When buying a stallion for work in the countryside or for sports, the future owner expects that the life of the horse will be long, because a good horse is not cheap. But it’s not even about material costs – over time, the owner becomes strongly attached to his faithful assistant and does not want to lose him forever. The average life expectancy of a horse is 25 years, but this figure can change upwards if you properly care for your pet.
The life of wild horses
Norms of average life expectancy of equids
It is impossible to unequivocally answer how long the life of horses lasts. If you ask a hippologist about this, he will say that its duration is influenced not only by genetics, but also by the environment in which the animals are located. On average, horses live 20β30 years, but there are also centenarians who have crossed the forty-year mark.
Different conditions of existence will certainly affect the health of animals, which means that they either shorten their age or prolong it. Horses kept in factory conditions always live longer, as they receive high-quality nutrition and care and regularly undergo veterinary examinations. In the wild, many animals die early from infection, injury, or predation.
How many years do horses live in different conditions?
working
How many years horses live at home depends largely on the care of the owner. Working horses are subjected to increased physical stress, so they need proper care. Animals need rest after hard work. The quality of nutrition is also important, because during work, pets spend a lot of energy that needs to be replenished.
If the owner of the horse cannot provide him with a complete diet, including not only hay and grass, but also vegetables, cereals and legumes and vitamins, the animal is unlikely to live long. It is important to provide the pet with good living conditions and monitor his health.
Attention! According to statistics, the average life expectancy of a working horse is 20β25 years.
Sports
Horses used in sports usually live 5-6 years longer than workers. These animals are also accustomed to heavy physical exertion, due to which the body wears out quickly, but the quality of care for them is higher:
sports horse
- they are kept in the best conditions;
- their diet is varied and compiled according to all the rules;
- Animals regularly undergo veterinary examinations.
Despite all the advantages that sports horses have over workers, they often do not live to old age. As soon as the horses cease to win awards and bring profit to the owners, they are euthanized.
tribal
Horses used for breeding are in the most advantageous position, because they are kept in factory conditions, where good nutrition, walking, and good care are provided. The owners of breeding farms are interested in the fact that the animals retain the ability to produce offspring for as long as possible, and hence income.
In many ways, the life span of breeding horses depends on the breed and genetics. So far, the undisputed long-lived leaders are 2 breeds – the Arabian thoroughbred and the Akhal-Teke. Representatives of these populations naturally have good health and live up to 30-35 years.
Wild
In the natural habitat it is impossible to meet horses of advanced age. Hippologists say that only 30% of individuals born in the wild reach sexual maturity. Most die at an early age due to disease or predation. Adult animals often die in the struggle for territory from injuries inflicted by the enemy.
Wild horses, under the most favorable circumstances, live 5β14 years. If a disease overtakes a horse, in most cases death awaits him, because a sick animal lags behind the herd and becomes easy prey for predators.
wild horses
Factors affecting longevity
Horse owners invest a lot of money in their purchase, so they try to prolong their life. How long horses live depends on many factors.
Conditions of detention and care
Horses living in a warm and clean stable are less susceptible to infections and colds. An important role in strengthening immunity is played by regular walking. The horse breeder must monitor the cleanliness of the room, change the bedding as it gets dirty, wash and clean the pets.
Attention! Timely veterinary care is the key to a long life of a pet. The owner of the horse should pay attention to his well-being and, at the first sign of illness, seek the help of a specialist. It is important to vaccinate animals in a timely manner to avoid deadly infections.
Food
The diet of the horse should be varied. In summer, odd-toed ungulates eat grass and hay; the menu also includes carrots, apples, and beets. Working horses, foal mares and young animals must be introduced to the menu with legumes and cereals rich in protein. In winter, their share in the diet increases. In the cold season, it is worth giving vitamin and mineral supplements to horses.
Physical exercise
Horses used for heavy work or in sports can live a long life if their daily routine is properly organized. Exceeding the intensity of loads leads to a rapid depletion of the body’s resources and various injuries. Hard work should alternate with good rest.
Attention! You can not use young animals up to 2,5β3 years old for work. This can lead to the development of pathologies of the heart, blood vessels, other diseases and cause premature death.
Breed affiliation
Some breeds of horses are naturally long-lived. This is at the genetic level. Ponies, for example, live up to 30 years, and sometimes longer. Representatives of the Arabian purebred breed with good care can live 35-40 years.
Arabian purebred
How to determine the age of a horse?
Those who wish to buy an adult horse in a private household should learn to recognize the approximate age of the animal by external signs. No one will be able to find out exactly how old a horse is if documents are not attached to it. Consider the signs of a young horse or mare 10β12 years old:
- The body of the horse is elastic, muscular, toned, the coat is shiny.
- The skin on the muzzle is elastic.
- The horse is active, has a good appetite.
- Teeth are in good condition. At the age of 8 years, the cups are slightly worn down only on the lower permanent teeth. By the age of 10, the process already affects the upper middle teeth, and by the age of 11β12, the incisors begin to wear out. At 12β13 years old, almost all teeth are already partially worn off.
By the state of the mouth, it is easy to calculate the old horse. After 15 years, the teeth become denser, due to which their section takes the form of a triangle, and gradually move forward. The older the animal, the shorter the tooth processes become. After 24 years, they are so small that the gums are in contact with each other.
In elderly animals, joints become denser, their mobility decreases. Older horses become lethargic and rest almost all the time. Sagging lips testify to a respectable age. A sure sign of old age is emaciation or obesity, loss of muscle tone, prominent ribs, sagging skin.
How long does a horse live by human standards?
Many horse owners are interested in knowing how old their pet is in human terms. It’s easy to calculate. The first year of a pet’s life is equal to 12 years, the second is equated to 7, from the third to the fifth inclusive – to 4 years. Each next equates to 2,5 years.
How to take care of an elderly pet?
An old horse needs to be taken care of. Particular attention should be paid to her nutrition. The teeth of elderly pets are worn out, so coarse food is excluded from the diet. Instead of hay and straw, liquid mash and steamed grain are offered.
old horse
You can not deprive an old horse of daily exercise. In good weather, she should be outdoors for at least 2-3 hours. If there are no health problems, veterinarians recommend giving animals moderate exercise. You can take walks with light gaits for 30-50 minutes. The main thing in this business is regularity. Sick animals should receive veterinary care.
Attention! It is important for elderly horses to feel the care of the owner. Every day you need to visit an old friend, take care of him, clean, wash, talk.
Long-lived horses
The absolute record holder, who went down in history as the oldest horse, is considered a stallion named Old Bill. He was born in 1760 in Great Britain. Almost all his life he was involved in hard work – towing barges on the canal. At the age of 59, he was transferred to a farm where he died 3 years later.Β Old Bill lived 62 years.
Recently, the mare Orchid died in the Remus Horse Reserve in the UK, she was 50 years old. Shortly before her appearance, another record holder named Shane, who died at 51, lived in the same kennel.
Another long-lived stallion is the pony Bonnie Less, who was born in 1919 and died in 1987 at the age of 54. Among the representatives of the English Thoroughbred breed, the stallion Duke Tango distinguished himself. He lived to the age of 42 and died in 1978.
How long a horse will live depends on many factors, but good care helps to extend the life of a horse. In order for a faithful friend to serve for the benefit of the owner for a long time, you need to take care of his health, keep the stable clean, and properly organize the work and rest of the animal. An important aspect is good nutrition. If the horse does not receive enough vitamins and nutrients, its immunity will weaken, and this can lead to an early death.
