By Sarah Welk Baynum
For many horse owners, their senior horse has a very special place in their hearts. Many of these horses have been with them for years, were successful show horses, racehorses, or simply their best friend. That’s why many horse owners wonder how long their horse might live, and what they can do to prolong their life.
While a horse’s lifespan can be affected by a number of factors, there is an average length of time horses can live, and things horse owners can do to help ensure their horse lives the longest and healthiest life possible.
What is the Average Lifespan of a Horse?
On average, horses live to be about 25 to 30 years old.
One thing to consider with this average is that it includes equine mortality very early or late in life. For example, young foals with complications that pass away early in life or horses that live exceptionally long lives beyond thirty have helped determine this average.
The oldest recorded equine was a pony who lived to be 56 years old and died in 2007.
However, there are factors that can significantly affect how long a horse lives beyond this average.
Factors That Impact How Long a Horse Can Live
One of the factors that has a significant effect on how long horses live is their size. Smaller horses, or ponies, tend to live longer on average. This is why it comes as no surprise the oldest living equine was a pony.
Conformation can play a part in how long a horse lives, but conformation alone won’t necessarily help predict length of life like size can.
Conformation can help with the way the horse’s body functions, such as wear and tear on things like joints, ligaments, and muscles. However, a horse with poor conformation can still potentially live a long life.
Genetics can play a more significant role in how long a horse lives. This is because there are certain genetic diseases that seem to be more prevalent in certain populations and can impact horses having a longer life.
Interestingly, though, ponies and other smaller, hardier breeds tend to be more likely to develop insulin resistance. Yet, they're still a population that also has a longer than average lifespan. This means it can be complicated to pinpoint how long a horse might live based on breed, conformation, or genetics alone.
Improvements in veterinary medicine have come a long way to help lengthen a horses’ lifespan, as well. However, things like diet, nutrition, and exercise are important factors when considering how long a horse might live.
A body in motion stays in motion. This means light, consistent exercise, even for senior horses, is much more beneficial to improving horse health and lifespan compared to horses who are primarily sedentary. Especially as a horse ages, inconsistent work levels, or being sedentary with only one hard work out a week for example, becomes more impactful on a horse’s body. Free movement as often as possible can help with not only length of life, but quality of life.
How Nutrition Affects Equine Lifespan
Nutrition, in the context of a horse’s lifespan, is a significant factor in a number of ways.
One way is feeding preventatively, as there are some disorders that tend to show up later in life that can be impacted or exacerbated by poor nutrition. For example, horses that are genetically prone to insulin resistance.
Especially as the horse ages, good nutrition is vital for overall health and maintaining good body condition.
The impact of a horse getting the trace minerals, vitamins, and amino acids they need regularly means a horse is going to be more likely to handle stressors. These stressors could be things like foreign pathogens, an injury, or illness. If a horse has consistent proper nutrition, this presumably leads to a longer, and better quality of life as compared to horses who experience prolonged periods of poor nutrition.
For older horses who may be battling other issues, proper nutrition is imperative for helping them live the longest and healthiest life possible.
While supplements are a great add-on, good foundational nutrition is what’s going to be most important when it comes to positively affecting a horse’s lifespan.
Major health conditions will also play a significant role in how long a horse lives.
Research Studies About How Long Horses Live
According to a research study performed in the United States about mortality in horses, they are broken down into two groups: horses from age 1 to 20 and horses 20 years and older.
Colic is the number one cause of death in horses, and the case number is higher in horses who are less than 20 years of age. Colic as a cause of death affected 31% of horses who were under 20 years of age, and it drops to 13% of cases in horses that are older than 20.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean that those older horses are less likely to have a colic event. Instead, it means their age means other issues can occur, which dilute colic as being the number one cause of death.
Also, according to this study, lameness as a cause of equine mortality was 7%, and consistent across all ages. However, traumatic injuries as a cause of death in horses is four times more likely in a younger horse. This could potentially be because younger horses are more likely to not have the same self-preservation, knowledge, or demeanor as an older horse, making the probability of causing themselves harm higher.
Chronic weight loss and neurological issues as a cause of death, which can be caused by a number of reasons, have higher odds in horses that are older, however.
Another study that was done in the Netherlands specifically looked at cause of death in horses who were in a retirement facility. All the horses resided at the same facility, and records were tracked over eight years, representing 194 horses. According to this study, the average age of death in that group was 26, which falls perfectly within a horse’s average lifespan of 25 to 30 years old according to other U.S. data.
The top cause of death in this study was still colic. The second top cause of death was old age, which typically means a slow degradation of multiple body systems. Lameness not involving laminitis was the third top cause of death, followed by horses who couldn't get up due to neurological issues. Lameness from laminitis was much lower down the list, according to this study.
Horses in the wild versus in a domesticated situation significantly impact a horse’s lifespan. Domestic horses have a much different life than wild horses, because of things like good nutrition, hoof care, veterinary care, etc. For wild horses, the average lifespan is only 15 years of age.
Tips For Ensuring Your Horse Lives a Long, Healthy Life
Because we know how things like care and environment play a role in helping horses live longer, simply doing wellness checks and bloodwork on senior horses is vital. This way, you can check for things like PPID or insulin resistance, which means symptoms don't progress as quickly and you can extend both a horse’s lifespan and quality of life.
Routine dental work is also important, especially in older horses, so that you aren’t waiting until the horse’s teeth are in bad shape and they’re having a hard time eating. This can lead to chronic weight loss and other health issues.
Chronic weight loss is the number one cause of death in older horses, so being able to eat well with the right diet is vital. It’s also much harder to put weight on a senior horse than a younger horse, in most cases.
For horses who need additional calories, that type of diet relies heavily on fat and fiber today, versus the sugars and starches of the past.
While maintaining your senior horse’s diet, even when they're still eating hay, many times they're not as efficient at breaking down food. Feeding them good quality fiber in complete horse feed form, such as Seniority®, can help support their hindgut, which helps to keep their digestive system and the rest of their body healthy.
If you have a senior horse or even a younger horse that needs a specific diet plan, Tribute® offers personalized feed plans that are tailored to your specific goals and horse’s needs.
Being proactive about your horse’s health at any age is the best way to help ensure they live a long, healthy life.
