Condition comments on 19 yr old?

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Claiired

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Been having some very very nasty comments made on my 19 year old Arab x Connemara.

Here are some photos:
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Sorry they aren't very good, They were taken straight out of the field, He doesn't look too impressed either!

Please have fair comments, he's obviously not going to look amazing, especially straight out of the field.

Thank you :)
 
He looks perfect to me. If people are trying to tell you he's too thin their own horses are probably too fat! Either that, or they're just obnoxious. :D
 
If she lives out all year round she looks perfectly fine to me too!! :)

I own a 31 year old DWB who did virtually nothing for 14 years (so his mileage is pretty low) and I'm always being told I shouldn't still be riding him!! :(

In fact one of the forum members who is also on Facebook has told me so only last week!! :( :(

If you want to see for yourself his FB page is here....

https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=481908095640

and his new sharer has started a page too

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fred-the-horse-is-still-going-strong-at-31/216509001694653

Andrea :)
 
Well thank you, all of you. They're saying he looks under conditioned and he looks terrible and that I shouldn't be riding him. It's awful, theyve drove me to move yards because I can't stAnd the comments anymore.

Angwh19 - I know exactly how you feel, it really is horrible. Fred is stunning! I don't understand how people have the nerve to say you shouldn't be riding him.
 
Thanks guys :)

I can't believe you had to move yards because of it- that's really bad I'm so sorry :( I've only had people that don't know him or never met him that say he shouldn't be ridden!!

Fred is 'grass fat' atm but apparently this is how the judges like them LOL

He is going to his first show in 3 years on Sunday- recent pic here :D

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...07549471.77120.100000200499326&type=1&theater

Andrea :)
 
He looks great! I had mine at uni when he was 19 and I was riding him twice a day! I jumped 1m15 courses on mine when he was over 20. Ignore them, you know your own horse. Besides it's good to keep them fit, makes them last longer. I would say yours is in perfect condition :)
 
He looks fine. My old boy is 30 this year and it really annoys me when people see him and say 'doesn;t he look old?'

Yes he bloody does hes 30 and was a high goal polo pony!! They wouldn't say it if they saw me trying to walk him out in hand.....

He actaully doesn't look at all bad, but has always had muscle wastage across his top line, and prominent withers, he had these at 18 when I got him......

People can be very cruel. Ignore them.
 
Thank you, It's reassuring i've got more than my opinion on him. It's awful, can't wait to move to a quiet yard away from the bitchiness.
 
She looks good to me :)
I don't understand how people can get up-in-arms about riding veterans that have been passed as fit to be ridden :confused:
my 20yo still acts like an unbroken 3yo sometimes :rolleyes:

Ignore people - if you and your vet are happy with her condition then that's all that matters :)
 
He looks absolutely fine to me, sorry they've made you feel so rubbish, HONESTLY he looks really good. I still ride mine and he's 31, this was him when he was 30, little ribby in this pic but put a bit on now, has lami few years back so I'd rather him on the lighter side

xmas09blazeage31.jpg
 
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He looks in great condition. :) I get sick of people going on about horses being 'old'! I got my boy as a 15yr old and he's an ex-showjumper. He's 18 now and sometimes when he's stood around with his bottom lip drooping, people make nasty comments about his age. :mad: Personally I think it's jealousy when because he still jumps,gallops and is full of beans and has had more sparkle than their younger ones!!! :p

Just ignore any snide comments, like other people have said only you know when to stop riding your horse..
 
His condition looks just right to me neither too fat or too thin .

His jumpers bump and lack of muscling on his rump is obviously just the way he is and stopping riding is not going to help that.

Both Arabs and Connemaras normally continue working for a long time and that cross is one of the toughest there is , I imagine he would still be up to a fair amount of work of the pleasure , light endurance sort for a number of years yet.

Next time the vet is out ask for a MOT and then tell them to keep their opinions to themselves your vets opinion is the one you regard.
 
He looks fine and really? 19 is old?

Better tell that to the 18 year olds who still jump GP or the 18 year olds that occasionally jump round Badminton hey?

People can be such absolute wallies sometimes!
 
Angwh19 said:
If she lives out all year round she looks perfectly fine to me too!! :)

I own a 31 year old DWB who did virtually nothing for 14 years (so his mileage is pretty low) and I'm always being told I shouldn't still be riding him!! :(

In fact one of the forum members who is also on Facebook has told me so only last week!! :( :(

If you want to see for yourself his FB page is here....

https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=481908095640

and his new sharer has started a page too

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fred-the-horse-is-still-going-strong-at-31/216509001694653

Andrea :)
Click to expand...

i knew a little welshy that was ridden up until he was about 40, the yard where he lived tried to retire him on numerous occasions but he stood by the gate sulking when the other ponies came out. i even remember a time when he was in his late 30's, he came back from a hack and was i told he went hell for leather through a stubble field....and enjoyed every minute of it!!

in my opinion age doesnt matter as long as they are fit for the work.

and the grey who this post is about look fine to me!!! if only all horses were as well looked after!
 
OP there is nothing wrong with your horse! i hope my mare looks as good at that age-and these days 19 is no age at all!

NOISYGIRL said:
He looks absolutely fine to me, sorry they've made you feel so rubbish, HONESTLY he looks really good. I still ride mine and he's 31, this was him when he was 30, little ribby in this pic but put a bit on now, has lami few years back so I'd rather him on the lighter side

xmas09blazeage31.jpg
Click to expand...

wow noisy, he looks really good at 30! :D
 
Looks spot on to me - I recommend printing out a nice, detailed condition scoring leaflet and pinning it to the offending parties' doors. I suspect they are owners of obese animals and for welfare reasons they should be made aware of the error of their ways :) (IME wording it like this is guarenteed to annoy the life out of them... Snide comments about horses being fat just sound bitchy...)

my similarly aged hw little cob is going better than he ever has in his life - cleared 1m30 at the weekend (with zero help from me!) - it's no age at all! I was competing the other week (sj) and I practically had to produce his passport to convince a disbelieving spectator that he wasn't a 6 year old... Wasn't there a 54 year old pony a few years back that was still in work, hacking and popping over the odd log?
 
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