I’ve lost count of how many articles I’ve written or edited about senior horses in which the sources or researchers stress to owners that, if they want their elder equids to stay loose, comfortable, and working happily, they need to keep them moving. But it never actually sunk in until last week, maybe because 19-year-old Dorado has stayed in pretty consistent work and never really felt stiff or sluggish (unless he did something incredibly stupid to injure himself, of course).

Following his laminitic episode in June, we had to keep Dorado quiet (read: in a stall where he’d stay still opposed to in a field where he’d run around like a wild man) to minimize the damage to his hooves’ internal structures. He eventually graduated to limited and then nightly turnout, but under the supervision of a babysitter who refuses to partake in his shenanigans.

Dorado is slowly getting back to work, which we’re hoping will help loosen his stiff body up

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.