Senior horses sometimes need some extra management consideration when it comes to housing. In this podcast, we talk to Heather Lewis, AIA, NCARB, AAA, a principle of Animal Arts architecture firm. Lewis has traveled around the world designing equine, veterinary, and small animal facilities and shelters. She is a member of the Fear Free advisory board and the author of the Fear Free standards for veterinary hospital design.

In this podcast, Lewis gives North American senior housing tips. We will welcome Lewis back in our next podcast to talk about senior housing tips in Australia.

(Editor’s note: The content of this podcast is the expert’s approach to the topic. Please consult with your practitioner if you have questions.)

Barn Housing for Senior Horses

We generally don’t have separate housing for senior equids. However, there might be options in your current barn or stable that would make your senior horse more comfortable.

“I want to start out with the idea that we need to create the healthiest housing we can given whatever we are working with,” stated Lewis. “We want to think about the health of that horse.”

Stall Configuration

Senior horses might have some reduced mobility, noted Lewis. “They might not be able to move as well as they used to,” she said.

That means smaller stalls might be a little ‘difficult’ for them to lie down and get up, said Lewis. “They might need a little extra room,” she stressed.

Lewis said if you have stalls of varying sizes, try to use your larger ones for your senior horses. That will make it easier for them to lie down and stand back up.

Owners and manager should also think about configuration of the stall. Senior horses might not be getting as much exercise if they are retired. Therefore, if you have some stalls that currently have—or could have—attached outdoor turnout, you can dedicate those to your senior horses.

“It’s really important for horses to get fresh air and sunlight to help them stay healthy,” Lewis said. “Indoor/outdoor [stabling] is really helpful for our seniors.”

She suggested if you don’t have an indoor/outdoor stall configuration, try at least to put senior horses in stalls that have windows. “The most sunlight and fresh air you can get for them is really helpful,” she said.

Lewis stressed that easy, gentle movement is critical for senior equids.

Safety is Critical

Senior horses might be more prone to getting cast than healthier or younger horses. “They might get their feet stuck under something and not be able to stand up,” said Lewis. “That’s very scary for the horse and the horse owner, and very dangerous, too!”

We want to make sure that the stalls are solid all the way down to the ground. There should be nothing that a horse can get its feet stuck under in the stall. “Some owners also bank their bedding against the walls to provide a bit of a ‘bowl’ in the center so the horse will be more likely to lie in the center and farther away from the walls.

Comfort is Important in Senior Housing

Comfort is really important when housing senior horses, said Lewis. “One thing that might make seniors more comfortable is to be able to reach their water and their food easily,” she said. “We obviously don’t want them to get their feet stuck in something. But, check the height of the feed racks and bowls and buckets to make sure they are easy to access and the horse doesn’t have to hold its neck in an awkward position.

“We want to encourage that senior to eat and drink enough so they don’t lose weight and there is less risk of colic,” she added.

Lewis coined the term ‘horse ergonomics’ to describe what we are striving for.

Also think about footing and bedding. Standing on a hard floor for a long time can be hard on a person or a horse. She suggested using ‘supporting’ floors that are good for horse joints and tendons. The flooring should have a little bit of give, but not ‘too much’ give, noted Lewis.

Generally, good flooring is a rubber mat under some nice, clean bedding, she said. The rubber mat should have a little bit of give, but not too much give.

“Rubber matting comes in a lot of thicknesses,” said Lewis. “We recommend a 3/4-inch because it lasts a little longer. It won’t get uneven like 1/2-inch mats might get.”

She said owners and managers should be diligent about the hygiene of stalls for seniors and keep them clean. Lewis recommended a low-dust option for senior horse bedding.

Lighting and Ventilation

“The best practice for ventilation of a stall is around four air changes an hour,” said Lewis. “That means the air recycles itself or is exchanged four times an hour. You can get that with natural ventilation. You don’t have to have an exhaust fan.”

She said the air in a barn or stall should feel like it is flowing, but not drafty. “That’s not an objective way to look at it, but it’s a way to evaluate what you have going on in your barn,” she noted. “If the air smells stinky or smells like horse pee, then it’s probably not healthy. You might need to install an exhaust fan to help move some of that air out.”

