How long do horses live? This is a great question. I think it depends on what angle we decide to take to decipher the answer. If we look at history we’ll find many accounts of an older horse living anywhere of up to almost 60 years of age. If we look at genetics and predisposition we might find some breeds tend to live longer than others. Or we might find that a horse’s lifespan is contingent on the health of the broodmare at the time the foal was born. But none of this really tells us what may or may not be the practical contributing factors.

But more than this, I think the greater question is . . . how long can my horse live? There are a great many aspects that can influence the life term of a horse’s age. That is what this post is all about. What can we do to create longevity? Most importantly, wouldn’t you agree, that the most relevant question is “How can I create the best quality of life for my beloved equine companion”?

You could think of this in terms of your personal human relationships. Is it really the number of relationships you have or how long you’ve had them? Or is it the quality of connection, fulfillment, and most simply put, Joy within these relationships? In truth, it’s never up to us to determine the life span of anything, for that is determined by the Spirit. But it is up to us to shape and frame the best quality of life for everyone around us, mankind, and the animal kingdom.

What Factors Into How Long Do Horses Live?

There are some common denominators contributing to a horse’s health and the quality of a horse’s life regardless of horse breed, young horse, older horse, domestic horse, wild horse, male horse, a miniature horse, draft horse, quarter horse, pony, larger horses, smaller breeds, a feral horse or geriatric horses. The factors below are listed in the importance of priority.

Companionship ~ Largely Influences How Long Do Horses Live

Everyone knows horses are herd animals. But what exactly does that mean to you as a horse owner. It means your horse needs a buddy or several. Some horses can get away with no pasture mate but they’ll rely on you to have companionship with, and in reality, most people can’t spend the amount of time with their horse required to meet that inherent need. Truly, the best idea is to have another buddy and it doesn’t always have to be another horse. It could possibly be a goat or a pony. The best alternative will be the choice your horse makes, who he or she picks.

Here’s another way to consider your horse’s feelings and well-being. Have play days where they can possibly spend some time with a potential pasture/barn mate and see how it goes. See if they are receptive or not. Have patience and consideration for equine your friends, after all, they are sentient beings.

Training Expectations

There is no other way around how to say this, except to say it . . . and that is that people expect WAY too much from their horses almost all of the time. Understand that what we are sharing here is based on the practical experience of working with many horses over a significant period of time in both of our professions. The best test is always that of how you are with your own animals, so we expound from our Master teachers, our own animals. Chief, Apollo, and Savannah share their knowledge and insight here with us.

They’ve actually started their own trilogy the first one being titled: How to Live with a Horse. Here is an excerpt:

“Our vision is quite different from human vision. Because of how our eyes are set we see things differently than you, we have a two-dimensional approach from the side and hopefully a three-dimensional approach looking forward.

What we are hoping for, is that before we begin working together, you understand how we see the world. For instance, we are mostly nearsighted on the left side because humans always walk up to us on the left and ask things of us from the left side. This means we are generally far-sighted on the right. So when asking us to move to the left we may understand you all day long. But when asking us to move to the right we don’t ‘see’ the same way because of the far-sightedness on that side. We are asking that you don’t approach us with an agenda till you understand how we can receive the request, before scolding us.”

Thank you , Chief, Apollo and Savannah

Understanding Us Is Everything

You might wonder how this could possibly relate to ‘how long do horses live’? Not being understood on a constant and chronic basis leads to internal stress that eventually manifests externally in our health and well-being.

Nutrition

Just like us humans, quality nutrition means everything. I see it as the foundation of a horse’s health. Giving them proper nutrition is like fuel for the immune system. When the immune system is online and functioning, I always say it’s like a long term insurance policy. A horse will feel better, function better, perform better, and think better. See our post, Healthy As A Horse, Not Just A Saying. I’ll share with you exactly what we give our horses for optimal nutrition. And the protocol we’ve suggested for many of our horse clients.

