Horse Illustrated Magazine

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Giving your senior horse the extra-special care he deserves

Your love for your senior horse never ends. That’s why whether you’ve been partners for years or you’re both turning a new page together, you want him to look and feel his best. Here is the May SmartTip of the Month Presented by SmartPak on Senior Horse Care.

Because years of work and the health challenges that come with aging can really take a toll on your senior, it’s important to develop a diet and management plan that provides the care he needs to be at his best. To learn how to make your senior’s golden years truly golden with the right care and support, visit SmartPak.com/SeniorHorseResourceCenter.

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Staying in the dark about how your senior horse’s needs can change

Though we wish our senior horses could stay both young at heart and young in body forever, their bodies do change and function less efficiently as they age. Their skin becomes less resilient, their digestive tract doesn’t break down and absorb things as well, and their immune response begins to decline. They are also more prone to certain health conditions, such as Cushing’s/Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID).

Fortunately, you can help compensate for your horse’s aging body through diet, preventive care, and other management changes. To learn more about the different health challenges your horse faces as he ages, visit SmartPak.com/SeniorHorseResourceCenter.