Nowadays domesticated animals are living longer due to improved diet, management and veterinary care. Horses and ponies are just another great example of this as they can now live up to 30 years! The average horse lifespan is about 24 years and a horse is considered to be old or ‘geriatric’ when it has reached 20 years of age.

Senior horses will often show grey hairs around the eyes, ears, forehead, muzzle, and throughout their coats, as well as a certain loss of muscle tone and body condition. The older horse may also show deep depressions above the eyes, a characteristic drooping lower lip and a lowback, an excessive curvature of the spine also known as lordosis.

Older horses are more likely to suffer from:

• Lameness – one of the most common problems seen in aging horses is arthritis or degenerative joint disease. The cartilage that protects the bones of their joints gradually breaks down as the horse ages and it can affect any joint, causing stiffness and lameness. Unfortunately it cannot be cured, but it can be managed so your horse can live a comfortable life. Other potential cause of lameness is related to the lack of proper care or inadequate hoof horn growth.
• Difficulties eating, messy eating habits and weight loss – an older horse often presents a reduced digestive ability and teeth problems. These include abnormal wear patterns, loose or missing teeth andtooth decay. Horse’s teeth grow continuously throughout their life. However, as horses get older, the rate of wear is often faster than the rate of growth.All these problems may cause pain while chewing and consequently, a reduced food intake.
• Equine Cushing’s disease – this chronic illness is caused by a tumour in the pituitary gland (located in the brain), which produces and regulates hormones. Clinical signs include depression, weight loss, sweating, increased drinking and urination, growing a thick coat that does not shed in the summer and it can cause laminitis.
• Liver and kidney problems– these organ can degenerate as time goes by and their ability to function properly can decrease. Weight loss and loss of appetite are possible signs of liver and kidney issues.
• Tumours – the most common tumours in horses are sarcoids and melanomas (skin tumours). Sarcoids are non-malignat tumours that can vary greatly in size, nature and appearance. They tend to grow quickly and are very susceptible to trauma, often ulcerating and becoming infected. Melanomas, unlike sarcoids, tend to grow slowly and are usually less aggressive. It is expected that eighty percent of gray-coloured horses will develop melanoma.
• Cataracts – an opacity or clouding of the eye which can appear progressively and may cause loss of sight. This occurs in the lens, a transparent structure of the eye located between the cornea and the retina.

If your horse is showing signs of illness or deteriorating health do not hesitate and contact your veterinary surgeon. With proper care and management senior horses can enjoy much longer, happier and productive lives.

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Gastric ulcers in horses also known as the equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is described as the erosion of the horse’s stomach lining due to prolonged exposure to acid produced by the stomach. Gastric ulcers can affect horses of any breed, age or size.

When suffering damage from excessive exposure to acid, a horse’s stomach lining starts by being mildly inflamed. If it keeps suffering damage, eventually there will be bleeding into the stomach and in extreme circumstances, perforation of the stomach can occur.

Clinical signs of EGUS include subtle behavioural changes, poor appetite, loss in condition (e.g. poor coat), weight loss, poor performance and mild recurrent colic. Gastric ulcers can be difficult to recognise because adult horses will often show very subtle signs. In foals, clinical signs are usually more obvious: teeth grinding, excess salivation and excessive lying down as well as infrequent nursing and diarrhoea.

If you notice your horse is acting a little bit out of character, call the vet, as ulcers can be the cause for this change in behaviour. The treatment for gastric ulcers is usually simple and very effective.

Although all the risk factors for equine gastric ulcers have yet to be determined, there are a few circumstances that seem to contribute to this disease:

• Diet – when horses are denied free access to feed or fail to eat; the excessive use of high carbohydrate diets is also a relevant risk factor;
• Excessive and intense exercise;
• Illness – gastric ulcers can occur in response to physiological stress;
• Stress – such as the one caused by stable confinement and equine transportation.