1. Quality grass hay- horses are designed to eat grass. Not alfalfa. Cows eat alfalfa. Alfalfa causes horses to run hot and thus creates inflammation.
2. Bioavailable Minerals –
3. CoolStance Coconut Meal
4. Beet Pulp
5. Herbal Mixes of various herbs such as Ashwagandha, Slippery Elm, Marshmellow Root, Passion Flower, Dandelion, and Milk Thistle. You could use many variations of herbal mixes depending on the specific needs of your horse such as supporting the adrenals, gut, and liver.
6. Non-municipal Water! – this is a biggy. Most people don’t drink tap water and why would you give it to your horse. I know this is a tough one for many people that don’t have a well or filtered water system. But municipal water is loaded with chemicals, toxins, parasites, and heavy metals. This can be the cause of a host of health conditions and challenges.

Horses’ Hooves

Trimming and shoeing for whole-body balancing are where it’s at! This is rare and means what it says ~ evaluating the whole body for the proper angles of the trim to influence the entire body. This in turn allows the horse not only to be in alignment but it relaxes the entire nervous system. A proper trim not only affects the musculoskeletal structure of the horse but when alignment is correct the immune system and endocrine system work as a whole. We’ll call this full-body integration. In summary, the trim itself can align a horse beautifully or misalign a horse terribly.

Horse’s Teeth

Another imperative need of a horse is a horse’s teeth and in particular, a senior horse needs to have its teeth to masticate properly. This is the first step in breaking down the food so it CAN be digested. Teeth with hooks or points don’t allow for mastication to take place. Then guess what? Digestion is impaired. Following is the inability to absorb nutrients. You get the point from there ~ It trickles down the line like a domino effect. ThHn we have impaired health and well-being.

Environment Impacts How Long Horses Live

Horses need flat ground to roam around on freely. Horses that are stalled need time in the day to be turned out to an open area or pasture. They are so large that to be stalled would be like one of us humans standing in one spot all day long.

The most ideal situation is for a horse to be able to forage the herbs it intuitively knows it needs. Horses have been doing this since the beginning of time. Important to know is that Yellow Star Thistle is toxic for horses. Make sure your pasture is clear of this thistle and if you do find it, by all means, do not use Round-Up. Round-Up or Glyphosate is even more toxic.

BodyWork/Holistic Modalities

And speaking of sentient beings above, since sentience means the ability to feel, perceive, and experience independently, your horse may exponentially benefit from Holistic forms of bodywork or modalities. As horses age, just like we humans, we can use some help along the way if you know what I mean! Some of the main ones I’ve implored in working with horses has been Wholistic Touch, Bowen Therapy, Cold Laser Therapy, Crystals, essential oils, herbs, oil infusions, and of course Homeopathy. I can tell you from years of doing sessions with horses that they receive and respond beautifully to energetic methods.

In a Wholistic Touch session, you can’t help but see the head drop, the eyes soften, the musculature relax, jaw tension release, pronounced licking and chewing, and nostril expansion. In other words, a ton of bricks just came off their shoulders. They feel heard and understood maybe for the first time ever as they release emotional wounds.

You can directly influence a horse’s life by giving them holistic bodywork sessions. Some of which you can learn to do yourself, and talk about spending quality time with your horse!!! It doesn’t get any better than that. To share such a feeling of peace and relaxation together. Then when you are in the saddle, that sense of Oneness can be felt clear as day.

Horses, to all outside appearances, generally look healthy, hence the saying, “Healthy As A Horse.” They are big strong creatures and would seem to be immune to complexities. A savvy horse owner knows just how important health is to a horse’s performance. But horses aren’t just their performance. They, like us, are susceptible to injuries, pain, toxicity, and dis-ease.

It can’t go without saying that horses (and all our animals) are also susceptible to our emotions and will mirror and reflect this aspect of ourselves. Horses are emotional beings and require being treated with tenderness and understanding. This is certainly not to say that we should be herded around by our fellow equines. But more importantly though, that our relationship with our horses should be based on co-operation and collaboration. It’s a relationship . . . . right . . . . . .

A horse’s health is contingent upon proper nutrition within the diet, clean water, exercise, good hay, a favorable environment, and companionship. This last item, companionship is an extremely important factor in a horse’s emotional well-being. Their counterpart, we humans, require close to the same needs to experience vibrant health and wellness. Except, of course, the hay, unless you’d like to try our amazing superfood ‘that tastes like hay’, so I’ve been told. It’s a good thing I like hay and earthy tasting things!

