SKYDOG Seniors

Why are there so many senior horses at auctions?

It always hurts to see horses and donkeys in their later years discarded at auctions, a consequence of a society that sees them as objects rather than sentient beings. So often, they are dumped when they become too old to “be of use”, even after a lifetime of service to humans as work or riding horses. They deserve gentle retirements on pasture with love and care in their golden years. Instead, many find themselves in the frightening confusion of auctions, where it is all too easy to fall into the hands of kill buyers.

It’s incredibly difficult for older mustangs and burros to adapt to life in captivity if they have lived 2 or 3 decades free on the range. They are less likely to be willing to be trained. They are too old to make good riding or work horses. These elders are truly in need of a gentle retirement.

When horses get older, they cannot work as hard. Some can no longer work at all. If they haven’t had dental care, they start losing their teeth, so they can no longer chew hay and require a special diet of mashes and softer food that they can digest. They can suffer a whole host of other ailments that need more costly veterinary treatment:

Cushing's Disease

Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, also known as PPID or equine Cushing’s disease, is a common endocrine disorder in horses. A long, shaggy coat with irregular shedding patterns is one of the most notable clinical signs and horses will need meds to manage such a condition.

Heaves

Recurrent airway obstruction, commonly known as heaves, is similar to asthma in humans. Genetics, housing and husbandry, and allergies can all play a part in causing this disease. A heavey horse's clinical signs, such as shortness of breath and coughing, can worsen as he ages. Luckily with the fresh air and lack of allergens at Skydog Oregon, we don’t currently have a horse with heaves in our roster of older horses.

Cataracts

A cataract is an opacity or clouding of the eye lens, which is the large transparent structure found midway between the cornea and the retina that the horse uses to focus images close to his head. While horses of all ages can suffer from cataracts, they are often associated with aging or trauma. Our beautiful Dani California came to us with cataracts in one eye and has to have her eye removed to prevent pain and discomfort as time goes on. She does amazingly well and both she and Rosa who is also blind, are helped around their large pasture by Storm who is their eyes.

Laminitis

Endocrine disorders, such as PPID, can make senior horses more likely to suffer from laminitis (founder). Some of our older equines such as Adeline, Casey, Vinnie the donkey, and Hailey suffer from this and need expensive boots and meds to counter the effects of their condition.

Melanomas

Eighty percent of gray-colored horses will get melanomas, which are cancer tumors. Melanoma tumors can become larger and more prevalent as a gray horse ages. Our Swayze was rescued out of a kill pen with melanomas around his rectum which he has had lasered off twice to keep everything moving back there. We keep a close eye on all our grey horses for signs of this.

Swayback

Swayback also referred to as lordosis, low back or softback is the excessive curvature of the spine and a telltale sign of aging. Research suggests genetics plays a role in causing severe swayback. Beautiful Grace came to us swayback and her daughter Sunshine also has the same condition. They both get around fine and neither need meds nor help for their condition at this point.

Dental Disease

Dental disease is common in older horses and can cause quidding, which is the dropping of feed during mastication (chewing). Poor chewing can lead to weight loss and an increased risk of choke. Handsome Lep is probably our worst case of this and he and Dorothy came to us with very few teeth and have special mash and meds as a result. Their hay is soaked to make it easier to eat and they get a wonderful combination of alfalfa pellets, beet pulp, senior feed, and supplements.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis and joint disease are common in aging equids. Medicines can help keep an arthritic old horse comfortable as well as exercise and movement.

Weight Loss

Old horses often become unthrifty, meaning they are harder to keep weight on. Dental problems and endocrine disorders, as well as an aging digestive tract, are all possible causes of weight loss. We have taken in several horses who are skinniness attributed to old age but all have come back to good health with the right diet and lots of extra care.

The Burns Amendment & Three Strikes Animals

In 2004, the Burns Amendment removed language from the Wild Free-Roaming Horses & Burros Act of 1971 that protected the animals from commercial sale (slaughter). It allows the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to sell “excess animals” as “Sale Authority” if they are older than 10 years, or any age if they have been offered unsuccessfully for adoption three times. It allows the buyer to take ownership immediately “without limitation“ and strips the animals of all protections under the law as free-roaming wild horses or burros.

It’s easy for senior horses to end up as Sale Authority. They are frequently passed over at adoption events. People looking for a new horse rarely want one that can’t be worked or ridden or will require extra medical care.

As Sale Authority, they are sold for as little as $25.00. It’s a cheap way for horse traders and kill buyers to make a profit selling them for slaughter as soon as they buy them.

We are always on the lookout for seniors to help them when nobody else will. Our Malibu ranch is home to those who require special care, extra attention, warmer climate, and want lots of love from humans. Our Oregon ranch is also home to wild seniors who want to live out their lives as they did on the range with care available is they should need it.

Compassionate Euthanasia

With elderly horses, there is always a sense of mortality as we watch them slow down over time. When the day comes that they are physically unable to have a good quality of life, we guide them to a gentle, loving end. Whenever possible, we want them to pass at Skydog. Hard as it is, we always have at least one staff member at their side. They are given an injection to sleep, as they would if they were having a surgery. Once they lay down, they are given a shot to stop their heart. I have never once seen a horse thrash or fight the drugs, they go to sleep peacefully with dignity.

If you cannot afford to keep your horse into old age with the special needs they have, I would always suggest that option, painful as it is to consider. It is way better than sending them to auction hoping a rescue or sanctuary will do it for you to save you the pain. Sanctuaries like ours are very few and far between and we cannot hope to accommodate every horse who needs a good retirement.

If you have ever loved your horse or are grateful for their wonderful service to you, please don’t drive them to auction hoping someone else will ever love them as much as you have. The fact is they will more likely end up in the slaughter pipeline. It’s unthinkable that a horse who has spent a life pulling a plow, leading a carriage, taking children on trail rides, or a family pet could die on the floor of a slaughter house in the most painful, cruel, terrifying, and brutal fashion. There is an enormous difference between euthanasia and slaughter and the two should never be conflated.