Equine Boomers
Face it... baby boomers have aged better than any generation prior. If you fit that category like I do you’re probably tickled pink like I am that we don’t look anything like our grandparents did at our age...I mean check out the old pictures... the way they wore their hair, clothes even their physical stature appears dated and odd to us today. We’re not alone, there are members of the animal kingdom who are boomers as well, I’m Susan Allen and I’ll be back after the break to fill you in. Yes we are younger for our age than generations past ....and we don’t we just love to flaunt phases like “50 is the new 40.” But we’re not only ones to have turned back the aging clock. Through diet, exercise and medical advances baby boomers have defied aging and interestingly the same holds true for their equine partners. Not only have horses life span changed dramatically over the last decades, like their human counter parts many never retire, competing right up to end. At the turn of the century a nine year old carriage horse was considered old and a thirteen year old over the hill. Horses today are a much larger investment and commitment thus the well cared for horse in America has routine dental and vet treatments, annual immunizations, specialized senior feed, and customized shoes. Thus the average horse in the USA can live well into their mid twenties while ponies and draft horses, equine opposites on the breed spectrum can easily live past age 30. Interestingly the thoroughbred refined for generations through breeding has the shortest lifespan of all breeds. I’m Susan Allen
