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Signs of Aging

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When Do Owners Consider Horses Old?

December 18, 2025

⎯ My Senior Horse Editors

Survey results shed light on when owners consider their horses ‘old’ and how that affects management.

older horse management and care autumn herd

Assessing Quality of Life in the Older Horse

November 13, 2025

⎯ Merry Smith, MA, VetMB, PhD, DipECVS, AECVDI, MRCVS

Check out these tips for assessing quality of life in older horses and determining when it might be time to say goodbye.

Coat Changes and Immune System Shifts in Senior Horses

October 14, 2025

⎯ Kimberly S. Brown

Coat changes in senior horses correlate with the immune system and can help us understand the horse's overall health status.

retirement horse grazing autumn in article about equine retirement tips

5 Considerations for Equine Retirement

October 7, 2025

⎯ Clare Barfoot, RNutr

Just as we plan for our own retirement, we should consider when it is time for our beloved horses to do less or retire completely.

Inflamm-aging in Senior Horses

September 19, 2025

⎯ Kimberly S. Brown

Senior horses have low-grade systemic inflammation know as inflamm-aging. Researchers aimed to learn more about physiological changes associated with inflamm-aging in a recent study.

When Is a Horse Considered ‘Senior’?

September 16, 2025

⎯ Clare Barfoot, RNutr

Treat senior horses as individuals, and monitor them for signs of physical or social issues.

senior horse lying down physiologic changes

My Senior Horse Podcast: Physiologic Changes

September 15, 2025

⎯ Kimberly S. Brown

Dr. Chelsie Huseman helps us understand natural physiologic changes that occur as senior horses get older.

Help! My Senior Horse is Losing Weight!

August 19, 2025

⎯ Nettie Liburt, MS, PhD, PAS

There's a myth that old horses lose weight and get skinny, and that’s just the way it is. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Horse closeup portrait retired aged to paddock pastures

Understanding the Aging Equine Immune System

August 16, 2025

⎯ Alexandra Beckstett

Horses experience less profound immune system changes than humans as they get older. However, researchers still have much to learn about equine aging.

My Senior Horse Podcast: Equine Behavior

July 31, 2025

⎯ Kimberly S. Brown

Keep an eye on your senior equid's normal daily activities in order to catch subtle changes in behavior that might call for management adjustments.

aged gray donkey how long horse donkey mule live

How Long Can a Horse, Pony, Donkey, or Mule Live?

June 30, 2025

⎯ Kimberly S. Brown

In this article, we take a look at the records, and the averages, for how long the normal horse, donkey, or mule can live.

My Senior Horse Podcast: Eye Problems

April 15, 2025

⎯ Kimberly S. Brown

Equine eye specialist Dr. Nicole Scherrer helps us understand common eye issues in horses.

U.S. Senior Horse Survey: Focus on Competition

March 27, 2025

⎯ Alisa Herbst, PhD

Ten percent of U.S. senior (15+ years) horses are used for competition according to their owners, and some appear to compete at the highest/international level.

Reasons and Risk Factors for Horse Retirement

March 24, 2025

⎯ Alisa Herbst, PhD

The reasons for retiring horses are diverse, but horse health problems appear to be the number one most common reason. This study found multiple risk factors for horse retirement, including female sex...