Editor’s note: In this article about senior horse fitness, we hear from Coby Bolger. She is the founder of Horse 1 Equine in Spain. In this opinion piece, she shares her experiences for keeping senior horses fit, healthy, and happy.

Family Horses

When I look at a rider’s competition results, one thing I always notice is whether they ride a different horse each season or if they’ve built a long-term partnership. Are they progressing ‘up the levels’ with the same horse over time? Personally, I value those enduring relationships. The ‘you and I together’ bond that develops over years. For many of us, our horses aren’t competition partners, they’re members of our family.

Family horses are different. We don’t buy them with the intent to sell or develop them for profit. Instead, we make decisions with their lifelong well-being in mind. As our horses age, we focus on keeping them active and healthy for as long as possible. We also regularly assess their comfort and happiness to ensure they’re still thriving in the roles we ask of them. Over the years, this has given us quite a lot of experience in guiding horses from their first steps in training through to their well-deserved retirement in their 20s.

Worth Their Weight in Gold

Many riders pass their horses on to their children, just as we have always done. Some riding teachers save their older horses for their most timid beginners. There are equine tourism guides who put the senior horses in front to lead the pack. Experienced horses are the ones we trust, who know the routes and keep less experienced riders safe. Some of them, I’m convinced, even seem to know the numbers on the jumps and navigate courses almost on their own! Our older horses are truly worth their weight in gold.

Not only do we care for our own horses as they retire, but we also receive countless calls to help manage older horses. Some are still in full work and others are gradually easing into retirement.

Horse Fitness

Getting horses fit for the season, regardless of age, requires a specific plan. Riders must know their farm and the trails. We know where we can trot on good ground and which roads we can use for legging up (see below) at the beginning of the season.

Trail or endurance horses need distance work several days a week. If our horses jump, we know how many days per week the horses will do a course or gridwork, and which days are reserved for hill work. Horses doing elite dressage will have a day reserved for piaffe, and other days are used for concentrating on flexibility and suspension.

But is there a difference when the horse is older? How do you need to adjust training plans to keep these horses sound, fit, and working comfortably?

Older Horse Fitness

An older horse is more delicate in every sense of the word. I have noticed, over the years, that muscles, the cardiovascular system, and airways do not seem to react the same to training. Teeth might be worn down, digestive tracts may not work so effectively, and joints can show wear and tear over the years.

But that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t have a proper diet and a training schedule, or that they don’t enjoy the daily attention of being groomed and working.

It is important that an older horse has a correct work schedule and an empathetic rider who will feel if the horse is not reacting to training or if he is feeling unlevel or tired.

We know that too little work will leave the horse unprepared and too much work will increase the likelihood of injury. Good management and empathetic care can keep these horses going full speed for many years. The key is finding the right balance between work, nutrition, management, and rest.

Understanding the Aging Equine Athlete

As horses age, their bodies change (just like us!). This affects their ability to maintain fitness.

Older horses seem to be prone to unexpected weight changes, so they need to be monitored closely. So many people tell me that their older horses, once in good condition, seem to drop 25 kilos (about 55 pounds) over a cold weekend. The ability to adjust the ration according to circumstance is very important when managing older horses—active or not.

Muscle Mass Loss

Another typical change I see in older horses is a reduction in muscle mass, known as sarcopenia.

However, this can occur with several conditions. Therefore, a loss in muscle mass should not automatically be considered as being normal in older horses.

Any loss in muscle mass results in a decline in strength and endurance and should be evaluated with your vet (see Equine Muscle Mass: Detecting and Monitoring Changes). Once again, the ability to evaluate and adjust the diet quickly is key.

Details Are Important

Small management details are important. I like to keep an eye on the protein content of the forage. Occasionally hay will come in that has been cut late and has significantly less protein. The first horses to drop condition are always those in poor health and our “old ladies and gentlemen” so we send our hay out for analysis and adjust diets if necessary.

Older horses are also less efficient in thermoregulation (managing their core temperature), which is of course key if your horse is active in a hot climate.

Older horses also tend to have less efficient metabolic processes, meaning that they often will take longer to recover after exercise. It is important that you observe how long it takes them to recuperate after harder exercises and adjust the work plan accordingly. Any horse that takes longer than 7 or 8 minutes to recover after a canter or gallop exercise is worrying to me. I will go back to basework to build endurance before repeating the exercise.

