User:Montanabw/Old horse sandbox

Sandbox for proposed article about geriatric horses, look at French wiki version here: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vieillesse_du_cheval

Old horse  is a horse declining physically and mentally. It usually prevents its use for most equestrian activities. Age is different depending on the respective breeds and use of the horse, aging occurs more rapidly in sport horses like Thoroughbred than in rustic ponies. The signs of age in the horse include a prominent wear teeth, some grey/white areas of the head, widening back and stiffness in locomotion. The animal also becomes more sensitive to the passage of the seasons.

The Colic and arthritis are the two biggest causes of mortality. Older animals were historically sold to the rendering or slaughtered for their meat, but the gradual shift of the horse to the status of pet has create other options reform to the end of life of these animals. The retirements are more common, older horses can also be oriented soft activities like "walk" category. The old horse can pose an economic problem and ethics, horse owners do not always anticipating the life their animals or maintenance costs it generates over time. This problem is at the origin of frauds and scams involving resales in slaughterhouse.

Longevity and age
The life expectancy for domestic horse has increased through better management of their food and care, it is explained by the growing attachment to the animal. The average longevity of the horse is between 25 and 30 years, with differences according to race and employment. The ponies benefit from significantly higher than horses longevity, it is not uncommon for them to exceed 30 years. The draft horses, Arabians and Iberians live longer than Trotters and Thoroughbreds.

The oldest known horse, Old Billy (1760-1822 ), died at age 62 and made the headlines of Manchester. It was a work horse, type Shire / Cob. . Longevity records are regularly reported for horses who reach 37 years (for Bayou, a French horse of unknown origin 42 years (for Tango Duke, 1935-1978, an anstralian Thoroughbred, record holder in this breef ) or 51 years for Badger (1953-2004) and Shayne (1962-2013), respectively cross Welsh / Arabian and Irish Draught horses . The ponies record belongs to Sancho, another cross Welsh / Arabian died at age 54 in 2003 . It was previously held by Steady Teddy, American pony died at age 53.

Age is only a subjective notion to measure how old is a horse, it depends on a host of factors including the food, genetic inheritance, basic health care and the environment. In 2000, according to experts, the age at which to talk about "old horse" can be 16, 18 or 20 years. According to William Martin-Rosset, after three years, the horse's age can be multiplied by three to obtain a human equivalent. A horse 20 years so would, roughly, to 60 years in humans. In the past, a horse was often considered "old" after 15 years, but it is now usual for animals over 15 years actively working. Although the age when a horse becomes "old" is difficult to establish, veterinarians find that about 70 % of horses over 20 years must be special care. Exceptions still exist, some horses 25 years and still can be mounted and fed the same way as any other. The classification of a horse as "old" depends on the occurrence of a health problem (typically, arthrosis) and outward signs of aging much more than his age alone. Older horses may exceptionally be competitive at high levels in particularly selective tests. Nobby became world champion of endurance riding at age 16.

Signs of aging
There are signs to recognize the old unambiguous. Determine the age of horses by observation proved capital at the time the animal was used for all activities of daily living. Thus, Le nouveau parfait maréchal, french book, advises already observed (among others) the teeth, tail, the <?>hole above the eyes, don't know the english for, hollow in the old horse , the bones of the ganache <?>(don't know english for "ganache" (sharper in old horses) and white eyebrow hairs to assess the age of the animal. Historically, horses 5 to 8 years were the most expensive, the value of the animal gradually decreasing after 8 years. The presence of a Gray coat color almost white, rare in young horses, was a clue to recognize a horse over 8 years.