On a physical level, in order to avoid health issues, this amounts to appropriate hoof health, including balanced whole body hoof trimming/shoeing, dental alignment, unique and individual saddle fit, and of course the optimal nutrition mentioned above. Every single one of these points listed above is imperative to have a healthy, happy, joyful, lively horse buddy.

Reading Your ‘Healthy As A Horse’, Horse

When it comes to natural horse health, equine professionals and horse owners alike need to be able to identify each horse’s care uniquely and individually. I’m going to share a personal example in a moment but first more on the practical principles of a horse’s life.

The Prey Nature of a Horse

The equine is a herd animal and considered an animal of prey due to its herbivorous nature. A wild animal such as a coyote, pack of coyotes, or mountain lion can take down an adult horse in a flash. A horse showing any kind of weakness is a target. They can also be ousted from the herd in order to preserve the whole of the herd. These are the laws of nature that sustain the species itself.

What does Preservation have to do with horse health? Everything . . . yes everything. When your horse is ailing, whether from an injury, a negative health condition, or an emotional disharmony they aren’t necessarily completely transparent with us. Why not . . . . ? To show pain of any kind is weakness. This is not a priority in a horse’s life. They can suffer without us ever knowing until it becomes blatantly obvious. WE don’t want it to go that far.

Slow Down, Wait, and Listen

This is where we need to change. Not our horse. If we really care about our horse and want a relationship based on harmony, co-operation, and collaboration, we’ll develop the necessary skills and art of patience. We’ll also do well with every other aspect of our life as well if we let our equine partners teach us the Art.

For instance, when you go out to the pasture or barn, give yourself a few moments to breathe, center yourself, and just observe your horse. Feel the warmth of gratitude for your animals and just be with them. We don’t always need to ‘DO’ something with them, accomplish something, or achieve a goal. Just being with them is a priceless gem. Give them the release from always having an expectation to be fulfilled. And it will do wonders for whatever discipline or riding style that you are currently entertaining.

What I Thought Wasn’t What I Thought

Here is a first-class example of the practical principles of the concept of taking the time to read your horse and listen. We’re all learning how to be better in life ~ all the way around. This is an example of my Healthy As A Horse, Chief. Bear with me . . . . it leads up to the precise point of this post.

Shaun, my hubby noticed Chief being a little bit lethargic and despondent for a few weeks before we found the issue. Chief and his long-term, Mustang pasture buddy have recently been blessed with a new pasture mate. Beautiful Savannah is a bright, outgoing, cheerful, Tennessee Walking mare. She brings light wherever she finds herself. As pasture dynamics work themselves out, as they always do, we assumed there was some processing going on regarding the recent changes.

Hubby commented to me “Chief needs some time with you, probably a bodywork session would be good”. Life keeps happening every day! I didn’t make it out for the bodywork session as soon as would have been ideal. The horses are roaming on 4 acres so we don’t always see them up close and personal except of course at feeding time and at supplement bowl-thirty mash time.

Patience And Practice

We discovered Chief was developing an infection evidenced by some discharge coming out of his left nostril and eye. A distinctive odor was beginning to appear as well. My first thought was run for the homeopathics. Which one though? Homeopathic medicine is truly one of the greatest modalities known. It’s an art and a science and it takes a moment or two to decipher which remedy or remedies are fitting for a given situation.

Patience and practice are required. Hmmmm . . . there is that word again, patience. Seems to be a theme. Anyway, I made my decision which ended up being the Silicea homeopathic remedy. A good one for infections. There ended up being a better one though. So I followed my intuitive protocol using this remedy along with some extra support including a bodywork session.

He seemed to respond right away and perk up and did well for a few days but I wasn’t getting the progressive resolution I was looking for as the days went by. The rain and cold weather hit which is not amiable for this quarter horse. The infection seemed to gain hold and the odor and discharge increased to the point where I felt like I didn’t want to mess around with this. I’m not a fan of antibiotics unless it’s a life-threatening situation. In my years of working with animals, I’ve seen way too many animals rally up and get so much better initially only to watch the immune system tank even further with more chronic health issues.

