for those with horses aged 18 and over

[Derfette]

I've got a 20 year old gelding. With the weather, daylight hours and work as it is at the mo, we only get out hacking 2/3 times a week at the mo. He lives out 24/7 and is looking great! I think it all depends on the individual horse. If they're fit and healthy, definately try some show jumping. I'm sure you'll know if they're not happy!

 

[Trot_On_Dressage]

I still compete (occasionally) on a 22yr at elem dressage! She just takes a little longer to warm up and cant do endless collection work but apart from that she feels like an 8yr.

 

[mirage]

knobberpony is 21 and super fit.She is currently teaching my 2 girls to ride,and until the clocks went back,was ridden by both of them 6 days a week.We mainly hack out on the road or across the fields,with a little schooling and jumping in the menage.She has been out hunting and was an absolute star,still raring to go after 3 hours.Everyone who see her is impressed by how good she is for her age,we take good care of her because we love her so much.

 

[CrazyMare]

Mine is 19, and shes fit as a flea, and out hunting as often as we can get out.

Shes schooling most weekdays and hacking out once at the weekends.

We are still teaching her new things, and managing to do things we've never done before - for example, we jumped our first 5 bar gate 2 weeks ago!

I just make sure she is kept warm, well fed, and has a joint supplement. She also has a sachet of bute after a day hunting/XC

This is my girl

Conversely, my 10 year old has been written off by the vets!

 

[Spring Feather]

18 is hardly old unless the horse has had a heck of hard life I have a few horses in their late 30s who are still sound and ridden just not so frequently as they would like. The slightly younger one still enjoys popping over the showjumps but we keep them small nowadays, never over 2'9". The oldest one, well I thoroughly enjoy riding him because he's a speed demon! I keep rides down to just a handful of rides a month though because of his age. He would go out hacking every day if I was game. He jogs constantly and much to my surprise I allow it these days! Basically I let my old horses do whatever they want.

 

[JFTDWS]

He jogs constantly and much to my surprise I allow it these days! Basically I let my old horses do whatever they want.

I like that theory a great deal, Springfeather. I hope I will be allowing mine to do as he pleases at that age too

 

[immoralorchid]

My 18 year old grey mare is hunting no probs but she does get a holiday in the summer when the ground is hard also does elementary dressage and show jumps ( she used to be a grade b). She gets regular vet and physio checks to make sure she is fit and well they are very happy and immpressed with her she is fed adlib hay, balenced n-hance as much turnout as poss and looks bright eyed with a lovely coat

 

[immoralorchid]

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/surreyunion/photo?photo_id=3232985412&vendor_id=3040523

 

[immoralorchid]

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/surreyunion/photo?photo_id=3233379289&vendor_id=3040523

 

[essex_rider]

Our 13h 32yr old pony still does a bit of everything, x-country, showjumping, dressage, showing. She is ridden at least 4/5 times a week. Everything she does is a lot smaller than it used to be when i could ride her - 14yrs ago!!, and we make sure there is a strict weight limit for her riders.
Trouble is she is still a fieisty so and so, especially out hacking and on a xc course, which makes it hard to find good but small riders.
As we have has her for sooo long we know her inside out. She does find winters a bit harder now and has been a chronic laminetic for the entire time we have had her, but we have managed her well with the help of our vet & farrier and she is a picture of health right now
I think if you know your horse you know when to slow them down for ex. I have a 18yr old TB mare who only hacks now. Every horse is different and our old girl lets us know if she wants a day off, which is very rare!

 

[claireandnadia]

Nadia is hacked, we go to the beach, we rarely jump as I don't like it but she likes it and would If i wanted. She is nearly 19 and acts really young.

 

[laurajane]

my boy turned 18 in May.

He doesn't look it, or act it. I was told by my vet unless I have a deathwish to take him off vetern feeds.

It saddens me that when people have to sell horses people aren't even interested on something over like 12!!

