Keep him moving
As we get older, we struggle with moving around and your horse is exactly the same. But just because your horse is slowing down, doesn’t mean he can’t have fun. He may not be on the competition circuit, or up for long endurance escapades, but you should still be doing things with him (providing he’s happy doing them, of course). “When it comes to exercise, watch for a change in your horse’s attitude,” says Claire. “Does he still want to go out? Does he come back like he used to? Is he struggling on one rein and not the other? Are his transitions as smooth? Is he okay the next day after exercise? Is he showing any avoidance behaviours like grumpiness? You should be asking yourself these questions. “You may not keep your advanced dressage horse doing dressage but you may do something else at a lower level.” The expectations you have of your horse have to change as he ages. Listen to him and scale back his exercise program where you feel it’s necessary. The rule of thumb is that you should continue to exercise your horse but accommodate his age and aliments.