Full-care Horse Boarding, Horse Retirement, Special Diet for Retiree Horses, Equine Founder & Laminitic Rehab, Natural Barefoot
Horse Retirement and Special Needs Services
Little Wing Stable also offers a knowledgeable and safe environment for the aging equine. The geriatric horse has a whole new set of issues that the mature
horse does not. Their physiology differs just as the geriatric human’s does. Therefore, they have special needs for their aging bodies.
They often times have teeth problems and or tooth losses. They do not drink as much as they should. They take longer to eat and do not fight for their food in a
mixed herd. They need more calories in cold weather to maintain body heat. They also need supplements in their feed as they do not utilize their nutrients as
well as a younger horse. They are more prone to colic due to less fluid intake and slowing of peristalsis in the intestine due to age.
Their social needs are also different. In a mixed herd, the geriatric horse is shunned or driven away from the herd. The herd sees the aging horse as a threat
to the general safety of the herd, so the younger horses instinctively drive them away from the herd, resulting in the eventual death of the older and weaker
horses.
Little Wing has a wonderful program to ensure the safe and productive retirement of the aging equines. All horses have their own stall and
paddock. They are given extra time to eat in private and soaked hay gives them extra water to supplement their liquid intake. We work with our clients to
construct a supplemental feeding program that will allow them the extra calories they require to maintain their body weight, immune system, and their healthy
coats. Aged equines are turned out together, away from younger and/or more aggressive horses. Turning out is vital to increase the peristalsis and keep the
intestinal system healthy.
We know that we cannot keep them forever, but we can make their last years comfortable and as healthy as possible. Please feel free to visit our facility at
any time. We always have a healthy community of retired horses as a testament to our retirement program.