The back tends to widen, the bones of withers and pelvis are more apparents, the movements become steeper when it comes to old age. Poor physical conditions (thin and/or round belly), lack of muscle and pasterns very inclined due to the aging of tendons and ligaments are all signs of an advanced age. The changes are not only physical, as the animal changes its eating habits and reactions to the environment, can become indifferent to his fellow and men. While the pace of life slows down, he sleeps better and retains its power to withstand the climate and diseases (note : please replace this source if you find more scientific source...). According to the authors, most of the signs of aging preventing normal use of the horse occur between 16 and 20 years. Most disabling and most common is a loss locomotion, often a sign of osteoarthritis,. In addition to the visible signs of aging, the horse undergoes degradation senses and its organs, the respiratory system as well as digestive and cardiovascular.

Mouth and teeth
The mouth and the teeth of the horse are known to change with age. The <?>dog is dull, wear out and become yellow under the action of bit. The teeth appear longer and also emaciated around gums. Incisors in advance clamp and in older horses, they come from the mouth almost horizontal. The Palate is emaciates the furrows disappear in old horses. A popular belief was that once we can determine the age of a horse by pushing its lip and counting the folds. The number of folds is supposed to be equal to its age. More scientifically, a relaxation of the lower lip is observed in old horses. The observation of the teeth being the most reliable criterion for assessing age in the absence of identification documents, it is at the origin of the popular phrase "gifted horse in the teeth do not look" <?>Perhaps just a french proverb. I don't know...) . However, it becomes difficult to estimate the age of a horse from his teeth if he has more than fifteen years.

Hair Coat
The presence of white hair on the head (around the eyes and muzzle) and sometimes on the body, citing well enough bleaching hair in humans, is another sign of aging, as well as rendering the touch hairs that become rougher. A dark horse wearing white hairs on the eyebrows usually has more than fifteen years. Old horses have hair growth sometimes unusual in winter by its abundance, its slowness or its <?>I know it's not correct in english, but I can't find the correct sentence early.

Management
The issue of management of old horse arises in connection with the merger of the horse with the pet and the multiplication of animals family leisure, particularly in Europe and the United States. Formerly, the resale to slaughter or exploit the animal until the rendering did not raise ethical or emotional issues and the horse must be profitable for its owner. Since 1990's, it is more common to retire a horse at the end of career, in their own or in a specialized center. The population of older and/or retired horses is difficult to quantify, but the University of Nevada Reno estimated that 10% of the equine population of the United States has more than 20 years.

If any horse must be eligible for unlimited water, shelter and food in a Salt Lick, the application old horse precautions are sometimes ignored. In addition to monitoring its food, it is strongly recommended to continue vaccine, maintenance of teeth (the equine dentist should be consulted at least once a year ), the deworming and blacksmith (25 to 50% of annual costs by U.S. veterinary) ) without isolate the animal, to allow end of life in good conditions., Older horses often suffer from arthrisis, dental and digestive problems. They become more susceptible to the passing of the seasons and can have significant weight loss.

Retirement and reform
The horses are culled from a wide variety of activities, such as equestrian centers (France), sports (jumping, dressage riding, etc.), horse show, army or laboratory research. The racing horses conventionally know several activities in their lives because the races are very selective. A conventional solution is to limit the older horse to "walking". In the United States, these animals are often kept as a family for the education of young children. There are also therapeutic riding centers that recover older horses free individuals. Other older horses are sent to equestrian centers for the teaching of equestrian for beginners (in France), but it always comes a time when the animal can not be mounted at all. The reduction in activity results in a loss of muscle, worse with age. It is recommended to not leave the old horses in total inactivity, because it weakens their muscles and template. It is also inadvisable to brutally intense physical activity at rest, horses adapting better physically and morally to progressive activity decreases. Similarly, a horse used to live in a box can not adapt overnight to life outdoors. An updated regular exercise helps keep older horses active and useful.

It exists retirement centers for horses comparable to retirement homes for humans. <?>Perhap's you'll take an english or american exemple for this In France, the oldest and one of the best known is Petit Pech in Lot, founded in July 1970 for old horses of equestrian centers promised to slaughter. Many other similar homes exist in different countries, both in Canada, Belgium or Switzerland.<?>linked a reasercher motor internet, beause not finded reliable source for the number of retirement centers for horses in the world Some people may be separated from their old horse for economic reasons, family (divorce, death...) or even psychological, to avoid seeing their animal age and having to take the decision of an euthanasia.

