But wait...Those characteristics are also symptoms of old age and Cushings disease. So how can you be sure? How can you tell if that pitiful looking horse you see in a pasture is being neglected or not? Understanding the geriatric horse and the Cushings disease, along with speaking to the horse's owner and owner of the property will help you evaluate whether or not the services of the SPCA or other equine rescue organization are needed.
Good communication and education can often remedy a neglect situation without straining the resources of the authorities. Often in neglect cases you will find that the property owner does not own the horse. The horse's owner may have given it to someone else to use and care for. The owner may not have seen the horse recently, and is not aware of the horse's condition. However, you may find the horse does belong to the property owners and is being neglected because they need to be educated on proper care or need financial support. Or, you may find that in spite of his appearance, the horse is being taken care of by a loving and compassionate person giving refuge and safe haven to one of our old and tired equine friends.
Because of the time and money required to care for the aged or terminally ill horse, few are privileged to have a dignified end to their lives. One place that provides such a sanctuary is Marston Plantation in Sumter, SC. Owner/operator Terri Kadar has ushered some of her own beloved horses out of this world, and boarders choose her farm for their horses because of her tremendous dedication and understanding of the special needs horses have as they age. She was kind enough to share with me the care and associated costs of the geriatric horse.
Maintaining weight is the biggest concern in the geriatric horse. Unlike a younger horse which may drop weight due to a change in his environment or work load and then gain it back in a relatively short time when adjustments are made to his diet, the geriatric horse will have a much more difficult time gaining it back. Contributing to the weight factor are special concerns regarding an older horse's teeth. As the horse ages bone growth slows and the teeth grind away. Sharp points developing where the teeth do not meet together properly are a common problem (see my article, "Open Wide" in the Horse Talk archives). The geriatric horse should have the teeth floated at least every 12 months, sometimes every 6 months is necessary. The cost to float a horse's teeth in my area is $60 dollars. In addition some horses need to be sedated for the procedure, and there is a trip charge. To maintain their weight, the geriatric horses at Marston Plantation are fed three times a day. At each feeding they receive anywhere from two to six quarts of pelted horse feed specially formulated for older horses and made into a wet mash. Averaged out, each horse eats about 5 bags of grain per month.
