13 Year Old, Needs Schooling/Bringing On... Do I???

[princestar]

I have seen a horse that I like, 15.1hh 13 year old mare. She was rescued a few years ago and has been a spoilt pony by a teenage girl ever since, she has been ridden but mainly walking and trotting, and out hacking. However someone has jumped her, cantered etc, so she can do it, the rider just never had the confidence to. Now she is up for sale and I am tempted, I would never normally buy a horse that is 13 years old unless it was well trained and I could go out, ride, compete and have fun. However this horse would need work, she is only £500, which is not what I am worrying about, it's more that she is 13 years old and I don't want to buy a horse that in a few years time has be retired or I would never be able to sell as a 17/18 year old etc; (if I had to not that I would want to, but I am thinking about long term and "what if's") plus, how would she cope with being brought into work and expected to do things that she hasnt normally had to do, eg: jumping and canter.

I'm not looking to buy and sell in order to make money; I'm looking for a horse I can have for a long time, but I don't know if I want a youngster that I have to deal with spooks etc, but a horse that if I decided that I didn't want to ride, we could have a day off work and just groom and have fun on the ground instead.

I'm still young so want to do a bit of dressage, show jumping and showing; hacking and schooling. I don't want an old horse I can't do anything with in a few years....

What do people think, would it put you off or would you buy her and bring her on....

Thanks xx

 

[hoggedmane]

On the plus side it sounds as though she is fairly low mileage and hasn't been ridden too hard. I have had good experiences of oldies and in fact the only horse I have lost prematurely was the one I bought as a seven year old - he had to be PTS aged 14 from cancer. My current horse is 21 and still jumps like a stag and loves it. We have been having lessons for a year and the change in her is amazing - who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

I also had my first pony who died aged 31 and was ridden etc until she was 28 and my second pony who won the riding club cup for the horse with most points over the year at the age of 23. She was 14.2 3/4 TB x NF. She stopped being ridden at 28.

I would have her vetted and go for it. There are no guarantees with any horse of any age. Good luck