What’s the lifespan of a horse?

The life expectancy of a horse varies according to its breed, habitat, living conditions and the availability of food and medical care. There are no hard and fast rules but, generally speaking, the larger the horse, in terms of both height and weight, the shorter its lifespan.

Truly wild horses, such as the rare and endangered Przewalski’s horse, and the feral descendants of domesticated species, such as the American mustang or Australian brumby, live for between 20 and 30 years on average. Domesticated horses, including Thoroughbred racehorses, typically live longer than their wild counterparts, and can reasonably be expected to live for between 30 and 35 years, or more, on average.

Indeed, according to Guinness World Records, the oldest horse, of any description, was Old Billy, who was bred in Lancashire, in Northwest England and died in 1822 at the age of 62. According to the same source, the oldest throughbred was Tango Duke, a gelding foaled in Victoria, Australia, who died in 1978 at the age of 42. Interestingly, no pedigree records exist for the latter exist, so he may, in fact, have been born to unregistered parents.

Of course, domesticated horses receive general care and attention, shelter and regular sustenance from their owners. They are protected from their natural predators, which, in the wild, include bears, mountain lions, wolves – and, of course, man – and have access to advanced veterinary care, making them less susceptible to bacterial and viral diseases, such as salmonella, tetanus and equine influenxa, to name but three.