In a recent survey of owners with veteran horses and ponies
aged 15 or over, equine healthcare brand ArcEquine discovered, perhaps
surprisingly, that almost 60% of older equines are geldings, 39% are mares and
just over 1% are stallions.
1500 responses were collated, mostly from the UK, with over
75% of owners with veterans caring for one, two or three aged horses or ponies.
Most (59%) enjoy hacking, with dressage (36%) the most popular competition
discipline and only 24% are completely retired.
Taking a closer look at veteran health, the survey results
confirmed that over 72% are in ‘good’ body condition and that over 75% have
annual ‘flu vaccinations and almost 70% have been vaccinated for tetanus in the
last 12 months. However just under 14% have not received any protective
vaccinations in the same time period.
The most common ‘unwanted’ behaviour amongst the veteran
population is tail-rubbing, with 24% rubbing their tail at some point in the
last year, although encouragingly, over 49% displayed none of a comprehensive
list of so-called stereotypical or other undesirable behaviours.
Signs of ageing are inevitable in older equines and not
surprisingly, joint stiffness (47%) is the most common, along with arthritis
(38%) and lameness (23%), although 17% were reported as not currently showing
any clinical signs or symptoms associated with ageing.
The news is even better when it comes to the incidence of
diseases and disorders, as over 46% have a clean bill of health. As might be
expected however, musculoskeletal conditions (23%) top the list of reported
problems, with dental issues (11%) Cushing’s syndrome (11%) and respiratory
disease (9%) much less prevalent.
Euthanasia of older equines is almost inevitable at some
point, as very few die of natural causes. The most common reason for making
that decision was confirmed as acute severe pain, followed by incurable disease
causing pain, anticipated quality of life and equine veterinary advice. The
most acceptable method of euthanasia is felt by the majority to be sedation and
lethal injection.
On a much more positive note, owners of veteran horses and
ponies report the use of a wide variety of complementary therapies and
treatments to improve the physical health and wellbeing of their ageing equine
friends, but with very varying degrees of success. The most effective were
reported to be physiotherapy, sports massage and microcurrent therapy.
ArcEquine’s Research Associate Jack Thirkell, whose role
includes planning and managing the company’s growing portfolio of clinical
research projects, confirmed; “Owners of veteran horses and ponies are known to
be amongst the most caring and this survey confirms that as a group, they
consider microcurrent therapy to be one of the most effective at supporting
both physical health and wellbeing in their much-loved ‘golden oldies’. Our
ongoing research hopes to clarify these benefits in more detail, but our survey
results reveal a generally positive picture, confirming that many older equines
are still enjoying active lives without significant problems.”
A complete ArcEquine kit
contains everything you need to get started and costs £540.00.
Contact the ArcEquine office
on 01580 755504, email enquiries@arc-family.com for more information or visit www.arcequine.com where you can purchase an ArcEquine from the
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