Caring for Veterans
Preventing decline
Veteran horses can suffer a wide range of ailments. Most of these can be
treated by changing the diet or by adding supplements to the feed. In some
cases vets many need to pay a visit, but there are now so many products
available that owners can treat many ailments themselves.
Arthritis has to be the one I am asked most about. It comes in many forms, most commonly of the joints in the body, legs or head. Eventually it may lead to severe discomfort, where the vet would prescribe a form of pain relief, but before this there are various products on the market. We use Devils Claw Root by Dodson & Horrell; it is very palatable and easy to administer, and being a natural product other supplements can also be added.
We only use supplements when the problem becomes apparent and only through the cold, wet months, although very hard ground can also be a problem. If your veteran is showing signs of slight lameness, introduce a supplement in the autumn months and go through to late spring.
Always make sure they have a dry, clean bed - shavings or similar, as straw can cause veterans all sorts of problems. Make sure that you keep the problem areas of the body warm, for example by bandaging their legs. We always use stable bandages rather than wraps and use foam gamgee covering the knee, hock or fetlock.
Feeding
This, along with correct dental care, has to be one of the most important
factors when caring for a veteran, and where the owner can make a huge
difference.
Going into winter is a good time to have their dental check. It is vital to make sure the dentist is fully qualified and has recommendations. We use a dentist before a vet - no disrespect meant to any vet, but would you allow your doctor to pull your tooth out?
You will need to re-manage your veteran’s feed in light of his dental report. It may be that your veteran’s needs are different from previous winters and that you need to look at weight gaining products. However, if your veteran is healthy and happy with no weight loss or signs of ageing, you don’t need to change his diet – only if his physical or mental well-being changes.
It is not difficult to feed a veteran but with so many products on the market it can be confusing. We use Dodson and Horrell products and the one used more and more is Build Up Cubes. It is very difficult to give recommendations as every veteran had different needs, but if any reader would like to contact me for advice on their individual horses my contact email is at the end of this article.
How to feed is another important factor, and depends on your veteran’s chew ability. Horses with less than 50% chewing ability would need to be offered a hay replacer or hay net in a bucket. An easy and quick feed to make, this will take a horse with little or no chew ability through the winter evenings, but must be fed when stabled and not when out with a herd of horses as they will argue.
Always use a cube before a mix for older veterans - we never use a chop but always a high fibre cube, soaking all the products together for at least two hours before feeding. As a ratio if you feed one scoop of cube add one pint of water. Cubes are usually more cost effective, and are much easier for a veteran to digest once soaked.
Twisted gut or colic is not as big a killer as people think with veterans. However, I lost my own 30 year old horse to twisted gut and I can’t stress to people enough to get a payment plan in place and decide what you want to do with their body, as when it happens it is hard to think properly.
Don’t forget
Veterans will only grow a very thick coat when they are very elderly - over 35
usually. Their coats become thick and do not shed, especially in the late
spring. It usually means they are not getting the quantity of feed they need
due to not being able to eat or digest it properly. It could also be Cushing’s
disease, but this must be diagnosed by a blood test from the vet.
It is important to keep your veteran warm all year and not to over heat them;
like old people they are not able to regulate their temperature so you must
keep a close eye on the forecast. If a pony does have arthritis it is not
always best to keep them out - bring them in and keep their legs warm and dry,
ensuring they have a draft free stable and soft bed. It is also vital that a
veteran has turnout for at least three hours every day to stretch their legs.
If a horse is stood in a stable day after day without moving this can cause
problems with movement and boredom and can also cause colic.
We have a blind 41 year old who manages very well. They need a strict routine
and everything must be in the same place. Don’t introduce new horses unless you
are 110% happy that they will accept this new horse and no harm will come to
them; naturally a blind old horse would die quickly and the other horses quite
happily let this happen.
Gradual site loss can be easily managed, though the horse may need retiring as they begin to spook at silly things. Cataracts are very common and can cause slight eyesight loss. This, and loss of hearing, can worry the horse so keep a close eye on them and give lots of encouragement and reassurance.
Veteran Horse Welfare is a charity that is purely dedicated to the care and welfare of older horses. We offer rehabilitation, distance healing, full retirement and help and advice. In return we ask people to support our work, which is based in the UK but we will help abroad if we are needed.
Contact
Julianne Aston
Veteran Horse Welfare
Website
http://www.veteran-horse-welfare.co.uk
Telephone: Monday–Thursday, 10am–3pm, 01239 881300
info@veteran-horse-welfare.co.uk
Readers' Comments
You must be logged in to view or make comments
Let's find out more