It is amazing how many horse owners have one or more horses over the age of 15. My daughter’s old Arab mare is 22 this year. She’s slowed down (somewhat), has a bit more trouble getting up and down, and has a little more sway to her topline, but she has lost none of her zest for life. She rules the roost, but is the kindest soul on the farm. This month’s cover story on caring for older horses is a testimony to the improvement in equine health care over the past 20 years. Parasites that used to debilitate are held at bay, no longer leaving a path of destruction through the horse’s body. Tooth problems that used to mark the end of a horse’s life have been forestalled by a new respect and understanding for equine dental care, improved dental instrumentation, and better nutritional choices. Arthritis that in past decades would have put a horse out to pasture (or in the ground) now can be held in check with proper physical management and medical maintenance. And we keep on learning more each year about how to better care for our horses from before birth to the end of their golden years.

Many horses–like many of their human counterparts–are working longer and are happy to be at work. Other horses are content to laze away the days of retirement.

No matter your horse’s lifestyle, scheduling regular wellness exams with your veterinarian and protecting your horse with proper immunizations will go a long way toward ensuring that your old friend stays around a few more years