• Discussion Guide
• Welcome to the Horse Portal!

• Canada’s Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines

• Senior Horse Management Fact Sheet – Equine Guelph fact sheet with tips on senior horse management.
• Equine Guelph Senior Horse Challenge

Unit 2 – Defining a Senior Horse

2.3

• The Tale of the Teeth:

2.5

• The Price of Longevity: Senior Horse Health Needs  – Learn more about defining old age and the health issues that may come with it.
• Taking Care of the Senior Horse – Learn more about when a horse is considered senior and the changes that occur with aging.
• The Aging Horse – Learn more about the signs of aging and the changes and health issues that come along with it.
• The Oldest Horses in History – Check out this list of some of the oldest horses in history.
• Farewell Shayne: World’s Oldest Horse Passes – Learn more about one of the world’s oldest horses.

Unit 3 – Teeth, Body Condition, Thermoregulation 3.1

• 5 Things You Need to Know: Senior Horse Dental Care – TheHorse.com
• Common Equine Dental Problems – Texas Equine Dentistry

3.2 

• Body Condition Scoring – Hands on Help for Your Horse – Equine Guelph article
• Don’t settle for anything less than Ideal: Consequences of Being Too Thin – Equine Guelph infosheet

3.7

• Equine Guelph Healthcare Tool – The Blanket Centre:

• Geriatric Horse Dental Care – Fact sheet with info on aging of teeth, dental diseases, when to seek dental care and answers to some frequently asked questions.
• Prevalence, risk factors and clinical signs predictive for equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in aged horses – Research study investigating prevalence, risk factors and clinical signs predictive for PPID in horses aged 15 and up in Queensland, Australia.
• Cushing’s Horses’ Long-Term Response to Pergolide – Article summarizing findings from researchers who studied a group of horses receiving pergolide for treatment of PPID over a long period of time.
• Senior Horse Dental Heath – Article summarizing signs of common dental problems in senior horses.
• Handle Senior Horse Dental Care With Diligence – More tips on senior dental care from the 2018 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention.
• Horse Blanketing FAQs – Article answering some frequently asked blanketing questions.
• Keeping the Aging Horse Comfortable – Tips for preventing conditions such as dental disease, joint pain and arthritis, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, equine asthma; and eye problems.

Unit 4 – Nutrition

4.1

• Equine Guelph – Forage Calculator
• Horse Feeding Basics

4.4

• Equine Guelph HealthCare Tool: Colic Risk Rater

• Feeding the Healthy Senior Horse – Guidelines on feeding healthy senior horses, featuring tips from equine nutritionist, Dr. Sarah Ralston.
• Dealing with Equine Colic – A list of 33 things to do and not to do when a horse displays vague, mild and serious signs of colic.
• 7 Tips for Selecting and Feeding a Complete Feed – Some might consider feeding their seniors a complete feed. However, it can be difficult to choose and understand the appropriate ways to feed one. This article has some great tips for those interested!
• Equine Elders – TheHorse.com – Dr. Clair Thunes, an independent equine nutritionist, answers some common questions about feeding older equines.
• Risks Associated With Feeding Horses Traditional Bran Mashes – While steeped in tradition, feeding bran mashes can cause GI distress in horses. Learn why, and discover alternatives. (TheHorse.com)

Unit 5 – Lameness and Fitness

5.1

• Lameness in Senior Horses – Kentucky Equine Research
• Senior Horse Hoof Care – 8 Answers from farrier Sean Elliot:

5.2

• Laminitis – Tips from the Code
• Older Horses Means Older Joints

5.4  

• Conditioning the Older Horse

5.5

• Equine Guelph’s Journey Through the Joints

• Senior Horse Health Challenges – Fact sheet providing information on pain recognition and common conditions affecting senior horses.
• Oral Joint Supplements for Horses – This article examines the current state of the equine nutritional supplement industry and outlines a seven-step “ACCLAIM” approach to critically evaluate supplements for horse caregivers.
• Your Aging Horse: Conditioning – Tips for conditioning a senior horse.
• Equine Conditioning video – Learn about equine conditioning in general with this video from equine biomechanics expert, Dr. Hilary Clayton.

Unit 6 – Biosecurity

6.1

• Alberta Equestrian Federation – Equine Biosecurity Principles and Best Practices

6.2

6.3

• Self-evaluation checklist for risk assessment (Inspections Canada)

6.4

• Equine Guelph’s Vaccination Equi-Planner

6.5

• Equine Guelph’s Biosecurity Risk Calculator

• CFIA National Farm and Facility Level Biosecurity Standard for the Equine Sector – The national biosecurity standard that contains guidelines and recommendations to benefit horse owners and custodians in protecting their horses from contagious diseases.
• Equine Biosecurity Principles and Best Practices – Educational outreach resource from the Alberta Equestrian Federation.
• Pay Close Attention to Nylon Halters, Leads During Post-Strangles Cleaning – A recent study showed the importance of machine washing on hot at a temperature of at least 60°C (140°F) to get rid of the bacteria on nylon halters and leads.
• Older Horses Part 3: Vaccinations and Deworming – Info from experts on guidelines for deworming and vaccinating aging equines.
• News article from Ontario Equestrian on farm-level biosecurity standard – Info about the standard and its development
• Horses – Health Management and Biosecurity – Links to fact sheets and resources from OMAFRA
• Guidelines for Vaccination of Horses – Fact sheet from OMAFRA
• 10 Biosecurity Tips from Top Equine Health Experts – 10 great tips from experts
• Vaccination Considerations in Older Horses – Discusses the importance of vaccination for older horses

Unit 7 – Breeding your older Horse

7.2

• Breeding Older Mares

7.4

• Before You Breed Your Horse: Costs and Considerations

7.7

• Equine Guelph’s Mare and Foal Care Tool

• Breeding Horses – This book provides those interested in breeding with an overview of breeding and practical information.
• How to prepare the Older Mare for Breeding Season – Tips on general healthcare, diet modification, metabolic conditions and reproductive health for the older mare.
• Breeding the Older Mare – Issues with breeding an older mare and strategies for overcoming them.
• Stallion Reproduction – More info on the reproductive system and factors affecting breeding performance.

Unit 8 – Housing the Senior Horse

8.3 

• Paddock Paradise Track System

8.4

• Equine Guelph’s Welfare Code Decoder

• Consequences of Stall Confinement – Discusses potential long-term effects stalling might have on general health and emotional state. 

Unit 9 – End of Life Considerations

9.2

• Equine Industry Imposium – presentation by Gayle Ecker (from 7:50 – 27:00)

9.3

• McGowan, T.W., Phillips, C.J.C., Hodgson, D.R., Perkins, N., and McGowan, C.M. (2012). Euthanasia in Aged Horses: Relationship between the Owner’s Personality and Their Opinions on, and Experience of, Euthanasia of Horses. Anthrozoos

9.4

• Further Burial Restrictions from Nutrient Management Act. Ontario Regulation 106/09 – Disposal of dead farm animals

9.5

• Equine End of Life – Tips and resources from the Word Horse Welfare organization  
• Operational Details of the Five Domains Model and Its Key Applications to the Assessment and Management of Animal Welfare – A paper from Dr. David Mellor, well-known welfare expert, that describes the five domains model and its applications in more detail. 
• Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities – Guidelines to help support the important work done by these facilities.  
• Euthanasia of Horses – Fact sheet covering guidelines for making a decision on the right time, the process of euthanasia, and burial/disposal options.