Life Expectancy of a Horse

Horses are one of my favorite farm animals. There's just something about them that's attractive, it's not that I am an expert on horses and have one at my place. But just one glance at them and it's actually very soothing to the eyes. Before the invention of the wheel, horses were the best mode of transport. They were swift, effective and graceful. As, time progressed so did inventions and after the discovery of the wheel; horses were no longer made part of wars. They were instead used for domesticated purposes like milk, farming, horse riding and food purposes. Nowadays horses are even kept for private breeding, but before buying a horse it is necessary that you have basic knowledge about its life expectancy, their diet and all the various things needed.

The horse is a member of the equine family and is a hoofed mammal. According to historical facts, horses have evolved from a multi toed animal to a single toed animal. Horses are one of the earliest animals which were domesticated by man. As of today almost all breeds of horses have been domesticated. Only the Prezwalski horse is left in the wild today. Listed among the most endangered species, developments are in full swing to domesticate this breed so that it can be protected from its various predators. So let's look into detail about the life span of a horse.

What is the Life Expectancy of a Horse?

The definition of life span of a horse has changed drastically over the last few years. Horses are costly farm animals. They don't come cheap and neither does their maintenance. Most of the people who buy horses mostly use them for farm and traveling purposes. While buying a horse people always wonder about its life expectancy, which breeds have a longer life span, various health problems and how to ensure that the horse remains healthy so that he enjoys a longer life. On a normal basis, the horse that is well maintained and stays in hygienic conditions is expected to have a longer life expectancy between 25 to 30 years. Do remember that breed and general lifestyle also plays an important factor in determining the average life span of a horse.

As observed, the two kinds of horses which have a higher expectancy than most other horses are ponies and draft horses. Many types of horses fall under these two categories but normally horses don't live more than 35 years. The breed which has the smallest life expectancy is a thorough bred which due to the rigorous hours of horse racing tends to live only 25 years. As the horse ages, its health deteriorates the most significant change is its ability to eat due to a weak digestive system. If you continue to feed your horse on roughage food even after it has grown old, this can harm its intestines. This can lead to malnutrition and an impact on its colics. When it comes to the cardio vascular system horses have been very lucky. They seldom get heart diseases and have a strong heart which strengthens with training. One of the most interesting facts about horses goes way back to the 19th century. The oldest living horse was named as "Old Billy" and he died at the age of 62. The most recent horse to have a longer life was called "Sugar Puff" who lived till he was 57, he passed away in 2007.

The best way to determine its life expectancy is to examine the animal's teeth. But this observation also requires some experience if you want an accurate age. All horses in the world have a common official birth date and that is January 1st. So even if a foal born in the 2nd week of December will be considered a yearling upon the New Year. The food of the horse basically depends on the animal's lifestyle. The horse is one animal that keeps on eating as long as food is available and therefore this usually leads to overeating. Its food should basically consist of forage and of grains and hay. A riding horse or a draft horse will need more food than a horse leading an easy life in the horse barn. A horse drinks about 12 gallons of water when idle and more if active. A horse is happy if it's provided minimum shelter from rains cold and extra heat.

So this was all you needed to know while determining the life expectancy of a horse. If you really want your horse to live long, make sure it receives proper dental care and other veterinary facilities, good nutrition and regular exercise.