So... you are wondering how long your horse is going to live for.
It can seem like a morbid question, but there are a lot of reasons why it's important to understand what your horse's lifespan looks like. First of all, owning a horse is a huge responsibility and commitment. If you got a horse, or are thinking of getting a horse, it is important that you understand what kind of commitment you are getting yourself into.
Well how long do horses live? The fact of the matter is that horses can live for up to 25-30 years, which is quite a bit longer than most other varieties of pets.
Turtles and parrots are an exception, but otherwise horses might be the pet with the longest time commitment. It’s certainly a longer period of time than any dog or cat that I’ve ever met. It doesn't just mean committing a great deal of time to your horse, it also means committing an enormous amount of resources and energy, too.
We'll be taking a look at what the research says about how you can help support your horse as it ages and tips and tricks to help them live a long, healthy, happy life including:
- Giving your horse proper food and water throughout their life
- Providing adequate medical care to your older horse
- Helping your equine friend lead a healthy lifestyle throughout their lifespan
Step One: Water and Nutrition
If You Want Your Horse To be Healthy You Have to Feed Them Healthy Food
The trick to keeping any pet happy and healthy is to keep them well hydrated and well fed. Unlike ourselves, most pets aren’t able to just get up and go to the fridge whenever they are hungry or thirsty. And because of this they rely on us to provide them with all of their food and water. And since food and water are where the body finds all the basic building blocks it needs to fuel everything from cell reproduction to the immune system, they are enormously important to the overall health of your horse.
This means that you want to provide your horse with plenty of clean, fresh water. Dirty contaminated water is a great place for your horse to pick up an illness or disease and you don’t want that because horses aren’t cheap to take to the vet, which brings us to step number two.
Step Two: Proper Medical Care
Like Every Pet Your Horse Needs Licensed Healthcare Sometimes
Just like any other pet, sometimes your horse is going to need the attention of a veterinarian. Sure, you can do a great job of taking care of them on your own, but it’s important to have a doctor look at them to keep an eye out for things that you might not be aware of. Not only can regular health screenings by a licensed veterinarian help you stave off problems before they start, they can also help make sure that your horse is maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
This can include all sorts of things, but your veterinarian has a much greater ability to perform tests that determine things like if your horse is having an allergic reaction to anything or if they are carrying any type of serious disease in their body.
Both of these are fundamental in keeping your horse healthy and kicking for a long time. Because of this, you will want to try to make sure your horse sees a vet at least once a year.
Step Three: Health Lifestyle and Exercise
Horses Aren’t Made to Be Cooped Up In A Barn All Day
Just like any animal, humans included, there is nothing better for overall health than regular moderate exercise. And that means the same thing goes for your horse. If you just leave them cooped up in the barn all day and they never get any fresh air, sunshine, or exercise they can't possibly be expected to be healthy, let alone happy. That’s why it is essential that you make sure that your horse gets plenty of exercise on a regular basis. And make sure you keep them exercising over the course of their life if you want them to live a long time.
And while it might sound like a chore to exercise your horse, it’s really just a great excuse to have some bonding tim with them. Taking them out for rides is a great way to exercise their muscles, lungs, and heart, but also provides you with a great opportunity to spend time with them and boond closer with them as their owner so there really isn’t a downside for you. Dress well and hop on your horse for this exercise. Make sure to suit yourself with your best equestrian attire. You can choose whichever boot type suits you best from roper vs cowboy boot.
So how long do horses live? It depends on their care.
But a healthy, happy horse who receives proper care throughout its life can live 30 years or more.
Your horse is just like any other living organism. It needs healthy food and water, professional medicine, and regular exercise to live to its full potential.
And it’s important to remember that just any one of these steps alone isn’t going to be enough to make sure your horse live a healthy lifestyle. It’s a combination of all these different elements that will really keep your horse living a healthy life for a long time to come.
