Management 101: Mental stimulation for golden oldies

If your older horse is enjoying a slightly quieter life these days, be that fully retired or not being ridden quite as often, keeping him bright and happy is hugely important for his overall wellbeing, especially if he’s stabled for some of the time. In addition to keeping his body moving, providing him with some mental stimulation and preventing boredom can really contribute towards this. 

For many horses, regular exercise helps settle their brains, so, just as with people, it’s important to continue giving your veteran equine something to think about, to enable their minds to remain active even if their bodies need to slow down a little. 

Keep it interesting

Just as it is with humans, stopping all exercise as he ages is about the worst thing a horse can do. Essentially, all horses are athletes – and flight animals – so steady, consistent movement is vital to maintain their bodies. This could involve a daily wander in the paddock, light hacking or it could be some work in hand over poles, carrot stretches and low-intensity mobility exercises.

The end of serious ridden work doesn’t mean your retiree has to have a boring life, though. Many shows have veteran in-hand showing classes, so keep an eye open for anything suitable in your area. A bath, spruce-up and a day out at a party is a great brightener for both horse and handler, and can allow your horse to continue to compete without the need to be ridden.

Routine activities

Creating a new routine is important when your horse’s workload starts to change so that he knows what to expect in his new way of life. As with a horse in full work, your retiree doesn’t need to be clockwatching, ready for the exact hour when he’ll be turned out in the field. It’s more about providing some regularity to his day-to-day life. 

Having a routine, albeit a flexible one, will help your horse relax and provide structure to his days. If you don’t establish one, you may find it has a detrimental effect on how happy and secure he feels. 

Bringing him in from the field as and when to go for a hack or to do a bit in the school and then dropping him again for days or weeks at a time is never going to be the best thing for your horse. Instead, think about how you can organise his days and weeks to keep him interested in life and mentally engaged.

Top tip

If your horse is susceptible to weight gain, strip grazing or putting him on a field with poor grass is a wise idea, especially if regular exercise to aid weightloss is off the cards.

Good companions

Having the company of others is very important for most horses, even those who are pretty independent. 

Whiling away the hours outside is the best thing for him mentally and physically, but it’s so much more enjoyable if he has some company. If your horse has been used to only being turned out for short periods, having a buddy will help him relax and he’ll be happy to stay out for longer. 

Unless you have a reason for not doing so, building him up to staying out all day or all night – or even both – often needs to be a gradual process for a horse who has only ever been out for a few hours at a time. 

A calm friend in the field who’s unfussed by any comings and goings is a good place to start, and because your horse has his chilled-out friend, it will allow you to steadily increase the amount of time he can be left outside. 

Retirement home

Having your horse in the right yard for his needs is imperative at all stages of his career, but all the more so as he gets older. If you currently keep him on a busy livery yard, where he’s used to working five or six days per week and there’s plenty going on, you might find he doesn’t relish this environment as much when he’s not in regular work.

It’s important to keep an eye on your horse’s behaviour and his overall demeanour when you make changes to his work routine, and especially so if this involves him doing less. If he starts 

looking unsettled in his box, becomes withdrawn, leaves his food or is clingy with other horses around him, it may be that he needs a change of scenery.

The solution could be something as simple as a move to a stable in a different part of the yard where other horses are on a similar routine to him, or you might consider an alternative yard altogether if you find the environment really is no longer suiting him. Whichever is the case, think about what your horse needs at this point in his life and make any decisions from there.

Alternative turnout

Although the ideal is always going to be having your horse out as much as possible in a field, sometimes this can be difficult, particularly in the depths of winter. However, a turnout pen – or even an arena if you’re confident your horse won’t jump out of it – can offer a solution in challenging weather conditions. 

A daily leg stretch and the chance to take in what’s going on around him is good for his brain and simply being out of his stable will go a long way towards keeping him happy. But, if he’s in the pen or arena for longer than 20 minutes or so, put up a haynet for him so he has something to munch on while mooching around. 

Mental challenges

If your horse has to spend at least some of his time stabled, keeping him occupied can be a big ask when he’s used to working hard and having that as a settler for his brain. 

Incorporating a few treats in his daily forage and feed can help. Weaving carrots or chopped apples into his haynet is a great solution, as it offers a treat with a mental challenge involved. Tuck them in tightly behind the nylon to prevent them from falling out too quickly.

Double-netting forage is also a good way to make a haynet last longer for a horse who’s prone to putting on weight.

Top tip

Treat balls are a useful way of amusing your horse for a time, particularly if you use nuts or cubes, as these will fall out little by little.

Little and often 

Feeding older horses can be tricky in terms of getting enough nutrients into them without the excess energy. Splitting your horse’s feeds into three small ones per day will help to draw out his eating enjoyment during times when he’s in the stable. A low-energy forage with an added balancer – and possibly a supplement to support any specific health issues – should supply his nutritional needs.

Adding succulents to his feeds will increase bulk, particularly if he only has a small ration to begin with. But either way, what horse doesn’t love a few apples and carrots in his meals?

Top tip

Most horses will have a roll when in a pen or arena, so if he’s wearing a rug make sure it’s a suitable type – you’d probably regret putting him out in a fleece!

Time together

Having a horse who’s no longer working as much, if at all, allows you to spend more time bonding with him in other ways. Whether that’s taking him out for a pick of grass or simply being able to groom him for a little longer, it’s all time well spent when it comes to upping his levels of happiness and wellbeing. And the funny thing is, it will probably do yours the world of good, too. 

Our expert: Fizz Tickridge-Marshall has worked with all types of horses in her six years as Centre Manager at the Equine Therapy Centre at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire. More recently she’s managed racehorses for Jonjo O’Neill and been Yard Manager for Carl Hester.