An elderly Mustang earns an easier home than the rugged life his breed is known for. Mustangs are selected by survival itself, and an old one will keep coping on rough ground long after it has started costing him, masking stiffness and tooth wear behind plain toughness. Bring his world down to the flat and the soft: level turnout, cushioned rest, feed he can actually chew, and a layout where shelter, hay and water sit close together so rest, not travel, fills the gaps in his day.
Flat turnout and gateways that stay firm
Level turnout is the foundation for an elderly Mustang because slopes, ruts and muddy gateways all tax joints he no longer bends freely. Choose his flattest paddock, and harden the gateway and the ground around the trough with gravel or mats before winter turns them into a bog he must heave through. Fill ruts and remove large loose stones from the areas where he walks daily, especially between shelter and water. Keep his companions chosen for temperament; a bossy young horse moving him off the hay all day undoes every comfort you build. If he is turned out on a slope by necessity, feed and water him on the level section so his essential trips are the easy ones.
A bedded shelter he can lie down and rise in
Deep bedding matters more for an elderly Mustang than for a young horse because getting up is the hardest move of his day. Bed his shelter or stall thickly over mats, banked slightly at the walls, so his hocks and hips meet cushioning when he lies and his feet find grip when he pushes up. Keep the entrance wide, level and free of a raised threshold. A horse who struggles to rise may stop lying down at all, and lost deep sleep shows up as daytime drowsiness and stumbling, so watch whether he has bedding on his coat each morning as a simple check. Face the shelter to block the prevailing wind, and keep a rug within reach for cold, wet spells when an old, thinner horse feels the chill a hardy reputation says he should ignore.
Feed and water set for worn teeth and a stiff neck
Ground-level, easy-chew feeding suits an elderly Mustang on two counts at once. Worn or missing teeth make long dry hay hard work, so offer soaked hay, shorter-chop forage or soaked fibre feeds in a wide ground tub he can sort through slowly, and watch for quidding, where he spits out balls of chewed hay he cannot grind. Ground feeding also lets him eat with his neck in its natural, comfortable line rather than pulling down from a high net or rack. Place water where he passes it often, in a trough low enough to drink from without stretching, kept ice-free in winter. Feed him separately from quicker eaters, because a slow old chewer bullied off his bucket simply eats less than he needs.
Monitoring a hardy horse, and the vet and farrier line
An elderly Mustang's hardiness is exactly why his home care needs deliberate monitoring. Weigh-tape him monthly and feel his ribs and topline, since a thick winter coat hides weight loss until it is advanced. Book the vet promptly if he drops condition despite good feed, quids regularly, struggles to rise, or comes in lame and stays lame. Keep dental checks on schedule even when he seems to manage, because Mustangs rarely complain about their mouths. Farrier visits matter just as much; long toes change his breakover and strain old joints. Storing his dental findings, weight tape readings and turnout changes in KinsLe's Pet Passport means every professional who works on him reads the same up-to-date story.