Written by: Dana Willett

This is Harmony, walking into our dining room (literally!), and into our hearts. I thought I wanted a young thoroughbred riding horse, like my childhood dream… But alas, my passion changed when I found purpose and meaning in giving elderly horses their best, last chapter.

This is my story of caring for “sunset” fosters through their golden years.

In 2019, with kids in college and our business sold, my husband and I downsized to a small house on a couple acres in Hygiene. I dreamed of owning a horse and getting back into 3-day eventing.

When I saw a CHR Facebook post seeking fosters, I wrote to the then-Adoption Manager, Sharon Gilbert:

“Adopting a horse (or two) is the reason we moved to Hygiene. We need to install a shelter, and fill in couple sections of fencing, but fostering could be a great segue into the adoption process. What is the best way to move forward?”

And, as the saying goes, you just don’t know, what you don’t know.

I had ridden horses on and off all of my life and had experience as an equine care assistant at a large stable, but I’d never kept horses on my own property.

Sharon told me of sweet Harmony, 31-year-old mare who was failing to thrive at CHR.

Harmony was not only physically weak, but she was also struggling to connect with the other horses at the rescue. She was depressed, and only showed a spark when staff and volunteers would interact with her.

Harmony was underweight and missing teeth. She had no appetite and kept to herself. She also had an endocrine disorder. She needed one-on-one care in a smaller setting, or she might not make it.

I was determined to find a way to help her as a prospective foster.

Sharon was patient as I worked through shelters, fencing, electrical work, water sources, footing, nutrition, and supplies. I also took an introductory equine management course at the University of Guelph to prepare.

A few months later, Harmony came home to our farm with a buddy horse, Maple (28). I thought this would be just a 12-month foster arrangement; I could put off adopting a younger horse for riding later.

Well. Harmony quickly soaked up the program of three mashed meals, daily grooming, and her favorite fig newtons at the back door.

I was on a steep path learning the unique needs of aged horses. Along the way, Harmony’s health, and personality, blossomed.

The responsibility was tremendous.

And little in my life compares to the accomplishment of seeing this sweet “failure to thrive” elderly mare improve and come back to life, just when it seemed her time had run out.

Since then, as a horse foster, I became a specialist in senior and end-of-life horse care, and developed our “hospice for horses” farm. Witnessing a “last chance” rescue horse soak up the individualized care senior horses require, and flourish in their final chapter is highly rewarding work.

 

Someone asked me recently, “What is it like taking care of senior horses?”

In a nutshell, it means:

• multiple daily feedings and specialized nutrition
• learning about geriatric diseases and being willing to monitor and provide medication, vitamins and minerals
• investing the time to get to know the horse, so you can easily and quickly spot when things are “off”
• finding a competent and trustworthy care team, including your family, trusted mentors, and equine caregivers
• a veterinarian skilled in equine dental care that you see eye-to-eye with on end-of-life decisions
• a patient farrier for hoof care, willing to work gently with sore feet and tired joints
• committing to a budget to ensure your horses’ needs won’t be compromised due to lack of funds
• having an estate plan should anything happen to you

Here are some of the amazing senior horses we’ve had the privilege to care for, some of their special needs, and some of their antics!

 

Our Senior Horse Stories

Harmony

We have witnessed many horses surrendered to the rescue in poor shape, at an older age, and struggling to regain health. These horses are difficult to place for adoption, as they require special care, and often have a poor prognosis. But sometimes, these horses have a spark and just need to be given a chance.

As you can tell, Harmony was one of those horses.

Harmony’s primary health concern was advancing Pars Pituitary Intermediary Disfunction, or PPID (also known as Cushing’s Disease). This disorder is common in older horses and affects the pituitary gland and related hormone production.

As CHR veterinarian Dr. Bruce Connally often reminds us, he rarely sees a senior horse without some level of PPID – it is very common as horses age.

We were able to manage Harmony’s PPID long term with pergolide medication. However, a side effect of the medication is decreased appetite.

While some PPID horses can be overweight and prone to laminitis, very old horses may lose weight, with topline muscle loss. For them, ensuring high quality forage and nutrients is key.

So, finding ways to entice Harmony to eat was a process, and one I would repeat with several subsequent seniors.

Harmony also had dental issues, and would “quid” her hay, chewing mouthfuls of hay over periods of time and then dropping the matted balls back into the hay feeder.