I Forgot To Take My Own Medicine

I will note here that Chief willingly took his homeopathic medicine each and every time I came out to give it. Now, I decided to up the ante and set the homeopathics to the side for the moment. I went for the bigger, potent biocide, MMS. As I have used it successfully in the past when the need has called for it. This too is not my favorite go-to primarily because of its biocidal nature. Any biocide basically ‘kills’ and doesn’t necessarily work harmoniously with an organism as a whole. Overall, MMS, its mechanism by nature is gentler than orthodoxy antibiotics. (Only in my personal opinion and experience).

So here I go, pasture bound in the cold rain with my 60ml syringe ready to annihilate the intruder. Chief acquiesced to my sure-fire strategy. Only as the next few days progressed did Chief not acquiesce, but adamantly would not be caught without a fight. Which was not his normal temperament, or mine. I blamed it on our fair-weather friend, the cold rain and wind. But Chief, still with all tenacity was trying to get me to slow down, wait and listen. Ashamed to say, I didn’t get it! I forgot to take my own medicine. The unfavorable dance went on for a few days. Even with my sure-fire approach, he wasn’t better!

Pasture Bound Again

I called my friend and homeopath, told her where I was with Chief, and asked for her expertise, she asked some specific questions and suggested the homeopathic remedy, Hepar Sulph 200C. Pasture bound again only this time with my 3cc syringe full of homeopathic vibrational medicine. It wasn’t easy to get back on Chief’s good side again and convince him I was not going to give him the biocide again, which he adamantly tried to tell me in the beginning.

Getting the Right Homeopathic Remedy

I gave him his first few doses of the Hepar Sulph and literally almost overnight the horrible odor was reduced by half and the glint in his eye was coming back. It was truly amazing. This odor was so bad and was the main reason I panicked and ran for the MMS. There it was seriously reduced almost immediately. And within a few days, he was better than he had been in weeks. Another dramatic testimony of using the appropriate homeopathic remedy.

After dosing with the Hepar Sulph 200c twice a day for just about 2 weeks the infection has just about completely disappeared. Chief’s mood is great. And his Life Force has been boosted. I would happily do this any day rather than give him medications that eradicate the offender immediately but ultimately weaken the immune system. Whether it be an animal or person, with a weakened immune system they then can be more predisposed and vulnerable to the next intruder that comes along.

I just have to add here, as evidenced by my first-hand experience above, that sometimes it takes a few tries to ‘get’ the right remedy. But when you do, the healing is truly amazing. Coming from 20+ years of experience in the holistic field, if there is one modality I wish I would have cultivated more it’s the art of homeopathy. It’s never too late though, right? I learn more and more about homeopathy all the time and the animals are my greatest teachers.

Holistic and Homeopathic Have Different Meanings

How important it is to differentiate the mechanism of herbs, supplements, and other holistic means from homeopathy. Many, many people use the term homeopathic and holistic interchangeably and they are NOT the same thing. In general, homeopathic remedies are diluted and succussed frequencies that are taken in the form of small white pellets or dissolved in water. Homeopathy is a holistic method by nature. But something holistic, that being a supplement or modality is not necessarily homeopathic. Homeopathics are frequency or vibration. And that’s a topic well worth exploring more, that is, understanding frequency and vibration. Another post another day.

My Personal ‘Healthy As A Horse’ Lesson

After a few days of the new remedy, Chief, finally would come to me again without me having to go get him and coerce him into taking something he clearly was telling me was not the solution. He now willingly came to me happy to take his remedy unHaltered, and uncoerced.

Why didn’t I Slow down, Wait and Listen? Why didn’t I approach the pasture and Chief with an attitude of listening? Maybe because I already had an agenda of ‘what I thought’ I knew. Chief taught me otherwise. Having tuned into what ultimately was being demonstrated by my 1,200-pound companion, we could have reached a resolution a little sooner.

Thank goodness our animal companions are devout followers of one of the greatest spiritual tenets ever known to man, The Sermon on the Mount, and I’ve been forgiven seventy times seven, one more time.

When you think of the word “shire” or even “shire horse” you may imagine a green valley, filled with Tolkien’s Hobbits. If you are not familiar with Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings stories, you may just be picturing a lovely green valley in the heart of some forgotten part of England. In both instances, you would be right.