Tbh, I prefer the older ones, slightly more mature but still loads of life left in them

 

[rubysmum]

Ruby is 21 - still school 3 times a week/hacks at least once a week/does a little low level dressage & some local showing - she is arthritic & is far better in very regular work - in fact when i went on holiday in the summer & she had 7 days off, she was stiff & uncomfortable when first ridden again

 

[hannahbanana]

My Connemara pony will be 19 next year - he still acts like a 4 year old! If you look at him, only the grey on his forehead says that he's getting on a bit.
My mum bought him as a plod when he was 10, but he's got livelier each year.

We show him at county level and my mum does the veteran Horse Society classes with him.
He still jumps (jumps more times out of his field than with me in the school)
Loves hacking (in the heatwave in September my mum hacked him out and he was a monkey - spinning, rearing, bucking, snorting and he doesn't even know how to rear and only ever bucks once because his legs get tangled!)

His dam (Bardsey Trinket) died this September at the age of 25, leaving behind a 6 week old foal who is doing brilliantly and running rings around everyone apparently - including all their mares!
His sire (Locking Frederick) is 23 and still covering - he runs with the stud's junior stallion.

My pony was their second foal together (all Trinket's foals were by Fred) and he's the oldest living.

Eric: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.ne...61865679726_728324725_7940787_918822815_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.ne...361865819726_728324725_7940789_15836999_n.jpg
Fred: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.ne...80603_100002247444060_362941_1157219391_n.jpg
Trinket: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.ne...21168625_100002247444060_195053_3477337_n.jpg
Little Trinket (orphan mentioned above) - https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.ne...743247_100002247444060_345229_587772683_n.jpg
Stud: http://eastlandsstud.co.uk/

 

[starryeyed]

I wouldn't let her age put you off unless she's 'telling you' she can't keep it up - as others have said, you know your horse best, and your horse will let you know when she needs to take it a bit slower. Just take it into consideration that being a bit older she may take longer to fitten up than a younger horse would, but i know many horses still going strong into their 20's & 30's. I think it depends a lot on what kind of life a horse has had as to how much it 'can' do when it's older - for example, our just-turned-16 year old had a very hard life before we got him and seems older than the others (acts like a grumpy old man too!)
Our 'oldie' is in his 30's and has been mistaken for a 4 year old before! - He's definitely not slowing down. He's a welsh mountain pony who i think has been everywhere & done everything.
We have a 20 year old who is still charging about as he was when he was young, he never did any jumping until last year, when I started to teach him and he absolutely loves it, he's very fit and doesn't struggle to keep up with friends half his age. He's a TB x.

 

[Vodkagirly]

Mine is 19. At the moment he hacks at weekends and schools throught the week. He has had spavins so is on premier flex and started on tumeric last week. His owner who has had him 12 years watched my jumping lesson on Sunday and said she has never seen him move or jump as well. This was after a Eventing clinic on the Friday and a gallop on the beach on the Saturday (passed a 6 yo easily)
We plan to event next year at about 75cm.

 

[PitPony]

My ex-racer tb mare is 23 and retired...she told me when she had thought she had finished!! Up until a few years ago we did dressage, jumping, hacking, sponsored rides...she had arthritis in her hocks which I had treated initially then unfortunately she had some injuries which i think justtook it out of her tbh...we went through rehab and she just wasn;t into it - being ridden...not the same horse. So we decided to wind her down and retire her...she loves it!!!
Mind you she was never a workaholic anyway...!!
I think you just know when your horse either needs to do less or havea break..so long as you take the time to listen to your horse....I do believe they give messages and we just need the willingness to pick up on them...

