Geriatric Equine Population in Germany: Health and Management Insights

Background: The proportion of geriatric horses is increasing in Germany necessitating a deeper understanding of health and management demands. Objectives: To gain insights into the aging horse population in Germany to improve the corresponding management of geriatric horses, with particular attention to diseases, vaccination, worming, dental checks and hoof care. Study design: Cross-sectional online survey. Methods : Descriptive and inferential analysis of 923 questionnaires from owners of geriatric horses (≥20 years of age). Results: 919 horses aged 20 to 39 years (25.7 ± 3.96 years) were assigned to the following age groups: 20–24 years (42.2%, n = 388), 25–29 years (38.1%, n = 350), and ≥30 years (19.7%, n = 181). The most prevalent diseases observed were orthopaedic (66.7%, n = 580), dental (57.2%, n = 497), skin (35.9%, n = 289), cardiovascular (32.7%, n = 255), gastrointestinal diseases (32.3%, n = 257) and reduced mobility (65.9%, n = 602). Comorbidity (68.2%, n = 629) was significantly associated with age ( p < 0.001). Horses aged 20–24 years showed lower odds than horses aged 25–29 years (Odds Ratio (OR) [95% Confidence Interval (CI)] = 0.53 [0.36-0.76]) and ≥30 years (OR [95% CI] = 0.36 [0.22-0.60]). The vaccination rate was 85.0% ( n = 783). Most horses (89.3%, n = 818) had their hooves trimmed every six to eight weeks. The majority of horses were wormed multiple times per year (69.1%, n = 637) followed by a selective strategy (25.4%, n = 234). Dental check-ups were performed annually for most horses (71.2%, n = 653). Main limitations: Data were owner-reported, free-text responses required categorisation and the online survey may have caused selection bias. Conclusions: This study contributes data on geriatric horses in Germany, highlighting significant age-related increases in disease prevalence and comorbidity and emphasizing key management aspects such as dental care, vaccination and worming.