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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 345
 
| I have had horses many years but my 29 yr old is really showing her age this winter now that it just started. Is there anything I cane give her beside bute she is so stiff on the really cold days and I only have done it twice but I worry about her stomach. Blanketing , It got to a -10 yesterday so I put her blanket on because she is so stiff she will not walk around or eat to keep herself warm. They have 10 acres and a lean to and pine tree all the way around there pasture. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
  
Location: Florida.. | I would blanket old ones under freezing temps.. They cant keep themselves warm enough .. Make sure she has hay 24-7 and a place to get out of wind etc.. Id bute her or msm.. shes old.. tend to her aches and pains.Id not worry about ulcers at this point.. also warm soaked beet pulp will help her warm up and keep gut moving. |
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| Previcox/Equioxx will take care of that stiffness very, very well plus much easier on their stomach so long term use is possible. |
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 Goat Giver
Posts: 23166
| My first thought is why are you asking her to endure another winter? If quailty of life is such that she doesn't eat or move, it may be time to say goodbye. |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12704
| Previcox helped my old gal for her last two winters. Her last winter she was fine with her blankie and extra hay. Being 29 I would think bute would be ok too - you know you've started the clock if you bute daily, but at that age you know the end is nearer anyway. Either way should give a lot of relief. If neither does, then it would be kinder to not make her suffer through another winter. |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | lonely va barrelxr - 2013-12-08 9:08 AM Previcox helped my old gal for her last two winters. Her last winter she was fine with her blankie and extra hay. Being 29 I would think bute would be ok too - you know you've started the clock if you bute daily, but at that age you know the end is nearer anyway. Either way should give a lot of relief. If neither does, then it would be kinder to not make her suffer through another winter. agree thats to cold for a old horse to have to try to keep itself warm.. please give extra care.. as far as keeping her warm or think about letting her go ..if she isnt moving around ..
Edited by Bibliafarm 2013-12-08 8:21 AM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 836
Location: Southern Pennsylvania | Here are a few things that helped with our old mare.
-extremely warm blanket (At least 600D with 200gram filling. We preferred something warmer that that for our girl Ex: 1200 D with 400 gram)
-she had trouble chewing in her last few years. We ground up alfalfa and soaked it like beat pulp. She got fed grain 2 or 3 X a day and always had her soaked hay.
-She was alone or with a horse that was gentle. She always had social interaction (she could see and touch the other horses). She would get lonely when we would lock her in a stall to feed her. Since she was getting fed alone so frequently we fenced off a small area and stall. In winter she stayed with a mini. A few times a month we would turn her out with the herd and in the summer she would stay with a friendly horse. |
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| We had a older pony that we double blanketed in the cold weather and I would put polo wraps around her ankles and up her legs, which helped keep her legs warm and she seemed to move around better. I think it especially helped the ankles. Of course on a pony, a full size polo wrap covered all of her leg up to the bottom of the blanket. She got along fine in an open front barn with hay and water inside, plus senior feed twice a day. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2930
Location: North Dakota | Only you will know when "its time" for your horse. But one thing to take into consideration is how tough of a time they have in the winter, for when it is time to put them down. Not saying you should do that, but it is something to keep in mind since your horse is becoming aged.
Make sure her teeth have been examined and floated if need be.
Make sure to ask your vet if bute or other medications are an appropriate choice for your horse.
Make sure to give extra high-calorie grain and hay to help her keep warm.
Blanket if she can't sustain her own body heat.
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 Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | I pamper my old guys. Two of the three get blankets when it starts getting into the 30's at night & now that it's COLD (-25 the last couple nights before windchill) they've got their heavy blankets on. The other would get a blanket too but getting one on her wouldn't be pretty & one of us may not survive! They get grain 2x a day soaked in warm water along with JointPlus from THE. And when the temps/wind is brutal they're in the barn as much as possible. As of now, they're all doing great. If one was to start getting stiff I wouln't be worried about giving a little bute every day for pain management. To me with the old her horse, quality of life is more important than anything so if they need something to make them feel good they're going to get it. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2258
| My old stud is 32. He doesn't have a shed to get into because he won't tolerate being penned up, he has the run of an area in between all my pens and an arena. He does have a barn and a horse trailer that he can use for a wind block. He has two blankets and a neck cover on right now as we have been in a deep freeze for a week or so. I also feed him senior and alfalfa pellets 3 times a day soaked in hot water, he gets a few extra goodies thrown in and every now and then he needs some bute but not very often. I watched him close all summer and fall to see if he was getting to sore but so far he is doing well at his age though that can change day to day. |
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 Living on the edge of common sense
Posts: 24138
Location: Carpenter, WY | Teehaha will be 30 in the spring. She doesn't like a blanket and I have her in a pen with the weanling. I've found as long as they can get out of the wind they're OK. Her coat musst be 4" long right now. I give her warm beet pulp and a big scoop of Sr sprinkled with some sweet mix in her bucket every evening. She gets a little stiff in the one front leg, but moves around enough that she is still able to buck and fart when I let them all out.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 345
| Thank you all for reply's. She can get can get around really good on the above + 30 degree days and she usually has a bigger belly by now. She is the boss mare so as soon as she puts her ears back they all walk away. I am going to add the beet pulp and maybe up her senior feed. Her teeth are checked yearly as well as her blood work. |
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 Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | I have found that my old mare (32) tolerates winter much better than the hot summer.
I used to mix all sorts of feeds for her (beet pulp, alfalfa, oils, etc) but finally switched to a decent and affordable local senior feed and give her tons... around 20lbs a day. No supplements, top dressings, etc. I was so tired of trying to keep up with her and this was her "do or die". She is doing better and looking much better than she has for a long time.
She won't even try to eat hay, so that's all she gets and she has adjusted fine. She does pick at the grass when it's not snow-covered, but she quids really bad, so I'm not sure that she swallows any.
I also keep her blanketed.
Here she is a few weeks ago. We're snow covered now, and she has thankfully maintained just fine.
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 302
Location: W. Pa. | My old gelding is 28 years old. I would never expect him to spend one moment outside at -10. He is not thin but does not have the same flesh that he had in his prime. He goes out every chance we get decent enough weather. He has a lady friend to boss around which keeps him moving around when he is out but when its time to come in he is always waiting at the door. He gets senior feed dressed with Healthy Coat. The Healthy Coat really made him blossom before winter started and the only hay he eats is third cutting alfalfa. |
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