The older horse

It's not only humans that are living longer, our horses are too! Improvements in diet, management and veterinary care mean that horses and ponies can easily live into their 20s and 30s. The average age for a horse is about 24 years. Just like young animals, older animals need special care to keep them happy and healthy.

For young horses, one year is equal to about 3.5 years of a human's life, so a 10 year old horse is the equivalent of a 35 year old human. The ratio changes slightly as horses get older, when one year is equal to about 3 human years, so a 20 year old horse is the equivalent to a 60 year old human. A horse is considered to be old or 'geriatric' when it has reached 20 years of age, but many horses are still physically fit when they reach this age.