In the wild horses are constantly feeding. For this reason acid is continually secreted into the stomach, which means that prolonged periods without food to neutralise that acid can lead to ulceration. Dividing your horse’s feed into smaller portions in order to feed it more frequently or allowing it to have free-choice access to grass or hay, may help to buffer the acid level in the stomach. Making sure your horse has access to fresh water at all times and cutting down on the use of concentrated feeds may also be very helpful.

Allowing access in the stable or visibility to horses that they normally socialise with may also help reduce the risk for gastric ulcers. Owners can resort to a mirror in order to achieve this.

Consult your veterinary surgeon about the use of adequate medication to help reduce the risk of gastric ulcers before a known period of stress and to help prevent the recurrence of ulcers following treatment.

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Respiratory diseases are very common in horses and ponies.  These can limit a horse’s performance and if left untreated can be life-threatening. Respiratory problems in horses can be caused by viral, bacterial and parasitic infections, by allergies and they can also be associated with anatomical problems of the respiratory tract.

Bacterial respiratory infections are usually secondary to viral disease, mainly because viruses will debilitate and even destroy respiratory defence mechanisms. Equine influenza (viral) and Strangles (bacterial) are the two of the most serious and common infectious diseases that can affect horses. These diseases are highly contagious which means they can quickly spread between horses.

Lungworms spend part of their lifecycle in the lungs and respiratory tract of horses and ponies causing chronic coughing. Horses become infected by ingesting the worm larvae from the pasture. These larvae will then migrate to the lungs where they will become adults. It is estimated that about 70% of donkeys in the UK are infected with lungworm. For this reason horses and ponies that graze with donkeys are at particular risk of catching this parasite.

Respiratory allergies develop when a horse’s immune system overreacts to certain particles that may be inhaled: pollens, moulds, mites or dust. Affected animals often have a genetic predisposition to allergic airway disease.

Anatomical problems in the structures of the respiratory tract can lead to partial obstruction of the animal’s airways which can result in breathing difficulties.

Signs of respiratory problems in horses include: abnormal respiratory noises, nasal discharge, coughing, reduced exercise tolerance and an increased respiratory rate. In more severe and advanced cases horses can show flaring nostrils, an increased heart rate, sweating, a high temperature and a noticeable abdominal effort when breathing (‘heaves’).

The best way to prevent these diseases is to keep your horse in the best possible condition. Please make sure all vaccinations and worming programs are up to date and if you notice any of the signs mentioned above, please do not hesitate to contact your vet.

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Strangles is a respiratory infection that can affect horses, ponies and donkeys of all ages. This infectious disease is caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus equi and it’s highly contagious. It spreads between horses by direct contact, contaminated humans, food, water, tack and other items normally present in a horse’s environment.

Clinical signs of this disease vary greatly. Some horses are just symptomless carriers, some may only show a few minor signs and others may become very ill. Affected horses will typically present sudden onset of fever (up to 41°C), depression, lack of appetite, difficulties swallowing due to enlarged lymph nodes, cough and there is usually a thin watery nasal discharge, which soon becomes thick and yellow.

The bacteria involved in this condition affects the lymph nodes causing the formation of abscesses. These tend to rupture either to the outside or into the back of the horse’s throat, discharging thick yellow pus. Occasionally the bacteria will spread systemically throughout the horse’ s body and abscesses form in the lymph nodes of the lungs, intestines and even in the brain. The rupture of these abscesses can be fatal.

Some horses are more susceptible to this disease than others. Younger horses (1-5 years old), older or debilitated horses due to poor condition, parasitic infestation or stress are more at risk. If they frequently come in contact with horses from other groups, they are also more likely to contract strangles.

The key to prevent this disease is good management! New horses should be quarantined and monitored for 2 to 3 weeks. Please remember that isolated horses must have their own grooming kit, tack and no equipment used for the affected horse should be allowed near other horses.

If you think your horse has strangles, it should be immediately isolated and you should call your vet. If the disease is detected and treated at an early stage the recovery rate is usually quite good.

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