To guess a horse’s age you can look at his teeth … or the length of his telomeres and his immune system function, according to researchers with the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center.

Scientists studying the mechanisms behind aging-related decline in immune function of horses confirmed that telomere erosion–progressive shortening of the specialized protective “caps” found at the end of chromosomes—occurs as horses age

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.