Geriatric horses in Germany : approaches to nutrition, housing and overall care

Changes in horse management and use mean that a growing number of horses are now kept into older age, while age-specific management practices for these animals remain insufficiently documented. This cross-sectional online survey aimed to describe the housing, feeding, activity, behaviour and care routines of horses aged 20 years and older in Germany, based on 923 questionnaires completed by horse owners about their senior horses. Most horses maintained regular tactile social contact (87.4%, n = 805), and over half were still ridden or driven (61.6%, n = 566). However, the proportion of horses in active riding or driving use declined strongly with age, from 78% in 20–24-year-old horses to 57% in those aged 25–29 years and 34% in horses aged 30 years or older (p < 0.0001). Daily grooming likewise decreased with age, falling from 58% in the youngest age group to 40% in the oldest, while weekly grooming became more common (20–24 vs. ≥30 years: p < 0.0001; 25–29 vs. ≥30 years: p = 0.0017). Behavioural patterns were largely stable, although the proportion of horses reported to have lost social rank within the herd increased from 25% in 20–24-year-old horses to 41% in horses aged 30 years or older (20–24 vs. 25–29 years: p = 0.0050; 20–24 vs. ≥30 years: p = 0.0002). Feeding practices also showed pronounced age-related differences: the use of long-fibered dry roughage declined from 90% in the youngest group to 69% in the oldest, whereas the use of pre-chopped dry roughage increased from 21% to 73% (both p < 0.0001). The provision of mineral and vitamin supplements likewise decreased with age, from 51% of horses in the youngest group to 35% in the oldest (p = 0.0026). These findings indicate consistent differences between age groups in owner-reported management practices and highlight the importance of considering age when evaluating how older horses are managed.