No doubt you've crossed paths with men and women in their 70s and 80s who are healthy, energetic, and active. I know of an 87-year-old woman who lifts weights at the gym twice weekly and volunteers each Wednesday to help familiarize new, fellow residents moving into the senior housing complex. By the same token, I know folks in their 50s and 60s whose medical problems are keeping them in the slow lane. Maybe it's true that "being old" is a state of mind, but for sure, it's also a state of how well the old body and bones hold up, too.

It's no different for horses. Some show signs of arthritis and unthriftiness before they're 18, while others are fit and frisky into their 20s. I remember when the great Canadian showjumping legend Big Ben retired at age 18 and the same year, the first Big Ben Challenge was won by For The Moment at age 20!

Clearly, horses age differently, so when it comes to reconsidering the dietary program of the senior horse, it's not a question of age, but of health. The senior horse which continues to do well on a diet should be maintained on that diet. However, once the older equine begins showing signs of aging–primarily weight loss and dental disorders–it's time to start making changes in his feeding program to assure the horse receives the nutrition he requires