While it might seem providing grass hay is wasteful, the chewing behavior, promotion of saliva, and psychological benefits of this inborn drive is critical for overall health. In general, horses need hours spent foraging, chewing, and grazing with their head down for optimal “trickle feeding” and gut health.

For Harmony, a combination of feed options was quite successful, including fresh pasture, high protein alfalfa hay, soaked plain beet pulp, and pelleted “complete feed.” And her beloved fig newtons, which served as the vehicle for delivering her medication. (She would stand patiently at our back door and kitchen window, hoping for a handout!)

Our veterinary team was astonished that we were able to improve a 31-year-old mare’s body condition score to normal, and she maintained her weight until her passing. Not only was she physically healthy, but she also exhibited happiness in equine terms: moving freely, rolling, showing curiosity, and exhibiting playfulness.

Harmony was with us almost three years, and as the signs of compromised kidney function were apparent, we chose to proactively say goodbye on a lovely day when she wasn’t feeling too poorly. She was 34.

The end-of-life decision making process is a huge part of fostering older horses; please see below for more on that important subject.

 

Maple

Maple arrived at the rescue underweight, with advanced hock arthritis, and breathing difficulty.

Diagnosed with equine asthma, or “heaves,” Maple was using most of her energy for respiration, causing a caloric deficit and weight loss. An observer could easily see her flanks straining around her prominent ribs with every breath.

She needed pasture, a regimen of soaked meals and soaked hay, and a calm environment without having to manage herd dynamics.

She also needed a trusted equine friend to hang at her side, and Harmony quickly became the perfect buddy.

In just twelve weeks Maple achieved a healthy weight, as her ribs disappeared and her topline filled in. Maple loved her groceries!

She also required special farrier care, as she struggled to lift her hind legs due to arthritic joint pain. We called her our “diva,” and she enjoyed two full years of being pampered.

At age 30, her hind leg arthritis progressed rapidly, unfortunately. We did not want her to face the next winter with pain we couldn’t manage.

Maple was exceedingly gentle, and trustworthy. We have great memories of our golden retriever lying patiently near her feed pan, hoping for any dropped grain.

 

Shakti

With a healthy body that defied her years, Shakti had more than 10 homing transitions in her life, and found herself back at the rescue once again. She was a well-trained mare whose owners over the years simply met with a string of bad circumstances (read her story here).

At 30 years old, she was remarkably conditioned and sound but also was struggling to fit in with the herd in her large pasture at the rescue.

She wasn’t done with life yet, but also was beginning to show signs of shutting down, and withdrawing. We were determined to give her a final home with stability, and no more moves.

The leading advice for treating depression in horses focuses on companionship, high quality nutrition, the ability to rest in a low stress environment, and relief from boredom. Shakti found this at our farm with a most special companion, Rubeus the donkey (more on that fellow below).

Shakti was one of the most mellow, undemanding horses we’ve had. She was eager to please, patient, and so willing to follow the lead of Rubeus, who was the clear boss in their relationship.

She must have felt safe: her body condition score improved. Her coat shone. We could hear her throaty, enthusiastic nicker across the property anytime we came outside.

We have a special honey locust tree in our middle pasture which we planted around the time Shakti arrived. Not only did she find the leaves delicious (much to the chagrin of my patient husband), but she also found the bare young branches at the perfect height to bend over for belly scratches.

We were certain the young, abused tree would not survive, but left it in place as her scratching post.

At the age of 33, Shakti was compromised in a few areas, which helped us opt for a peaceful, painless transition. In making the decision, without one specific medical cause, we considered the “Five Freedoms,” a global guideline for evaluating the basic needs of animals.

The spring following her passing, the tree came back in full leaf and an inch of growth! We have named it Shakti’s tree, and subsequent horses continue to favor the leaves.

 

Rubeus

Donkeys are equines, too! And though the best companions for equines tend to be within their own species, Rubeus had been a buddy to a horse previously, and Shakti had successfully bonded with a mini horse.

So, we gave it a try, with solid success.

Rubeus had all the classic donkey characteristics of being pensive, protective, bold, and affectionate. He was not especially old for a donkey, in his mid 20s, but he suffered from chronic stringhalt, a neurological disorder causing malfunction of the hind legs.

Rubeus needed a shorter walk to food and water, and a lazy lifestyle where he would not need to run from aggressors.

