Horses are living longer due to improved veterinary care and nutrition, with many horses living into their 30s. Managing the complex needs of geriatric horses requires understanding age-related changes and providing proactive, welfare-centred care.
Horses are generally considered senior from 15-20 years and geriatric above 25 years. However, ageing is highly individual—some 25-year-olds remain in full work while others require intensive management. Geriatric assessment considers functional capacity across multiple body systems rather than age alone. Regular veterinary health assessments from 15 years onwards enable early identification of age-related conditions before welfare deterioration becomes significant.
Geriatric horses experience progressive dental wear, eventual tooth loss, and altered chewing capacity. Long hay becomes increasingly difficult to process; hard feeds may be poorly chewed. Transitioning to short-chop forages, soaked hay, or specialist senior feeds (highly digestible, softer texture) maintains adequate nutritional intake. Weight management—preventing both obesity and the more common geriatric weight loss—requires frequent monitoring and feed adjustments as dental capacity changes.
Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) affects approximately 30% of horses over 15 years. Signs include hypertrichosis (failure to shed winter coat), muscle wasting, polydipsia, weight loss, and increased laminitis susceptibility. Diagnosis through ACTH testing enables treatment with pergolide (Prascend), which controls pituitary overactivity, reduces laminitis risk, and significantly improves quality of life. Early diagnosis and treatment prevents the welfare compromise of advanced PPID.
Retirement from ridden work does not mean reduced welfare requirements. Retired horses need companionship, appropriate nutrition, regular dental and foot care, veterinary management of chronic conditions, and appropriate exercise. Structured enrichment for retired horses maintains mental engagement and physical health. Quality of life assessment and end-of-life decision-making are as important for geriatric horses as for any other long-lived species.