We’ve all heard the statistics about aging America–as the population of baby boomers rounds the curve of 40, the average age of our society is inching its way up. In recent years, horses have experienced a similar population shift. While 100 years ago they were primarily beasts of burden, seldom kept around once their most productive years were over, now our horses are not only work and athletic partners, but are our companions. It has become increasingly important to us to preserve their good health through their "golden years" and to extend their lifespans as long as they can enjoy a "quality" life. Modern veterinary science has provided a vast array of knowledge and techniques that can assist us.

SERITA C. HULT As horses get older, they experience a number of gradual, irreversible changes. 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! SIGN UP Already have an account? Login and continue reading. Share Favorite Close Please login to bookmark Username or Email Address Password Remember Me No account yet? Register Written by: Karen Briggs Karen Briggs is the author of six books, including the recently updated Understanding Equine Nutrition as well as Understanding The Pony, both published by Eclipse Press. She’s written a few thousand articles on subjects ranging from guttural pouch infections to how to compost your manure. She is also a Canadian certified riding coach, an equine nutritionist, and works in media relations for the harness racing industry. She lives with her band of off-the-track Thoroughbreds on a farm near Guelph, Ontario, and dabbles in eventing. PrevPreviousStricter EIA Requirements Possible For North Carolina NextHSUS Offers Tips For Helping Animals During Flooding ConditionsNext Related Articles Treating Equine Joints With Medical-Grade Honey Post-Surgery Small Feet, Big Responsibility: Hoof Care for Foals Noninvasive Therapies For Sport Horses Keeping Horses Sound Post-Tendon Injury Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com Learn More Sponsored Content Vetscan Imagyst™: Positive Results in a Mixed Veterinary Practice Equine Care for Life: Helping Horse Owners Navigate Veterinary Costs Vetscan Imagyst™ Allows Vets 24/7 Access to Clinical Pathologist for Cytology Results Within 2 Hours Weekly Poll sponsored by: This poll is no longer accepting votes Which hoof problem do you encounter most often in your horses? Thrush Hoof cracks Keeping shoes on Abscesses Other (please specify) 342 votes · 342 answers VOTEView poll resultsBack to vote View All Polls Readers’ Most Popular WNV Confirmed in 4 Idaho Counties Kentucky Horse Positive for WNV The Effects of Longeing on Your Horse’s Joints Myths About Equine Colic Surgery Top Categories Breeding and Reproduction Nutrition Horse Care Hoof Care Diseases and Conditions Vet and Professional Partners in Equine Health Seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy. Follow us Youtube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Our Sites Resources Company Seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy. Copyright ©2023 Equine Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without written permission of Equine Network, LLC is prohibited. THE HORSE, THE HORSE logo, staging-thehorse.kinsta.cloud and staging-thehorse.kinsta.cloud logo are trademarks of Equine Network, LLC. hidden need Our Sites Policies © 2022 Copyright Statement dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing User Terms, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Resources Company © Copyright 2022 Subscribe Sign In Username Password Remember Me Log In Lost your password? Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here. Need to update your account? You need to be logged in to fill out this form Create a free account with TheHorse.com! Register Below... Name* First Last Email* Password* Enter Password Confirm Password Country* United StatesCanadaAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos IslandsColombiaComorosCongo, Democratic Republic of theCongo, Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicCôte d'IvoireDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatini (Swaziland)EthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly SeeHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth KoreaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine, State ofPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaRéunionSaint BarthélemySaint HelenaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint MartinSaint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint MaartenSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth GeorgiaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan Mayen IslandsSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUS Minor Outlying IslandsUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishVirgin Islands, U.S.Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweÅland Islands State* AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces EuropeArmed Forces Pacific Province / Territory* AlbertaBritish ColumbiaManitobaNew BrunswickNewfoundland and LabradorNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaNunavutOntarioPrince Edward IslandQuebecSaskatchewanYukon What is your primary involvement with horses? Horse Owner Veterinarian or Vet Student Vet Technician or Vet Tech Student Farrier Other (Please Specify) Other Involvement Stay up-to-date! Subscribe to our Horse Health enewsletter and receive the latest on horse health care, disease, and the latest research. Subscribe to Announcements Subscribe to our Announcements list to receive event notifications and special promotions from TheHorse.com.