Horses that are living indoors need to maintain their circadian rhythms. “They need full darkness at night and full daylight during the day,” she stressed. “It’s unhealthy for a horse to have light at night. That helps reset their internal clocks.”

If your senior horse is living indoors a lot, it’s important to help them maintain that circadian rhythm.

Outside Living for Seniors

“I don’t think we should always assume that being inside is best for an animal,” said Lewis. “Outside areas are fantastic for senior horses in many cases. They give horses more choices, and the horse is moving a lot more during the day.”

She said this also depends on the climate conditions. Blanketing horses can be very helpful, especially for seniors in cold climates. She reminded owners that ‘over-blanketing’ can have it’s troubles, as well.

As far as outside structures for senior horses, “the most important thing is that the horse can get out of the wind,” Lewis said. “Horses have a lot of natural ability to stay warm, but the wind can just take the heat right off their bodies.”

She said to check the structure and make sure it offers shelter from the prevailing winds in your area. There are things that can be done to help make the structure a better wind shelter. That might include adding a third wall to two-sided sheds.

On the other hand, if you are in a warm climate, the outdoor structure should offer shade with good ventilation. “You can modify it [to block the heat] with some foam insulation on top,” said Lewis.

Lewis also noted that giving animals a choice of shelter or sun, inside or outside, helps in their sense of well-being.

Footing is also important to senior horses housed outside. Keep in mind that an older horse might slip more easily.

“I recommend owners look at the footing, particularly in the high-use areas at the gate or around the waterer or around the food,” said Lewis. “Make sure the footing is non-slip in that area.

“If you have more than one pasture and one is flatter, designate that one for the older horses,” she advised.

Physical Abilities

As horses age, their physical abilities will change over time. “The horse’s vision might not be as good as they get older, so the might not be able to avoid hazards as well as they used to,” she said.

She recommended walking your pasture and being vigilant about pasture safety. Make sure there are no sharp places on fencing or trip hazards on the ground. Make sure to fill any holes.

Also make sure the horse can see the fence. “Make sure it is light color, or attach some light-color tags on it,” she recommended. That can keep them from running into fencing if they “get to running around or being rowdy. Which we hope they can still do.”

Senior Housing from Scratch

“One of my favorite things about being an architect is dreaming,” said Lewis. “What would we do if we could do anything? But most of us have budget limitations. But it’s really fun to dream! You can usually find some ‘nugget’ that you can do even within a budget.”

Lewis said if she were ‘blue-skying’ a housing project for senior horses, there are some things she would like to do.

The first is avoiding tripping hazards. She said that might seem simple, but avoiding stepping up or down into a stall or stepping over to get outside would be important.

Focus on having larger stalls that are solid to the floor. Indoor/outdoor stalls are great for seniors.

She would consider footing in the barn aisle as an important factor if designing for seniors. “One of my favorite designs is where there are concrete strips on either side of the aisle next to the stalls, with a recessed area in the center with a softer floor. Usually a rubber paver.”

The reason for having the concrete is that you can tear up a rubber paver floor by driving on it, she said. However, having that in the center of the aisle to walk the horse on it amazing, Lewis noted. “They are non-slip even when they are wet,” she said.

She also discussed controlling temperature for the health of the horse (not the people).

Lewis also advised owners and managers to “think about your senior horse’s social life.”

Horses are very social creatures, so having buddies is important. If the horse is on medical rest, arrange your stabling so they can still feel connected to other horses and daily goings-on.

Final Words

A favorite topic of Lewis is lighting for horses. She said it is fun to think about lighting systems like is done for humans in hospitals. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to use a healthier lighting for our horses? That might not be here now, but it could be here in 10 years,” said Lewis.

(Editor’s note: Make sure to come back to hear Lewis talk about senior horse housing in Australia on the next My Senior Horse podcast.)

Further Content

  • Kimberly S. Brown
    Kimberly S. Brown is an award-winning writer and publisher. She is the Editorial Director for My Senior Horse. Brown spent 10 years at Equine Network, parent company of My Senior Horse. Prior to that she worked for three years in equine nutrition after she retired from nearly 30 years working at The Blood-Horse. Brown spent the last 15 years of her time at that organization creating and developing The Horse and TheHorse.com.
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