07/09/2024
41 years old and Chief still awaits a job to keep the spark in his eye lit.
“Is my horse too old?” This is a loaded and tough question that does not have a solid one size fits all answer. Technically speaking this is also the wrong question to ask, of which I will come back to in a bit. Chief is an outlier and as much as I wish he could be the answer for all horses, he is not, although he does provide hope and a good road map for others. A combo of winning the genetic lottery and having just the right path in life from fitness, to the sports he competed in, are what shaped him into being a happy fit 120 year old horse (in human years). Modern equine VetMed is a huge important factor to thank as well. But most of all, his genetic winnings are what laid an ample foundation.
Chief is half Morgan and half Arabian, both of which are sturdy and long living breeds. His confirmation is overall a preferable and desired build. In relation to that, his hooves are desirably shaped with good strength and self maintenance. He currently only requires trims 2-3 times a year, which is not the average horse, and also has gone barefoot for the past couple years with no issue for the amount of work expected of him. Jake on the other hand, who did not win the genetic lottery with his conformation and build, must have a regular routine trimming schedule of 6 weeks.
Jake is however doing well for his old age too, being 24-25 years old. He absolutely did not win the lottery, from a crooked left knee, deformed toes, slight parrot mouth, and dietary restrictions due to PSSM. But, because of all the other factors that I will list, that go into longevity for a horse, he is doing remarkably well for his age and is overall happy and comfortable. There is hope for any and all horses and they do not need to be the prettiest to live the longest.
The right amount of conditioning, good diet, well fitting equipment, an enjoyable sport for his mindset, modern VetMed, are all, as previously mentioned, contributing factors to Chief’s long life as well. These can all contribute to any horse’s long life, no matter their build/conformation, take Jake for example.
Over conditioning, exercise, and under conditioning can be big detrimental contributions to lack of longevity in an equine. They all require a slightly different routine from one another and it is vital to know them well enough to assess the consistent routine they need for a long happy healthy life. Chief was never broken down but maintained. He still maintains muscle mass to this day from consistent conditioning that was within his needs, not too little, and not too much.
As per the other factors, each equine will need a different diet, tack, and enjoy a different sport from one another. Those are all very important to find the balance within. Each horse normally has dietary restrictions to some extent but if you ensure to maintain a good diet for the individual needs of your horse it will contribute to their future years. Luckily one of Chief’s genetic lottery winnings is being that of an easy keeper. There have never been huge setbacks, sensitivities, or special dietary needs for him. But when he reached the point of being so old that his teeth had nothing left to grow, and ground away, he needed to switch to a soft food diet. This surprisingly has not been too difficult, considering. It does however require a thicker wallet for the feed bill. He only needs one type of soaked pellet, Stable Mix, twice a day and he has maintained his mass beautifully.
Ill fitting equipment can cause more damage than most realize. Chief was never terribly difficult to fit and retains no long lasting damage to his body from equipment misuse. He does have swayed back, but from age and breed, and it causes him no pain. I currently have the perfect tack set up to ensure that there is full contact from the saddle, onto his back, with no bridging or unevenly dispersed weight in general. Unfortunately a large amount of swayed back cases are from breaking down, which can be caused by many factors, and do cause the horse pain, creating an unrideable horse. Some horses are also prone to sway back early in life due to their genetics.
Endurance racing has always been Chief’s highest motivation. To run in the woods with many other horses at his side was like running through heaven for him. He competed until he was 39 years old. Lessons and trail rides with me are where he gets his engagement and exercise now. As he has gotten older he has of course lost some of his energy, not as much as you would think, but still a bit of it nonetheless. His routine has been adapted as he ages and he still begs to be included within everything. I’ve heard him many times, at the peak of the day, frolicking and whinnying at me through my window, begging for me to take him on a mountain run. Whenever it’s time for work, I walk in his pasture, he shoves his head in the halter, and drags me off, ready to go. As soon as anyone mounts him for a lesson, ride, etc. he lights up, and you can see all of his young years filtering right back in.
Even after full work days he will still ask to run up the mountain to his pasture, in a respectful manner of course. But here and there I do have to know when to say no so that he does not push himself too far. He may have the soul of a young horse but his old body can only sustain so much. Can he do more than most horses his age? Absolutely, but even the old super horse has his limits. Chief is what has been a lucky and not too difficult horse to maintain. Most horses require much more hands on effort to reach higher ages, Jake has most definitely required more than Chief. This makes the likelihood of some horses reaching the age that Chief has a bit more slim. But also keep in mind that with all of the developments in modern VetMed horse’s lifespans are increasing significantly.
So, is your horse too old? Never, but are they fit? Are they healthy? Are they in pain of any sort? Why are they in pain? What is causing pain? Is it easily solvable? Can their health issues and or pain be realistically and comfortably maintained? Those are some of the most important things to ask and look at. A horse is never too old but they must be able to sustain and meet the demands made of them, and of course have the motivation and drive to do so.
