Hardy, graceful and loyal, horses are desirable pets for many owners. A miniature pony or a sophisticated aristocratic horse is quite capable of becoming not only a pet for a person, but also a truly loyal friend. And in order for these friends to delight you with their presence as long as possible, it is useful to know how long do domestic and wild horses live?
Average lifespan of a horse
Horse experts (hippologists) and horse breeders disagree about the life expectancy of these animals. According to one opinion, these creatures live 25-30 years. Other experts are confident that horses can live 35-40 years.
It should be understood that there is no single figure. It is impossible to compare an individual raised in the wild and a thoroughbred horse, which a loving owner carefully raises for exhibitions. The number of years lived between a breeding stallion and a racing horse will also differ, although both are under human care. All things considered, horses can remain with their owner for 15-40 years. But not every animal is able to live to such a respectable age.
In wild nature
A wild horse lives commensurately less than a domestic horse. And all because wild individuals have to survive in a harsh climate, adapt to the vagaries of nature and protect themselves from predators. Unbroken mustangs eat sparingly, especially in winter. Many individuals die from diseases and infections because there is no one to treat these creatures.
Did you know? Of the wild foals born each year, only 30% survive to maturity. The rest die due to disease, predators and injury.
Climate is also considered important. Horses living in warm regions live 10 years longer than those that have to survive in the vastness of the harsh North. Here many mustangs die before reaching the age of ten. On average, wild horses live 15-20 years. “Southerners” are able to live up to 25 years, and “northerners” - up to 15 or less.
At home
Horses living close to humans are more likely to grow old. After all, the owner takes care of their diet, protects them from bad weather and treats diseases.The lifespan of domestic animals is about 20-25 years, with good care - 35-40 years.
What factors can influence longevity?
The longevity of domestic horses depends on a number of factors. This includes the quality of care for the animal, living conditions and the degree of stress it performs.
Conditions and care
A horse's longevity is very closely related to the conditions in which it is kept. The breeder must keep several important factors in mind:
- Dry and clean in the stable. Being in a damp, dirty home, horses get sick faster. These animals have swollen legs and inflamed joints.
- Care of teeth and hooves. If the animal is unable to chew solid food properly, this can cause exhaustion and colic. The owner of an aging horse should pay special attention to its teeth. After all, by the age of 20, an animal’s teeth can wear out, which makes chewing food difficult for an elderly pet. To prevent these problems, the horse should be examined annually by a veterinarian. A specialist grinds the horse's teeth to prevent wear. Hooves should be trimmed every 6-8 weeks. This is very important for horses whose hooves lack natural wear and tear.
- Fight against parasites. Horses often suffer from the presence of helminths. Scars often remain in the horse's intestines in places where worms were attached to the tissues. As a result, intestinal permeability narrows and the quality of food digestion becomes low. If parasites are not eliminated in time, their long stay in the animal’s body can cause serious problems, sometimes even fatal colic. For horses of any age, systematic deworming is important.It is best to coordinate the schedule for this procedure with your veterinarian.
On a note. Domestic horses should be examined regularly by a veterinarian. This applies not only to cases where the animal is sick. Observation by a specialist every six months will help track early signs of the disease. The veterinarian creates vaccination and deworming schedules and, if necessary, recommends diet.
Diet
High-quality nutrition is the key to a horse’s health and longevity. It is important to provide your pet with a balanced and nutritious diet. Traditional horse feeds are:
- green food in summer (freshly cut, slightly dried grass);
- high quality hay;
- grain crops (barley, oats);
- compound feed.
Breed
Representatives of different breeds of horses differ in their life expectancy:
- Thoroughbred horses. They can live 30 years or more. Their longevity is often the result of the special care shown by the owner towards such a pet.
- Domestic working horses. If the loads placed on them are moderate, such individuals can live 20-25 years.
- Harness breeds, ponies. Their life is usually measured and therefore lasts a long time - 30-38 years.
- Sports horses. It is impossible to predict their life expectancy. These animals can live 10 or 30 years. It all depends on the care of the owner, the intensity of activities and the type of sport. The breeder can get too carried away with training, and the horse will begin to get seriously ill, get injured or die from overload.
Animal use and physical activity
A horse is an animal that must constantly be in motion. If the owner neglects this fact and leaves his pet in the stable for a long time, the horse’s muscles may atrophy.Daily walks in the air are necessary for a horse, regardless of its age. As a result, your pet's muscles will always be in good shape, and the joints will remain flexible. It is especially important for young stallions to stretch their joints and muscles and release accumulated energy. Such pets need to be walked at least 2 times a day.
Passivity is dangerous for a horse, but physical overload is no less dangerous. Hard work shortens a horse's lifespan and undermines its health.
People use horses in various activities:
- Sport. Horse riding is one of the most popular sports. But it is also considered one of the most dangerous, both for the horse and the owner. Sports horses live relatively short lives compared to their domestic “brothers”.
- Work in the field. In villages, horses are still used today as draft animals for agricultural work. If the tasks performed are not too difficult for the horse, and the owner does not overload it excessively, such animals may well meet a very old age.
- Mounted police. In some states, horses work in tandem with police officers. Such work is fraught with risk, as is the work of the police themselves.
- Hippotherapy. Contact with horses is often used to restore the mental state of disabled people and autistic children. Such horses are usually surrounded by care and do not do hard work.
- Breeding. The highest caste of horses and mares used to produce offspring.
Determining the age of a horse
Breeders and horse lovers who plan to buy an adult animal should be able to determine the age of the future pet. This procedure is not the easiest and sometimes requires consultation with a specialist.
The most important criterion for determining age horse - the condition of his teeth. For an accurate diagnosis, you should know the features of their appearance and placement:
- White milk teeth are gradually replaced by permanent teeth by 2.5-5 years. The latter have a yellowish-cream tint. The teeth of individuals 20 years and older gradually become brown.
- Long, stiff hairs on the nose and around the lips are found in horses and mares over 10 years of age.
- After 5 years, a horse's teeth begin to tilt and grow at an angle. In older individuals (over 20 years), the angle of inclination becomes more acute.
- In a horse over 12 years old, the shape of the incisors on the lower jaw changes - they become more rounded. After 15 years, the incisors gradually take on a triangular shape.
You should also pay attention to the appearance of the animal:
- Tight skin, lack of folds, bulging muscles, shiny coat - the horse or mare is no more than 12 years old.
- Compacted joints hint either at the horse’s injuries or at its advanced age. The first case can be tracked - when walking, the horse will experience pain.
- Protruding ears and drooping lips mean that the horse will soon reach old age.
Age of a horse by human standards
The ratio of human and horse years is a relative and average concept. You can calculate the number of horse years in relation to human years by referring to the table:
| Human | Horse |
| 12 years | 1 year |
| 19 years (+7 years from previous year) | 2 years |
| 31 years (+4 years each year) | 3, 4, 5 years |
| + 2.5 years every year | 5 or more years |
It is easy to calculate that the age of a twenty-year-old horse by human standards will be 68 years.
Record cases of longevity
The most famous long-liver among horses is considered to be Old Bill, who lived in the 19th century. This animal, being a mongrel draft worker, managed to live to 62 years.The record holder of the 21st century is the mare Pushinka, who died in 2007 at the age of 57.
In 1919, a certain French pony gave birth to a foal at the age of 42 and died 4 years later - at 46 years old. The father of the foal that gave birth to the pony was 54 years old. This couple also did not belong to elite purebred breeds. A representative of the Austrian purebred breed, Duke Tango, lived to be 42 years old.
