As our beloved horses age and become seniors, we can see and understand time taking its toll.
Horses, like people, age at different rates and there are a number of factors to consider when deciding to retire one from being a working horse.
Horses generally live well into their twenties, and are considered to be middle aged in their teen years. In fact, scientists generally consider the “old age” mark to be at 20 years.
A Horse's Lifespan
It is important to take into account not only the amount of work you have planned for your horse but, in some cases, the amount of work they have done throughout their lives.
Amount of Work
If even switching your horse to a senior feed does not make much of a difference and he is still looking scrawny or loses weight easily, it may be time to stop riding him.
Body Condition