Conditioning the Senior Horse
One of the most common questions I receive from readers is how to navigate the fitness of their senior horses. What amount of exercise is good? What should be avoided? It is a topic I have researched extensively and I am happy to share my findings.
Let’s start by defining senior. Hormonal and metabolic changes can be measured in some horses as early as mid-teens. Generally, by age 18 most horses are categorized as ‘senior’ for the purposes of fitness evaluations. After 20 years of age, the majority of horses have experienced a 25% reduction in VO2max, meaning their aerobic capacity is permanently diminished. This means that they work harder to accomplish the same task they used to and they tire quicker. Due to these declines in cardiovascular function, older horses are also less able to regulate body temperature and dissipate heat.
In foreground: Bjartur the 28-year old Icelandic at my barn
Obviously, though, individual horses age at vastly different rates. Breed and genetics play a large role. An even larger determination of aging is the horse’s prior lifetime. Previous activity patterns greatly influence the rate of decline in aerobic capacity. If a horse has lived a lifetime of consistent exercise without prolonged interruptions, his metabolic system as well as his soft tissues and bony structures will be more resilient to the declines of aging.
Too many students begin to alter their senior horse’s exercise routine before there is viable reason to do so. The limiting factors for many senior equines are obesity and muscle loss, both of which result from too little exercise rather than old age. Pretty soon, these horses develop the side effects of arthritic pain, joint inflammation, and losses of coordination. If their weight and exercise schedules were kept in place to begin with, much of this decline could be mitigated. A senior horse absolutely MUST be kept in consistent light exercise year-round with no extended period of time off. Studies have shown that layoffs longer than four weeks result in measurable declines in muscle mass, bone density, skeletal muscle enzymes, and mitochondrial concentration.
A consistent schedule of light aerobic exercise at least 30 minutes for four days per week will keep the senior horse’s body in the right tone and weight to ward off a rapid decline in comfort and mobility. Most importantly, you want to continue to stimulate the horse’s postural muscles that will support his spinal stability while lessening the burden on his ligaments and joints.
Below are my guidelines for exercising your senior athlete. I myself abide by this protocol on a daily basis. Currently in my training barn, I work with a 28-year old Icelandic gelding, his 25-year old stablemate, and a 19-year old Quarter Horse. For a specific list of daily exercises for your senior horse, please visit page 160 in my book 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses. Meantime, my general tips are as follows;
allow a FULL 10 minutes of leisurely walking at the beginning of any ride.
add extra movement whenever you can, in addition to the daily workout. This can include a 5-minute handwalk in the middle of the day, a few minutes in the round pen, a quick play over some obstacles, a short stretching/massage session. Any extra movement/mobility throughout the day will benefit your horse.
do not confuse stiffness with pain. Stiffness on its own (and, yes, it CAN exist without pain) is not reason to avoid exercise. If you are unsure whether your horse is stiff versus in pain, please consult your vet.
approach sessions with an interval format, not continuous. A good rule of thumb is to “work” (i.e. trot around the arena) for 2 minutes followed by a 30 second walk break, and then repeat.
beware overly firm ground. Not only is hard ground concussive for the horse’s joints and feet, but many seniors will catch their front toes on hard ground and trip or stumble.
Pasture turnout is wonderful and highly recommended, but it does not replace regular exercise sessions. A horse’s sporadic movement in pasture does not create the rhythmic muscular contractions needed to maintain recruitment of postural muscles and nerves.
Do calisthenics every single day! Without constant stimulation of postural muscles, your senior will lose them quickly.