Be sure to read through to the end, where you will find a very special story about an endearing Percheron, Lucy.

However, when someone mentions “shire horse” you might picture a big heavy cart horse in the movies or stories, or a draft horse used for plowing a field in rural Britannia. It’s a slightly different reference, but one which draws to mind a magnificent animal of a potentially magical nature and historical significance. There’s a lot to unbox here in regards to the shire horse breed, its origins, and its offspring over the centuries, so let’s dive right in.

History of the English Shire Horse

No one quite knows for certain how horses came to Britain. People can only speculate that they arrived more than a millennia ago on ships with invading marauders. At any rate, the shire horses origin story changes based on who you ask. Horses were originally owned and bred by kings, and one king, in particular, would not take a draught horse into service unless it was bigger than 15hh, or greater than sixty inches at the withers. Understandably, this king was known to be rather large and robust himself, and he required a strong mount to carry the burden of his weight.

The first mention of this heavy horse pops up in the mid-eighteenth century, although these horses existed before they were recorded on paper. Heavier, stronger horses were often used in battle to pull cannons and artillery weapons, something that continued well into the first world war and beyond. However, the shire breed slowly evolved and became the great horse it is now.

It also influenced multiple other working horse breeds, creating direct bloodlines with other breeds of draft horses. Some might even argue that the British breed, Shire horse is the grandfather to all other European draft horses, although that is not entirely true or provable. What is known and provable is that the shire horse is responsible for how the Scottish Clydesdale and the French Percheron came into being.

The Scottish Clydesdale and the Shire Horse

This Scottish draft horse was a somewhat smaller draft horse that was a light horse before it was bred with a shire. To get the iconic bay color of the Clydesdales most people recognize, an original Scottish horse was crossed with a bay shire horse. In order to continue producing the bay color and bay markings, each of the new Clydesdales that showed promise as good breeding stock was again crossed with a bay shire horse.

Bay is the most common color for shires, although they can be gray, white, black, black and white, roan, or dappled. Very careful and selective breeding through the centuries created the Budweiser Clydesdales so many people know and love today. However, this breed of work horse is considered every bit as endangered as its shire cousins. The reason for that is that these big, heavy horses are no longer required for farm work or military purposes, and therefore breeding has dropped off significantly.

The French Percheron and the Shire

The French draft horse is very much like its English cousin. No one knows for sure exactly where the breed really started; only that it came from the Western province of Perche, for which this breed is named. Oddly enough, the first mention of the breed is in the mid-eighteenth century, similar to the shire horse origin story.

Later, this French horse was introduced to the Shire to make the animal thicker-bodied and stronger. Like the Shire equine, the French horse was used in battle and in farming. It was intentionally bred to be gray or white, although some were intentionally bred to be black because French royalty liked having several of these horses of all the same color to pull their carriages. The dappled gray color is the most iconic of this French horse breed, and the gray Shires were often used to facilitate the French horse’s coloring (like the Scottish bay color).

Sadly, this horse is also in decline and considered endangered and considered a rare breed because its size is no longer necessary. Breeders intent on rescuing draft horses from the brink of extinction have been working hard to prevent that. The Shire is key to the survival of the other breeds to which it is related.

Shire Horse Size and Comparison to Other Draft Breeds

Shires are at least 16-18hh high, although many of these horses hold world records for height. One in particular, who went by the name Mammoth, was 21.2hh and weighed over three thousand pounds! Typically most Shires weigh a true ton at about two thousand pounds, making Shire horse size a sort of middle-of-the road for large draft breeds.

Compare that to the typical size of the Scottish horse. The Scottish horse is also 16-18hh, a result of its Shire lineage. However, its smaller frame results in a lighter weight and a less stocky body.

The French horse previously mentioned takes a different approach by being heavier and bigger boned, but shorter. A typical “Perche” might be as short as 15hh, or as tall as 18hh. Most of them lean toward the smaller side, with the stallions being larger than the mares. Weight-wise, they can weigh as little as a thousand pounds to as much as one ton, plus or minus five hundred pounds.

