Ageing horses are reshaping equine care and cost

Older horses are living longer, and that shift is forcing a broader rethink of equine care, from routine dentistry and nutrition to chronic disease management and affordability. Vet Times reports that the ageing equine population is bringing more cases of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, osteoarthritis, dental disease, and weight-loss or metabolic problems into everyday practice, while also increasing the long-term cost burden for horse-owning pet parents. That trend matches wider evidence from equine medicine: a U.S. survey-based study found senior horses may account for up to one-third of the equine population, and older case loads have been rising for years, while the Equine Endocrinology Group’s 2025 recommendations continue to center PPID as a major condition in aged horses. (sciencedirect.com)

Why it matters: For equine veterinarians, the issue isn’t just that horses are living longer, but that they’re living longer with chronic, management-intensive conditions. Older horses often need more frequent dental assessment, tailored feeding plans, endocrine monitoring, laminitis risk management, and ongoing discussions about quality of life, compliance, and cost. Long-term pergolide treatment remains a mainstay for PPID, and newer research suggests it can improve clinical signs over time, but it also underscores how senior-horse medicine increasingly depends on sustained follow-up rather than one-time intervention. (ivis.org)

What to watch: Expect continued focus on equine gerontology, especially around PPID management, preventive screening in horses 15 and older, and how practices price and structure long-term care for an older herd. (equineendocrinologygroup.org)