Many U.S. horses over 15 years of age are fully retired from structured exercise (40%). This is according to a recent survey.1 The remaining horses in this age group are used for pleasure riding (39%), competition (10%), or are semi-retired (11% i.e., officially retired, but still performing some structured exercise).

These population estimates were gathered in a nation-wide survey study run in 2020 by Dr. Amanda Adams (University of Kentucky), Dr. Michelle Coleman (University of Georgia), Dr. Patricia Harris (WALTHAM Equine Studies Group), Dr. Erica Macon (Texas A & M University), and Dr. Alisa Herbst (Rutgers University Equine Science Center).1

Retirement is an important topic in the context of senior horses (15+ years of age). This team of researchers also investigated the exact ages at retirement, as well as the reasons and risk factors for retirement. Summarized below are the main findings from a large survey project.

(Editor’s note: Two additional articles providing information from this study will be published in the near future on My Senior Horse.)

Horse Age and Retirement

Most horses retired between 15 and 24 years of age (61%), the researchers found. The remaining horses retired between 1 and 14 years (20%) or at 25+ years (19%).

While pleasure riding was the predominant use type for horses between 15 and 19 years of age, retirement dominated in horses aged 25+ years.

The group of fully retired horses was significantly older than horses used for pleasure riding, competition, or the group of semi-retired horses.1 A higher likelihood of retirement in older horses was expected. This expectation was shown in a previous senior horse survey study conducted in Australia.2

Reasons for Retirement

When asked about the reasons for retiring their horses, survey participants predominantly indicated horse health problems as the primary reason (54%).

The second- and third-most-common reasons were “lack of time to exercise the horse” (13%) and “the horse’s athletic performance is insufficient for competition” (10%).

Some horses (7%) retired to enter a full-time breeding career. Those horses were mainly between 1 and 9 years old.1

The researchers pointed out that it would be beneficial to identify the types of horse health problems that cause retirement in order to develop prevention and treatment strategies that would allow an extended athletic/active life for horses. This could be beneficial for owners and the horse. Based on human research, there appears to be a tight link between active lifestyle and good health and welfare in old age.1

However, the researchers cautioned, any athletic activity in elderly horses must be tailored to each individual horse’s ability.1 Aging,3,4 and age-related medical conditions, can affect exercise capacity.1

Risk Factors for Retirement

Part of the survey involved a risk factor analysis. This identified advancing age, female sex (mare), Thoroughbred breed, and laminitis and lameness and degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD; aka “dropped fetlocks”) as risk factors for retirement.1

While risk factors do not necessarily indicate causal relationships, direct relationship between some of these risk factors and retirement are possible.

For example, horses with laminitis, lameness, and DSLD might be in pain and no longer be ridable, depending on the severity of the conditions.

Similarly, Thoroughbreds might be at a heightened risk of retirement because they are often used in intense equestrian sports. That could predispose them to competition-associated medical conditions leading to retirement.

It is unclear, however, why mares are at a higher risk of retirement than geldings. While one might think that this could be explained by mares entering breeding careers, it appears that other, currently unknown, factors also contribute to the increased retirement risk in mares.

The researchers hope that future studies will shed light on the factors contributing to retirement of mares.

References

  1. Retirement risk factors, exercise management and muscle mass in US senior horses. Alisa C. Herbst, Michelle C. Coleman, Erica L. Macon, Aviv Brokman, Arnold J. Stromberg, Pat A. Harris, Amanda A. Adams. Equine Veterinary Journal, 2023.
  2. A survey of aged horses in Queensland, Australia. Part 1: Management and preventive health care. T.W. McGowan, G. Pinchbeck, C.J.C. Phillips, N. Perkins, D.R. Hodgson, C.M. McGowan. Australian Veterinary Journal, 2010. 88(11): p. 420-427.
  3. Effects of ageing and training on maximal heart rate and VO2max. C.L. Beltros, K.H. McKeever, C.F. Kearns, and K. Malinowski. Equine Veterinary Journal, 2002. 34(S34): p. 100-105.
  4. Maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) in horses: a retrospective study to identify the age-related decline. A. Walker, S.M. Arent, and K.H. McKeever. Comparative Exercise Physiology, 2009. 6(4): p. 177-181.

Further Content

horse retirement
  • Alisa Herbst, PhD
    Alisa Herbst, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Associate at Rutgers University. She earned her Phd from the University of Kentucky with her dissertation Muscle Mass and Immune Function in the Senior Horse.
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