Survey reveals encouraging veteran health status

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.”

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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 secure online store -  and why not join our online communities on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.