22 year old ???

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usernamepending

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So i have seen a horse that seems perfect but is 22 years old ... The owners say shes got lots of life left in her but would you buy a horse this old? Havnt been to see her yet so dont know everything about her and obvs havnt rode her yet etc. What do you think? Is it worth it?
 
What do you want to do with it? If you're aiming for Badminton, maybe pick something a little younger. If you want a nice hack, and the pony is sound and well, don't rule it out...
 
What jtfd said. Think breeds & what its done is a consideration too. A native who's never done much at 22 is fine, a tb that's had a full life of ptp & eventing may have some health probs down the line.
 
It seems a bit mean to sell a 22 year old horse. I know horses in their 20s still going strong, doing endurance, etc. but they have been in the same ownership for years.

You could take a chance, if very cheap, knowing that the horse might suddenly go downhill, go unsound, or any other ills of old age - but in a way you can say that for any horse.

Are you having it vetted? At the right price/loan you might have several years yet of fun, so long as you didn;t over do it.
 
usernamepending said:
So i have seen a horse that seems perfect but is 22 years old ... The owners say shes got lots of life left in her but would you buy a horse this old? Havnt been to see her yet so dont know everything about her and obvs havnt rode her yet etc. What do you think? Is it worth it?
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The type of owner who would sell a 22 year old is also the type of seller who would say, "She's got lots of life left in her...."

She may well be an absolute diamond and lucky to have found you.

But I would exercise caution.

Since he was 23, my old boy has required extra dental care, extra veterinary attention to check he can still see through his cataracts, extra feed and extra care to ensure he doesn't pick up any more infections.....

Between the ages of 4 - 22 he was indestructible...but age doesn't come alone:(

He may have Cushings now too.

I don't begrudge him a single thing - but it's something to consider when taking on an older horse...
 
Meant to add that you couldn't insure it at that age.

Breed does make a difference. A native, or an arab, etc. should be OK. A larger, ex competition horse is likely to have more wear and tear.
 
My friend has recently taken on a 15.2h Irish sports 22yo mare.
She looks, and acts like a 7yo. She hunts every other week, does XC, SJ, DR and hacks. Ridden 5x a week, fitter than most horses half her age.

She is on a feeding programme that suits her and is a complete nutcase! She isn't ready to slow down!

If you find the right one, they are fab!
 
I literally just want a hack and to pop a few jumps out hacking, She is seriously cheap and comes with tack etc, Do you think it would be worth getting a full vetting? I think she can go on trial so do it then? Thank you!
 
usernamepending said:
I literally just want a hack and to pop a few jumps out hacking, She is seriously cheap and comes with tack etc, Do you think it would be worth getting a full vetting? I think she can go on trial so do it then? Thank you!
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How much do they want for her - and yes you should have at least a 2 stage vetting.
 
I bought a 22 yr old last year, she was great to hack and a bit of schooling, wouldnt jump her though as her legs weren't great, she always wanted to be lead horse and would go all day. However she has recently gone lame due to an old injury catching up with her and I'm not sure she'll be ridden again. I took this chance when I bought her and she will stay with me until the day she dies whether ridden or not. I would only recommend getting an older horse if you can guarantee a home for life (which could be 10 years or more these days!) or you are prepared to make some tough decisions.
 
i took one on that was 23 years old as a hack. Would i do it again, i am not sure - i lost him recently but i had nearly 7 years with him. I rode him for the 1st few years, but then i started my own family and he was pretty much retired - not as he needed to be, just because i didnt have as much time to ride.

i think you need to look at your own situation - do you have the facilities to keep her when she can no longer be ridden or would you be able to have her PTS straight away (considering you will get attached etc)? If i had been paying for stabling at a livery yard, i dont think i would have taken on an oldie as i would then be paying for a few that i couldnt ride in the end.... as it happens i have my own place so that wasnt an issue for me.

The other thing is, i was given mine.... i dont know how much they are asking for this mare but chances are she is going to cost you more to look after than a younger horse. having said that, its fab giving an older one a chance as i dont think there are many that do.

Sadly, only you can decide :-)
 
usernamepending said:
So i have seen a horse that seems perfect but is 22 years old ... The owners say shes got lots of life left in her but would you buy a horse this old? Havnt been to see her yet so dont know everything about her and obvs havnt rode her yet etc. What do you think? Is it worth it?
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My last share was a fiery 22 year old who rode like a 5yo! I wouldn't rule one out at all. Dependant on what you want them for though. My share still did everything flat out and jumped and certainly had plenty of life left in her.

The horse I worked on my jumping in a school on last year was 18 and again acted younger, very sane but certainly not her age. She had a hell of a jump on her and would do anything asked of her.

