Results from a recent study conducted by Deborah Reed, PhD, MSPH, RN, a researcher at the University of Kentucky’s College of Nursing, revealed that 40% of 1,423 Kentucky and South Carolina farmers ages 50 and over defined health as "the ability to work." Because most farmers never retire fully, they need proper health screenings and care to stay productive during their advanced years.

Farmers’ stark commitment to work is borderline obsessive, and researchers are beginning to develop new guidelines to better understand farmers, whose strong cultural and emotional ties to the farm drive their work ethic. Farmers in the horse industry are no different, continuing to work hard even as they age.

"My research has focused on helping physicians, nurses, and staff understand the culture of farming and learn how to relate to farmers," said Reed. "Asking the right questions is critical."

Reed comes from a farming family in Versailles, Ky., so she understands the unique challenges farmers face, especially as they age. She has 75-year-old family members who are still farming