Have you noticed how many of your friends ride older horses these
days? With advancements in equine nutrition and veterinary care – as
well as improved owner awareness – horses’ active careers
are lasting longer than ever.
Sure, senior horses might have a few gray whiskers on their cheeks, but they
can be spunky and dependable. Several ec magazine readers wrote in to tell us
just how special their older fellas are.
A Horse Named Frog
Lisa Robinson’s 26-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding, “Frog,” is
technically an equine senior citizen, but he’s not even slightly interested
in retirement yet.
“He doesn’t know he’s old, and we haven’t told him,” Lisa
says with a chuckle when describing her faithful friend. “He thinks he
just has to go to the shows with us, and my daughter can show him and win. He
won’t have it any other way.”
Frog’s youthfulness can be credited in part to his diet – a mix of
forage and Seminole’s Senior Formula, which is carefully formulated with
ingredients that help older horses digest their food properly.
“
If anything, he’s a little on the pudgy side,” Lisa says of Frog. “I
started feeding him Senior Formula about two and a half years ago because his
teeth were wearing down and I wanted him to be able to masticate all his food.
He’s 26 now and looks great. His back is down a little, but otherwise,
we treat him like he’s 10. Right now, he’s mostly a pasture ornament
but still commands the respect of his pasture mates. He will always be an important
member of our family.
“
We just got Frog some elevator shoes to help with his old man feet, and he is
feeling exceptionally handsome!” she adds.
Lisa, who is a regional manager for Trammell Crow Residential Services in Winter
Park, Florida, is one of Seminole Feed’s most loyal customers, having made
her treks to Seminole feed stores faithfully since she got her mare in 1969.Skeeter the Speedster
Gwenn Wilds has to think back a little to remember the day in 1983 when her
husband gave her one of the best birthday presents ever – a fast, athletic
sorrel Quarter Horse nicknamed Skeeter. 
“He was the first horse I had the opportunity to compete on in futurities,
and we have competed all over the Southeast in local amateur rodeos as well as
the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association,” Gwenn says. She adds
that the duo has picked up “quite a bit of cash, saddles and buckles,” throughout
their competitive years.
Skeeter, who is trained by Gwenn, has won within the National Barrel Horse
Association, too, including 1996 Open 2-D District Champion, Florida state
Open 2-D Champion and the 2-D Sweepstakes Championship in Augusta at the NBHA
World Show.
“He has qualified me four times to go to the World Championships in Augusta,” Gwenn
says. “This year, we will be competing in the open division along with
the senior (over 50) division. I am excited to have accomplished this much on
this horse.”
So what’s the secret? Gwenn says it has a lot to do with her feeding
program, which consists primarily of good forage and Seminole Blue Ribbon 12.
“He is a wonderful tribute to a good feed program, and I attribute his
condition and health a lot to Seminole Feed,” Gwenn says. “Skeeter
has been on Seminole Feed for about 15 years or better – thus his excellent
condition and health. He is very fit and beautiful.”
Skeeter continues to win with Gwenn’s 15-year-old granddaughter, Ashley
Williams, who has ridden the gelding to the NBHA Youth World Championships
for the past three years.
“This gelding is admired by our friends, fellow competitors and family,
due to his good looks and accomplishments,” Gwenn says. “He is truly
a great barrel horse. I hope to continue competing on him as long as I can and
he is happy and sound, so Ashley and I can have another chance at a world championship.” For
free tips on how to best care for your senior horse’s nutritional
and dental needs, check out page 7 of the Fall 2002 ec magazine, or access
the story online at www.ecmagazine.net. Call 1-800-683-1881 to speak with
an equine nutritionist. |
