Horse & Rider H&R Monthly - April 2023

DO YOU OWN A VETERAN SHOW HORSE? Well-trained senior horses are among the most rewarding of all mounts when it comes to competitive success and the sheer enjoyment of riding. For that reason, they’re worthy of special consideration in how you ride and manage them. Here, I’ll share the approach that’s working well with a senior performance horse in my barn: Smart Like Steady, or “Oscar,” a 16-year-old Quarter Horse. We acquired Oscar in 2017, and in 2018 my wife Robyn showed him successfully in the World Equestrian Games, where he was the oldest equine competitor. He was also the most senior horse in the non-pro division at the 2019 Run for a Million reining. To learn how to apply Oscar’s special-care plan to your good senior horse, read on.…

SENIOR HORSES—those in their midteens and older—Can continue to live healthy, productive lives if given the special care they need. We asked Barb Crabbe, DVM, Horse&Rider magazine’s consulting veterinarian for her advice. She stressed that older equines need all the same basic care other horses do, including regular vaccinations and deworming, plus routine hoof care. Beyond that, here’s what she recommends you do to keep your senior horse going strong. Keep him moving. As with humans, exercise benefits an aging horse in multiple ways, including keeping muscles strong and joints operative (which preserves his ability to rise from the ground after resting). Full-time turnout (with appropriate pasture mates that won’t haze or injure him) is ideal. With under-saddle exercise, keep expectations realistic. A 25-year-old horse is roughly comparable to a…

“Trigger’s 32 this year! Doesn’t he look great?” my client proclaims. “He does seem to be slowing down just a little bit though—especially on long trail rides. Sometimes he even seems a little sore. What can I do to keep him going?” “Wow,” I think. “Age 32 and slowing down? I remember when we thought 20 was old. Now my clients want to know how to keep a 30-year-old horse moving down the trail.” With advances in equine medical care, your horse has a much better chance of leading a happy and productive life well into his third (or even fourth) decade than his predecessors did 20 years ago. That’s right: 30 really is the new 20. In this article, I’ll tell you about five major factors that have revolutionized…

Thinking back, Gloria Passarella estimates her husband, Rich, has been in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s for about 10 years. Subtle changes in his personality, forgetfulness, and less excitement about things that once interested him offered small clues that something was changing. Every 65 seconds, someone in the United States develops dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Medical advances have helped doctors diagnose dementia much earlier, but families are often faced with the “now what?” effect.” After Rich was diagnosed, Gloria was open to trying anything to help her husband, even if it wasn’t conventional or proven. When a friend recommended the Connected Horse, Gloria jumped at the opportunity. The Connected Horse is a non-profit organization founded by lifelong California-based horsewomen Nancy Schier Anzelmo and Paula Hertel. Both have dedicated…