Arthritis

Older horses often suffer from degenerative joint diseases such as arthritis. This condition can make certain types of work, especially high-impact activities such as jumping or fast work, especially on hard ground, uncomfortable and less enjoyable for them.

We must be good at assessing our horse’s enthusiasm for doing his job and lighten the work, maybe put on hoof pads to reduce the effect of the hard ground, or even retire him if that is what should happen. (Check out the articles in the When to Retire category on MySeniorHorse.com).

Consistent Work

One consideration when managing the fitness of senior horses is the importance of consistent work. Unlike younger horses, older horses do not seem to ‘bounce back’ as easily after periods of inactivity.

When a senior horse is given too much ‘off’ time, the muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness he will lose is hard, if not impossible, to gain back. Instead of complete holidays that are common for many horses, for an older horse, daily work and then access to pasture time can be a better option. ‘Use it or lose it’ is especially true for senior horses.

For this reason, a regular exercise schedule should be maintained for older horses, even during the off-season or when younger horses would usually be turned out for vacation time.

Sample of a Training Plan

If you have a standard training plan that begins just after Christmas vacation to full fitness and serious work by March, an older horse will usually take us three weeks longer. And, he won’t be completely turned out over Christmas.

We do a ‘ticking over period,’ where they are ridden lightly. Also, you should make sure you don’t lose sight of your older horses during ‘vacation’ time.

We are also careful that they have the proper blankets and, if we clip them, we add an extra blanket and make sure they don’t lose condition.

This doesn’t mean that older horses need to be worked hard every day. They should engage in light to moderate exercise regularly to maintain their fitness levels. Varying activities like doing hill work, trotting exercises, light gallops, or groundwork can help keep muscles engaged and help maintain fitness and flexibility. If the horse still competes, the competition itself will maintain fitness as well.

And don’t forget to include longer warm-up and cool-down periods. Older horses do better with extra attention all around.

Days off should be evaluated. Older horses might become stiff when confined to a box, so activity of some sort should be maintained. And some older horses might ‘stock up,’ accumulating inflammation in their back legs because of inactivity. In this case, paddock turnout, time on the walker, or stable bandaging might be beneficial and should be evaluated.

Of course, if something new pops up or if the horse looks uncomfortable, it is time for your vet to take a look.

Fit, But Not Too Fit

You need your senior horse to be fit, but if you overdo it, you are looking for trouble. I try to reach 90% fitness and let regular activity or competition do the rest. It isn’t realistic to think you are going to get the same muscle and cardiovascular capacity as with a younger horse. You are looking for a sound, cheerful horse. If you overtrain, there is an increased risk of injury that he might never come back from.

You need to assess your horse’s fitness and choose the right level of activity. We have had horses that were quite fine for serious competition into their 20s and others that we have had to step down to smaller competitions or farm rides with the kids. In some cases, if the horse was not an easy ride, they went directly to retirement because they could still buck energetically even at 20 years of age! The question was to think through to a logical decision and see them comfortable and cared for.

Tailoring a Fitness Plan for Senior Horses

When developing a fitness plan for a senior horse, you need to consider the individual horse’s health status (including any chronic conditions) and their current level of fitness.

We always start with a veterinary review. This includes a blood test at the beginning of the season. The horse also has a visit from the equine dental technician and physiotherapist. We are careful to keep the reports on hand so to be able to compare them year to year if there are changes.

Training Tips

For senior horses, the use of good ground is paramount to gaining fitness. Good ground means even ground that is not overly hard and not overly deep. Hard ground can make feet and joints ache, while deep ground will stress tendons and ligaments.

‘Legging up,’ which involves walking and slow trotting on even ground, is excellent for creating a base of fitness. If your farm allows, incorporating hill work into the fitness routine can be highly beneficial. Walking or trotting up gentle inclines will strengthen the hindquarters. It’s important to avoid steep or uneven terrain, which can increase the risk of strain or injury.

Starting with not very steep hills can support the horse’s cardiovascular system while also promoting flexibility and coordination. Short, sharper inclines can be introduced later in the program and repeated if the horse does the work easily.

