The problems most often noticed include difficulty eating, stiffness, changes in coat and changes in weight, however other conditions may also occur. This article is designed to address the common problems encountered in the older horse.

Dental Problems:

As some of you may be aware, horses are born with their adult teeth already formed, and these erupt constantly throughout life and are naturally ground down as the horse eats. It therefore follows that these teeth will eventually wear out.

Each tooth tapers towards the root, and, as the horse gets older and the teeth erupt further through the gums, 2 main problems can occur.

Firstly, as more of the tooth root becomes exposed, diastemata, or gaps, can form between the cheek teeth. These gaps can then easily become impacted with food material, which can cause pockets of infection and related gum disease if left untreated.

Secondly, teeth will become loose and eventually fall out when the root is sufficiently short to prevent good hold by the gums. In addition, the opposing tooth can become overly long as it will have nothing to grind against.

This can result in the horse being unable to chew food properly, which causes food to drop from the mouth, commonly known as 'quidding', and ultimately lead to weight loss.

It is advisable to have your elderly horses teeth checked at least every 6 months by a veterinary surgeon, and more frequently if you notice problems such as weight loss or 'quidding'.

Weight Loss and Feeding:

Your horse may lose weight as he gets older. This is often noticed more during the winter months when the grass is poorer and weather colder, although it may also be noticed during the summer.

There are many possible reasons for the weight loss, including poor teeth, insufficient- food, cold weather, worm burden and health problems such as liver disease or tumours.

If you are concerned about your horses weight then it is important to have a check up with your veterinary surgeon. In most cases a full clinical examination will be performed, including examination of the mouth, and a blood sample and faecal sample will be taken.

Further tests may be required depending on clinical findings and initial test results – these may include a rectal examination, ultrasound scan and abdominal tap to obtain a sample of peritoneal fluid.

In some cases we need to amend the horses diet. If your horse has few teeth left or is suffering from other dental problems, then it may be necessary to introduce a hay replacement diet.

This consists of large volumes of sloppy, easily digested food to substitute for the hay and grass normally eaten. In other cases the normal diet can be altered to increase energy and protein availability.