Temperament of Shires

These horses are “gentle giants.” The only time you might find a rambunctious Shire is during mating season and when a stallion smells a mare in heat. The rest of the time, they are very docile animals. If you want to get a male horse of this breed but you want it to be very docile indeed, changing it from a stallion to a shire gelding is a good idea. A shire gelding has had its testicles removed, and is, therefore, safe to ride and keep in the same pasture with mares of any breed.

The mares are a mixed bag when it comes to temperament. They can be very sweet and obliging one moment, stubborn and crabby the next. This seems to be universal with mares of any breed, however, and only old age and a decrease in horse estrogen seem to make them less moody.

If you actually use these horses to pull a carriage or wagon, it is a good idea to only hitch mares together or shire geldings with mares. Its not a good idea to hitch mares and stallions together. Or have stallions pull a carriage or wagon passing mares in a field or mares on the street.

Other Physical Characteristics of the Shire

Aside from their immense size and noble appearance, these horses are very colorful. They can be black, gray, bay, or white. The gray coloring was desired in the French draft breeds, as was the black coloring. The bay was desirable in the Scottish breed. White is actually very pale gray, although to distinguish between gray and pale gray the pale gray is just referred to as “white.” There are no roans or dapples in the true Shire equine.

They have feathering around their lower legs, like their Scottish cousins. The feathering is usually white, but it may also be another color if the darker color extends down the legs into the feathered areas. The feet are big and wide to support the weight of these horses, but the heads are refined and well-shaped, hanging on the ends of very thick and muscular necks. Their bodies are not quite as stocky, and that comes from their breeding as riding horses for royalty, particularly women and side-saddle riding.

The Two Types of Shires

Most people don’t even realize this, but there are actually two subtypes of Shire. The Midlands variety has very refined hair and short coat and is built for endurance (e.g., fox hunting with female riders). The Fen variety is woolly, heavy and big-boned for pulling carriages and plows. You can actually ride either, but the breadth and girth of the Fen variety make it a little more difficult for smaller riders to span with their legs.

Care and Feeding of Shires

As you might imagine, these amazing and almost magical animals require enormous amounts of food. Proper nutrition (see our post on How Long Do Horses Live?) keeps their digestive system in balance, as well as an adequate and continuous supply of clean water. Horses of any breed can develop colic, a condition that prevents them from vomiting and causes intense, painful bloating.

If not relieved, horses can die of colic. Carefully monitoring how much this horse eats and making sure it gets enough exercise to prevent digestive problems and excessive weight gain is vital to its well-being. Horses also need a salt lick to maintain proper electrolyte levels in their bodies.

Because Shires have varying coat lengths and lots of feathering on their legs and feet, they need to be groomed, bathed, and brushed/combed often. Doing so keeps the coats, mane, tail and feathering from becoming clumped and matted. It also keeps the pests away from these horses and prevents pests from nesting in the thicker strands on the horse’s body. If you aren’t showing a Shire, you can clip it very short for grooming convenience and health.

If You Own a Shire

If you buy a Shire or you already own one, the best thing you can do for its health is keep its paddock and stall very clean. This stops the animal from getting too dirty and prevents intestinal parasites.

Check for weeds such as Yellow Star Thistle that can commonly cause major digestive issues and irritate or poison your horse and remove these weeds when you spot them. Make sure your Shire gets plenty of exercise daily so that it doesn’t become moody, uncooperative, paddock-sour, or obese. Keep its hooves trimmed and shod to avoid foot, ankle, and leg problems, which can later turn into osteoarthritis or bone composition issues.

In Appreciation of A Very Special Percheron Mare

Here’s Lucy, the Girl with a Heart of Gold. Lucy had a neurological condition, that with a series of body balancing treatments and a very specific nutritional protocol pulled out of a life-threatening situation. This story cannot be told without the fact that it was nothing short of a miracle, that this girl rose up off the ground as if to be lifted by the hands of Spirit.

She had been down on her side for 12 hours when Hubby was called and felt the absolute prompting to help Lucy rise to the occasion. And that she did. From there she received the support necessary to overcome this challenge. Unfortunately, her protocol was not kept up. But Lucy remains a messenger of the gift of an indomitable Spirit full of persistence, perseverance, and hope. Love you, Lucy.