Management of the older horse

Abstract

The increasing age of horses presented for veterinary care has been recognised over several decades. The increase in the percentage of horses older than 20 years of age has been attributed to improved nutrition, early recognition and management of conditions seen more frequently in the geriatric horse, and the increased willingness of owners to pursue veterinary care to maintain the comfort of their senior horses. Geriatric medicine is devoted to the management of conditions that have increasing age as a risk factor for their development. Conditions that are seen more frequently in older horses include pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, chronic weight loss, obesity, osteoarthritis, laminitis, neoplasia and cardiovascular dysfunction. In addition, routine wellness care is essential for early recognition of age-related changes and prompt institution of appropriate care to maintain the comfort of the horse.