Pan
 
i was lucky enough to be gifted an arab mare when she was 20 (i was young) - i had 13 years of ridden work with her and she loved every minute and loved galloping around until she was into a 30's.
It would definitely depend on what breed the horse is and the lifestlye its lead til now as to whether i would buy a 22 year old though.
 
How much is she & what breeding? I've got a 23yr old conniextb who is still able to do unaffiliated & could hunt still if she didn't insist on wanting to still tank round jumping hedges as big as herself. Given her current condition, I am planning on my daughter moving onto her in a few years, & most people assume she's half her age. But I've also met horses her age ready to retire.
 
I do agree that 22 yr olds would have obviously done more but its not that old! I would be more concerned if it was 28 then I wouldnt touch it as I personally retire them by then. As long as the horse is healthy etc and you dont mind having less ridden years then you would a younger horse then why not? x
 
We've just retired our 26 year old pony after 10 years of ownership. She's never missed a beat but old age just arrived one day sadly. She started slowing down about 18 months ago but was still sound and keen, just not as bouncy as before. Then 6 weeks ago she went lame, we x-rayed and her hock is fused. She'll never be sound again, but the rest of her is in great shape and she may go on for years to come pottering about in the field, which is fine, we will look after her as long as she needs us and when the time comes we'll put her to sleep.

It's not so much about how much 'life' they have left in them at 22, its more about how much of that life will be spent in retirement and are you able to provide a home for life?
 
We have a 23 year old on the yard, up until last week I was sure it was about 12yrs! She looks so well and has few health problems.

Personally, I wouldnt want to buy something that old as would like to keep mine for a long long time - that is why I bought a 5 year old.

It could be a lovely horse and have many more years, however I would approach with caution and get it vetted.
 
I share an ISH now who is 22, you wouldn't think it and she certainly has plenty of life in her! I just hack out with her, she is dying for a gallop and would do so the whole way if you let her! I don't jump with her really but I think she could and would do it, I worry because of her age but maybe I don't really need to.

If I was buying I would be most concerned about the insurance, I read so many things about people's horses becoming ill on here and it has made me more aware that it could happen to me!

Personally I would keep the horse in its retirement and probably buy another horse along the way, hoping I will be able to afford it anyway :-)
 
I wouldnt rule it out I've got a 27year old that's hunted all season, and is now being schooled for the show season, plus she has a few days jumping a week. And is very fit not at all stiff and fact she does the most work out of any horses on yard. And she's still thinks she's 3 out on hacks! Taking her xc at the weekend
 
I wouldnt be paying a lot for a 22 yo at all to be honest. My horse is 21 this year but I've had him since a 4 yo (and wouldn't sell him!), he still hacks out and will (hopefully) be doing some more events this year as he likes to be 'busy' and enjoys going out and about. IF I ever did sell him though I would probably sell for a token amount as opposed to actually making any money.

We took on a 22 yo Blue Cross horse many years back and rode him til he was 26 I think - he did some sponsored rides and hacked out a lot and we did a little jumping (we were only kids though and he was 15.2hh - my mum's horse really). He was bonkers though but started tripping and wasn't safe to ride eventually so he was retired. He lived to the grand old age of 26 though!

I guess it's down to how you feel in your heart of hearts - don't feel pressured or gult tripped, there are a lot of horses about at the moment to choose from. Think about what you want the horse for, think about how you can provide for the horse in to old age. You may not have that long to ride her for, anything can happen (but then that can be said for any horse in reality) you just have time against you with an oldie.
 
Air on the side of caution.
I was sold an 18yo tb mare who'd 'never had a day lame since she'd been there' She is now permanently on painkillers for hock spavin that she has had since she was 9 and is intermittently lame in her near fore due to an old racing injury that she sustained at 4. At the time she wasn't vetted as she came to me as a broodmare so managing the on and off lameness wasn't really such an issue, it was the principle. I heard off people who knew her from where i bought her told me she was rarely sound! Someone selling a horse that old is bound to tell you there's life left in it!
 
My parents bought 34 year old, so no not too old :rolleyes:
Admittedly she was what you'd class as a native type pony, but never sore or stiff she still jumped pony club, did gymkhana games, a bit of dressage and was utterly unflappable - but still sparky and loved a good gallop.
 
I actually have a rising 22 year old for sale (shock horror). Admittedly not for a lot of money. A native pony 13.1hh Welsh Sec C with plenty of spark left in her for any child wanting a safe and reliable ride.

The reason she is for sale is due to her being outgrown and I have no one to ride her and nor do I was the hastle of loaning her out.
 
I got given my ex TB argey mare when she was 19 I had 3 amazing years with her before her legs gave up and she was pretty much crippled with arthritis. Would I change it absolutely not she was an amazing pony and helped me through an absolutely awful time in my life so really, like the others have said, you need to think what you want from this horse and why at the age of 22 do the owners want to get rid?
 
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