Does anybody have experience of breaking in a teenage horse?

[tasteofchristmaschaos]

Where I volunteer there are two horses, and I have just been asked if I would break one of them in. However, her age is a slight worry to me, as I have never broken in a horse so old. We are not sure exactly how old she is, as she was a rescue, but the vet thinks 13/14.
She was rescued by the RSPCA from a cruelty seizure and was adopted by the organization I work for in 2005. A few months later they found out she was pregnant, and gave birth to a beautiful skewbald foal named Puzzle, who was then moved on.
She has been lunged regually, and in the past has had a saddle put on her. However, they tried to put a bit in her mouth, and she didn't like it. They weren't experienced enough to persevere with it, and hence she has since been left. However, she is very bored, stuck in the field all day, and wants something to do. She is very responsive, although sometimes a little stroppy. She is deffo arab x something, I think Welsh, hence the stroppyness!
If I did break her in, I think I would do it in a bitless bridle, start her in a halter-bridle like this...
http://www.robinsons-uk.com/products/search.asp?keyword=bitless#sku.33309
and move her on to a hackamore if I found she was too strong for that. I wouldn't want to bit her, due to her past negative experience, and also the vet says, due to her bad past, she doesn't have the best of teeth.
So... does anybody have any experience of breaking in a teenage horse? Did it work out well or badly? What did you find the biggest differences between breaking in a young and older horse?
Any help greatfully recieved

(And sorry for the loong post!)
Thankies

 

[251libby]

A friend of mine brought a 16 year old newfie and broke her in, took a bit longer but she was a lovely hacking pony for a while until she has to be pst due to colic

Alot of the charities break in older horses and ponies, I'm going to look at a 16 year old this weekend that wasn't broken in until she was 12

Good luck

 

[R2R]

I would have her teeth done and keep trying the bit...you may have a nightmare with all that bitless bridle palaver.

She also cant be THAT bored in the field if she is unbroken at her age lol!

 

[rougemia21]

Hello, my friend rescued a mare and foal, I now own the 10 year old mare (who we think had previously been used as a broodmare she had last year off) and started backing her about may this year she really enjoys getting out and about learning she has amazed everyone as she was as wild as the wild west when she arrived the only thing she was afraid of was a rug been flapped at her, but now she is a changed trusting fantstic horsie who has overcome so much. I wouldnt say she needs more time to learn I am just very carefull about over pushing her so she not sore or put off, hacks are no more than an hour and schooling 20mins. Good luck

 

[tasteofchristmaschaos]

Her teeth are regually done, but they are in poor shape because of her less than perfect past. She could have a bit in (and if the bitless option doesn't work out for whatever reason she will have), just with the condition of her teeth and her past experience, I want to try the bitless route with her first, to try and help her out.

 

[Cample19]

Hi i broke in a 13 year old mare last year and it was an absolute pleasure - no problem at all - she was a bit of a stroppy moo at times but generally i would say it was 10x easier than breaking a baby. She had already seen so much more and had a wiser head on her shoulders. I was expecting real dramas but it was a joy from start to finish and shes a lovely quiet riding horse now who does a bit of everything.

 

[Welly]

Hi I bought my CB last year just backed at 11yrs old. He has never put a foot wrong and picks things up very quickly, the only thing we have found he has become very strong very quickly.