Once again, we observed despondence. Rubeus was struggling to find motivation and regain his spunk. Donkeys are loyal, highly social, and often form strong bonds with a single human.

Enter my husband, Jim – the reluctant non-horseman who typically stayed at arm’s length, focusing on fence repairs and trying to keep our trees alive.

Rubeus chose Jim.

Every day I would go through the motions of feeding and mucking, grooming and watering, back and forth. Rubeus tolerated me.

But when Jim would step one foot into the yard, Rubeus would perk up, and make a beeline for him, braying all the way. He would stay at Jim’s side during all his outdoor work, loyally following him from spot to spot, pushing his blocky head into Jim’s chest, demanding ear rubs.

We enjoyed a lot of laughter, thanks to the antics of Rubeus.

Until the day we found him down in the pasture, unable to stand up. Some neurological event had occurred, likely due to the stringhalt. With a chronic disorder, pain and discomfort can compound over time, and part of our daily routine was to watch for behavior changes or signs of distress. Rubeus’ eventual collapse told us all we needed to know about his prognosis.

He found great comfort laying his head in Jim’s lap as we waited for the vet. He is sorely missed.

 

Tempest

Like Harmony, Tempest also had advanced PPID. In addition to missing teeth and pronounced dermatitis, she was refusing food and struggling to pass manure. Skin infections and coat disorders are common in geriatric horses, often indicating nutritional gaps or failure to absorb nutrients.

We became well-versed in supplements that were worthwhile (Omega-3 fatty acids) and those that were a waste of money, often promising results that were not backed by meaningful research.

A quality complete feed, like Purina Senior Feed, provides the recommended fatty acid profile older horses require.

Including protein-rich alfalfa also helped Tempest a great deal. However, she refused soaked alfalfa hay cubes, preferring natural flaked hay. Due to her dental issues and missing teeth, she needed plenty of uninterrupted time to chew slowly and take in the calories she needed.

What helped Tempest the most was the tried-and-true regimen we’d established: an environment that feels “safe” from the horse’s point of view, soft footing, personalized nutrition, equine companionship, a comfortable shelter, open grazing, and resources she didn’t have to fight for.

At 32, Tempest’s PPID was advancing rapidly, causing overall decline. It was autumn, and we felt it wasn’t kind or fair to ask Tempest to fight through another winter, a season that is hard on horses, and often fatal for those already weak and geriatric.

This decision-making process meant we could carefully plan Tempest’s last days, bathing her in unlimited pasture grass, her favorite molasses treats, and frequent brushing.

We wanted her last day to be a good day, and would rather it be a day early, rather than a painful one, potentially in bad weather, driven by distress and suffering.

 

How do we deal with the losses?

That’s tough, for sure.

Honestly, knowing we are providing the most peaceful end possible, and granting the horse freedom from pain, are our guiding tenets.

With my equine team, I also have developed a specific transition process, balancing the needs of the departing horse and the companion that remains.

Here are the some of my guidelines:

• always have a support person in attendance who understands the process
• have excellent primary vet and equally excellent back-up vet
• watch for signs, make a plan, and put dates on the schedule – you can always change
• identify a new companion for the remaining horse ahead of time
• allow the remaining horse to say goodbye
• take the remaining horse along in the trailer to pick up the new companion – this is the best bonding opportunity

We now foster horses #8 & 9, Forrest, an off-track thoroughbred who lost an eye to cancer, with advanced hock arthritis and lymphangitis, and Peach, a 30-year-old retired dude ranch horse in perfect health, except for early PPID and missing most of her teeth.

Peach enjoys squeezing through the garden gate to “help” Jim with weeding the garden, and Forrest no longer needs his cribbing collar thanks to all the farm enrichment and distractions.

Though we’ve had other foster horses over the past years, it is the bonds with our seniors, even with the eventual passings, that have brought great meaning and depth to our lives.

Learn more about CHR’s foster program or give us a call if you think senior fostering may be for you.
For more information on end-of-life decisions and humane euthanasia: Equine Euthanasia: The Five Freedoms

 

About the author:

Dana is a former CHR staff member, who has taken in senior horses since 2019, specializing in end-of-life care. She now works as an instructor and content creator for University of Guelph’s Equine Studies program, focusing in the areas of Equine Welfare, Behavior, and Property Management. She and her husband Jim continue to foster CHR horses who are in their final season of life.