A large part of this presentation was nothing new for me, but some things I wish I’d realized and done when I retired Crissy. That part refers to exercise. The recommendation was to continue to exercise the arthritic horse, at least on a longe line, or hand walking, instead of just pasture turnout. Now I feel bad, because I wonder if more exercise could have slowed Crissy’s decline. At the time, I thought I did the right (kind) thing by just giving her turnout, and not working her any longer.
Exercise related recommendations for senior horses:
- Controlled exercise
- Longer warm up and cool down (up to 20 min each)
- Daily exercise, not random
- And most importantly: No prolonged time off! It is difficult bringing an older horse back (building muscles back up) and often might not even be possible. So that idea of for example “giving them the winter off” is really not good at all
Other notes:
- Vitamin C is highly recommended, 5g (= 5000 mg) daily
o When giving Vitamin C it needs to be given continually, and if the decision is made to no longer give Vitamin C the dose needs to be gradually declined, so the body can get used to it
o Vitamin C is also recommended (with MSM) for treating respiratory problems, like heaves
- If the muscle mass declines, amino acids are key: Lysine, Methionine, Threonine. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein
- If the horse looks like it has a pronounced hay belly it does not necessarily indicate a weight problem. It could be due to the loss of abdominal muscles (intestines weigh a lot)
- Supplements to be considered: Antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, joint supplements, digestive supplements
Note to Saumur: No long vacations or early retirement in your future, buddy! Sorry - but you are getting losts of 'tasty' supplements instead.
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