Food
The food of the old horse should be balanced, easy to chew and digest, with a preference for silages mid-faded, the hay high quality, the bran, the flaxseed flakes or muesli. A high fiber and straw is not recommended, as too large a contribution of alfalfa and apples, which are laxative in high doses. The INRA recommends 10 to 12 % of intake dry matter nitrogen. Pastures are generally not sufficient to find a balanced diet and supplements are required. Manufacturers offer increasingly rations tailored to older horses, whose energy needs decrease, while the mineral requirements seem to increase. They feel less hunger and thirst.

Teeth can be very worn or have malocclusions and periodontal disease, preventing them from properly chew. In this case, it should be cutting hay before giving. Digestion sometimes becomes less effective, with slowdowns or stoppages of intestinal transit, as evidenced by the horse manure. The horse is watered less often, leading in extreme cases to a dehydration. If the liver and kidneys are altered, the urine becomes dark and smelly.

Older horses tend to lose weight and body fat, which may result in the need to give them greater quantities of food or a more qualitative ration. These weight loss, frequent, may have multiple causes (deficiency problem of teeth, loss of appetite, digestive problems... ) constitute an aggravating factor of death. It is difficult to regain mass an old horse, one possibility is to add reasonably vegetable fat (such as corn oil) to their food. This problem weight loss can cause worries owners, sometimes wrongly suspected of animal abuse. The opposite problem also exists, horses overfed and no activity may become obese, which pit their legs and feet.

Getting pre
In the case of a feeding group, the old horse may not be able to solve dominance relationships with his fellow pre and denied access to food. It is advisable to leave the old horses in pairs if they get along, rather than in a herd. Two older horses that share the same pre or paddock often develop strong bonds of friendship. If they come to be separated or if one of them dies, the separation can push the animal to let it wither.

Health


A typical old horse sickness is Cushing, caused by an increase of cortisone in the blood. It can be detected by the appearance of hairy coat, a perspiration and urine excessive. No cure, but the disease can however be mitigated. The equine metabolic syndrome, similar to the previous, is another typical disease causing obesity and laminitis. Restricting intake carbohydrates and exercise can mitigate.

The risk of equine colics increases with age, older horses are statistically more prone to surgical colic. The lack of sustained reduces this risk activity as setting pre and deworming. The arthrisis, destruction of articular cartilage with phases of crisis and recession, causes great suffering in old age. This is a major cause of euthanasia for horse. Age modifies the structure of cartilage and increases affection, which becomes more severe in the absence of appropriate care feet. It is possible to relieve pain by administering a anti-inflammatory. Similarly, it is advisable to walk and trot the animal to increase the temperature of muscles and activate the blood flow. Sometimes, however, very old horses become unable to lie down or stand alone. The feet are more fragile, with a higher risk laminitis.

Older horses can also suffer from osteoporosis and vision problems leading to specific needs, and a general decline in immunity to diseases. When injured, the infectious complications are more frequents.

Mortality
It is very rare for a horse actually die of "old age", a survey of French veterinarians in 1997 involving only 0.6% of cases. The leading cause of death remains the colic. Other causes observed in horses over fifteen years include the affections of locomotion (arthrisis, breaks), diseases of the reproductive system, stops and heart failure , respiratory infections and tumors or cancers of all kinds. Colic is exacerbated in old horses by fat tumors, lipomas pedicle, causing twists and obstructions during the digestion. Mortality from disease of the reproductive system usually occurs due to a reproduction too late, causing a breach of the uterine artery during calving. Cancers lymphomas and tumors become a major cause of mortality in older horses. Infectious diseases account for only 10-15 % of deaths. Cardiac arrests are typical of old sport horses, while respiratory diseases (emphysema...) affecting especially horses retired from equestrian centers. If the dead horses are, in the majority of countries still sent to the rendering, the idea of ​​horses's cemeteries is reaching.

