Keeping Horses Sound as They Age

Keeping Horses Sound as They Age

From Ask The Horse by The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Health Care

March 13, 2026 · 58 min

About this episode

Experts discuss strategies for maintaining soundness in aging horses.

As horses age, managing their soundness using a multimodal approach becomes increasingly important. Experts emphasize proactive joint care, appropriate exercise, and routine veterinary evaluations. Regular, low-impact work helps maintain joint mobility and muscle support, while avoiding long periods of confinement, which can worsen stiffness. Strategic hoof balance, body condition management, and early intervention for mild lameness are key. With thoughtful management and early attention to subtle changes, many senior horses can remain comfortable and active for years. During this episode, two experts discuss keeping horses sound as they age. About the Experts: Lauren Trager, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVSMR , is a clinical assistant professor of equine sports medicine at the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, in Blacksburg. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. Trager loves to teach and enjoys working on challenging lameness and poor performance cases, particularly those with neck and back pain and anything that involves advanced imaging. Howland M. Mansfield, DVM, CVA, CVMMP , of Summerville, South Carolina, received…

People in this episode

Host: Howland M. Mansfield

Guests: Howland M Mansfield Dvm Cva Cvmmp, Lauren Trager Dvm Ms Dipl Acvsmr

Topics covered

  • equine health
  • aging horses
  • joint care
  • veterinary medicine

Keywords

  • soundness
  • exercise
  • veterinary evaluations
  • joint mobility
  • lameness

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Blacksburg, Summerville, South Carolina, Alabama, the East Coast, Germany, Europe, U.S.

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