and back then become bony, which can lead to saddle-fitting issues.
Senility (as we know it in humans) is rare in horses, according to Sue McDonnell, PhD, Cert. AAB, equine behaviorist at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center. "Actually, other than if an older horse is very ill or has lost vision or hearing for some reason (and the change in mental ability or behavior is due to the illness), I have not seen any instances in which I thought the behavior could be attributed to mental senility," she says.
"Mental decline is generally due to injury or a disease like encephalitis," says Julia Wilson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of Turner Wilson Equine Consulting LLC, in Stillwater, Minn. Researchers are also studying a possible link between neurodegeneration in horses with Cushing's disease, which is caused by degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons, similar to what occurs in people with Parkinson's disease. "Dr. Dianne McFarlane (DVM, PhD, Oklahoma State University) has been doing research in this area, and her studies have shown that some of the changes in the horse's brain are similar to the aging changes in the brains of humans," says Wilson. "We know there are some aging changes going on, but we just don't see them expressed as visibly.
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