Economics
Management of older horses poses economic problems. In 1993, the French ethnologist Jean-Pierre Digard has decided against retirement for horses, arguing that it harms the economy of the entire equine industry, forcing the owners to spend their money for the maintenance of a useless horse instead of buying a new one and send the old to slaughter.

Cost
An older horse may become impossible to sell, and its management is costly. The classic example is that of the horse prohibits resale to slaughterhouse, which has no commercial value. For homeowners looking to save their animal should be financially provide for the maintenance and the cost of the rules of the knacker. Some older horses victims of diseases or conditions such as colic, are not cared for economic reasons. Owners who can no longer afford to maintain their horse can give it to a charity.

Frauds and Scams
The existence of fraud and scams on old horses is known. They involve different organizations and individuals who, under the guise of being charitable and offer a happy retirement to horses, in reality seeking to procure animals for free and sell them to a slaughterhouse, pocketing the profit corresponding the price of meat. In the United States, some therapeutic riding centers unscrupulous euthanized horses too old to be mounted or sell them to the slaughterhouse. The scam was developed with the economic crisis. Documented since 2011 and suspected at least since the beginning of the year 2013 in France, this "fraud retirement" is publicly disclosed in late August, after the discovery of falsification on equine identification of migrants in Belgium. , causing a health risk to the consumer. . <?>I use my own articles to source this case because it's more easy, but you can change... or add anglo-saxon exemples It highlights significant differences of opinion between the various people in the world of horse breeding and institutions that represent them. The french Fédération nationale du cheval (FNC) was quick to defend the chain of the horse meat. .

In the culture
Old horses are mentioned in many works, among others The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgersson through Sweden, Animal Farm  (George Orwell), where the horse Boxer (Animal Farm), exhausted by the construction of a mill, the brunt of greed pigs who claim to send to the hospital but actually sell for rendering, in order to buy a case of whiskey. In The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas mentions the mount D'Artagnan as an old horse thirteen. His father and tells him a letter in which he recommends never sell the animal, and leave quietly and honorably die of old age. However, D'Artagnan shaming in Paris on such a mount, he prefers to sell for three ecu.

The old horse can play a more rewarding role in the stories. In the African oral tale Wolof "The Enchanted Horse", the horse Samba Bingi Bangi "older than God himself " saved the life of the girl to whom it is offered as a gift wedding. Reckless married despite it a lion. Samba Bingi Bangi gives his life to pull the trap.

In cinema, The Turin Horse  by Bela Tarr, released in 2011, opens with the vision of an old coachman and his horse, inspired by an episode in the life of Friedrich Nietzsche, who in 1889, hugged an old horse hitch Turin before giving in to madness. The film tells the story of the horse before his encounter with Nietzsche <?>Perhaps you can link an english source. The French film Heureux qui comme Ulysse with Fernandel, tells the story of a horse Camargue of 28 years, promised to the death in an arena. Antonin (Fernandel) gives it freely in the Camargue.

Related article

 * Reform horse

Scientific Books

 * Gibbs
 * {{ chapter | title = Power Horse malnourished, stressed or older | title = Food item horse | collection = Produce Better | Firstname1 = Roger | name1 = Wolter | publisher = France Agricole Publishing | year = 1999 | isbn = 2855570522 | = 9782855570525 isbn2 } }
 * {{ chapter | title = Power Horse malnourished, stressed or older | title = Food item horse | collection = Produce Better | Firstname1 = Roger | name1 = Wolter | publisher = France Agricole Publishing | year = 1999 | isbn = 2855570522 | = 9782855570525 isbn2 } }

Articles


Category:Hippology Category:Old age