Understanding the Age of Your Horse
Have you ever wondered how old your horse is in human years?
While there is no perfect method for matching horse years to human years, it is important to note that horses do age at a different rate than humans. And, while you can’t directly correlate your horse’s age to that of a human, having an idea of where your horse falls within the various stages of aging will help you to better determine the proper care for your horse.
When considering the stage of aging in which your horse is in, there are a number of factors that play a role. These include your horse’s genetics, overall health, size and basic care that it has received. In addition, while a pony may mature faster than a larger horse, it may also live longer.
If your horse is under one year of age, there is no real comparison to human age.
While a human infant may take more than a year to learn to walk, for example, a horse will generally begin to start walking within one hour of being born. In addition, whereas a human baby may start to eat solids at around six months of age, a baby horse may begin to nibble on grass within a few days of being born. Overall, horses that are about one year of age may typically be more equivalent to a human child who is about six-years-old.
By the time your horse if five years old, it likely will have reached full physical maturity, making it comparable to a human adult. By the age of 13, your horse may be considered to be middle age. Just 7 years later, it may be considered to be a senior horse. If it makes it to 30 years old, that is considered to be extreme old age.