The key is to note when the horse enters into fatigue and back off a few days to allow the horse to recover. Then you can go back and test the level of fitness again before carefully increasing the work.

When preparing fitness for jumping, introducing gymnastics with ground poles and low poles can be another excellent low-impact exercise to help maintain strength and coordination in senior horses. The idea is to create fun, non-taxing exercises to keep the horse active and to allow the rider to practice.

This type of work will help with fitness, engage core muscles, and maintain overall balance and posture. Experienced horses don’t need to see big jumps very often.

Nutritional Considerations

As horses age, their nutritional needs might change. You could notice a sudden loss in the accumulation of muscle or weight. Sometimes a senior horse will accumulate fat and excess weight relatively suddenly, which will stress the heart and tendons.

Senior horses often require a diet that is easier to digest or chew and might need an adjustment in the levels of starch. Protein quality becomes very important to help maintain senior horse’s muscle mass. Senior-specific feeds that have been formulated to be more easily chewed and digested with higher quality protein might be required.    

Hydration is another detail when caring for an older horse, especially during the summer or during periods of increased exercise.

Senior horses might not drink as readily as younger horses, making it essential to encourage water intake through ensuring clean water at an appropriate temperature as well as potentially feeding mashes. (See A Guide to Feeding Mashes and The Bran Mash Myth for Horses.)

Electrolyte provision might become even more important. You could need further advice from your nutrition advisor.

Monitoring and Adjusting the Fitness Plan

An important aspect of managing a senior horse’s fitness is regular monitoring and adjustment of the individual’s exercise regimen. Senior horses can have good and bad days, much like older humans, and it’s essential to be flexible with their fitness plans.

Regular body condition scoring and weight checks can help identify any changes in the horse’s physical condition, allowing for timely adjustments in its diet or exercise routine.

It’s also important to watch for signs of discomfort or reluctance to work. These can indicate that the horse is experiencing pain or that the current fitness plan might be too demanding. (See Ridden Horse Performance Checklist: Behaviors in Ridden Horses that Might Signify Discomfort, Horse Behavior During Tacking and Mounting, How and Uncomfortable Horse Might Feel to a Rider, and Additional Behavior and Musculoskeletal Pain Signs in Ridden Horses.)

When and How to Retire?

Beyond physical fitness, it’s important to consider the mental well-being of your senior horses. Many older horses thrive on routine. They seem to become anxious or depressed if they are suddenly retired or if their work is drastically reduced.

Every time an older horse is ridden, you should notice how he feels. One day, you will notice that he is not doing as well, not quite as happy, dragging a bit, or there is an injury that isn’t recoverable. Or maybe he just deserves to retire. Whatever the case, the next step is reduce the workload and prepare the horse for his retirement.

Some older horses benefit from being kept in light work or having a job that keeps them mentally stimulated, such as acting as a nanny for newly weaned foals. The sense of purpose and the continued social interaction with humans and other horses can significantly contribute to their mental and emotional health.

Other horses seem to be quite content to spend their days in a lovely pasture or stand in a stream in the summer. If this is the plan, you can back off the work, pull off the shoes, and look for the right time to introduce longer pasture times.

Introducing Retirement

We start in the spring when the weather is good. We turn the horses out during the day and stable at night. If they are new the herd, we have a small paddock next to the big pasture with a run-in. The newbie can stay there for a week or so and get to know everyone while still having space.

By autumn they are well accustomed to living outside and using a run-in shed. Horses appreciate being with familiar stablemates in their retirement. We always try to maintain the herd intact throughout their lives. The horses in our family are all running together, eating under the shade trees.

Final Words

Maintaining the fitness of senior horses presents unique challenges. With careful planning, empathy, and attention to changing needs, older horses can continue to lead active, fulfilling lives.

The key is to balance their physical capabilities with appropriate exercise, nutritional support, and regular monitoring to ensure they remain healthy and happy.

By tailoring a fitness plan that respects their limitations while promoting their strengths, and by ensuring they do not lose their fitness through inactivity, we can help our senior equine partners stay in good shape and enjoy their golden years to the fullest.

(Editor’s note: Check out this article by Coby Bolger: Caring for Senior Horses in Hot Climates.)