 

[MizzPurpleKitten]

My boys are 17 (18 in April) and 21 (22 in June) respectively, my 21yr old is an Ex Grade B SJ'er and we still competed affiliated until last year, he loved it and would still do it now if it wasn't for me telling him he's not allowed (we've since discovered he has arthritis in his pastern and fetlock joints on his off foreleg and I'd prefer not to put too much strain on that....plus I HATE jumping so always got my best mate to jump him). Having said that, I still ride him 6 days a week, he's in medium work, with a lot of schooling and hacking with regular unafilliated Dressage competitions (if I can ever get him to calm down enough to do a few nice relaxed novice tests I'll have a go at affiliated) and he doesn;t struggle at all, in fact he's a nightmare if he's not ridden. I am regularly asked if he's a youngster at his first competition (usually when he's bronking around the work in because he's excited) or on his first hack (when he's cantering sideways like a pillock because he wants to Go!), if it wasn;t for the age on his passport and papers you'd never believe he was an 'aged' (I prefer the term 'refined') boy lol

My slightly younger boy, well he'd have been happy retired before I even broke him in, he's as quiet and chilled out as they come.....however apart from a few grey flecks on his face that weren't there before he's no different to when he was 4. He can still jump a 1m course happily, he can and will hack for hours, can produce a respectable dressage test and is a genuine all rounder.

I'd say age is only a number, provided your horse is happy and healthy, and enjoys and is physically capable of what you're asking of them then I don't see any issue.

 

[billy2]

Gosh I wish my boy was 18 again! I got him aged 25 and he taught me to jump cross country - and GALLOP - he's 14.2 but rides like a 16 hander! We hacked, schooled and did sponsored rides until he was 32, when he was retired - worst day ever! Still with me though, aged 36. Don't wrap your mare in cotton wool, she'll tell you when she wants to slow down.

 

[Shadow-01]

My boy is 18 and far from slowing down!

We mainly do dressage and local shows. I don't jump him - not because he can't anymore, he's just too loopy round a course!

We usually have a lesson every week and hack for hours sometimes. Also do the occasional fun ride etc.

He only started dressage around 2 years ago, but has taken to it well and learnt quickly.

As sharp as he can be, he's never spooky or silly and is an excellent 'nanny' out hacking for the younger horses.

I've certainly no plans to retire him yet. I'll know when he's telling me he's ready and from then on he'll live out his retirement with me, but for now he's certainly got plenty more to give!

 

[Oberon]

Elmer Bandit was still competing in endurance at 37!

He died last year at age 38 having done 20,780 miles in his career.

http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2010/02/116.shtml

 

[indie999]

23 that we know of and retired him properly this year but just lately he has really got stiff as a board and am wondering how long will he keep going...am about to get Farrier and depending on his judgement(has known him all along) will get vet out for an opinion. ?Bute etc and then poss PTS if need be. (I have to tell myself to keep thinking of him etc...not me)!! He has got arthritis in back end etc. But otherwise he looks so blooming well.

One day he looks soooo stiff but still happy ears forward etc. I think I thought he would last another 5 years but am now wondering if it will be quicker decision than that.

We had one that was ridden until 30 and PTS at 36!

 

[Oldenburg]

At the moment we have a 17yo who is 13.2 so he only goes a hack as we need a little jockey for him!! Then we have Abbey who 21 and she has had to be retired due to neurological problems!! Then we have Dreamer who retired in 09 after she won her last championship she is 38 and she is fully retired and she just does what she likes as she is the boss of the yard so just goes out in the field and potters around!!

 

[AngieandBen]

Ben who is a mere 21 is getting really slow I feel he doesn't want to go out anymore, I'm gutted. On the other hand I have a Turbo, and after losing 2 stone I can ride he's a chunky 12.3hh NF and nearly 19, and as bonkers as ever, I don't think he will ever slow down until the day he drops!

 

[blood_magik]

my soon-to-be 21 year old still does most things
he loves to jump and we're starting to do some dressage.
I can't wait to take him xc

 

[Inchy]

My first pony is now 34...she's still out hunting every weekend! Only difference in her I can see is when I had her 18yrs ago she was dapple grey...now she's pure white!

I also hunt regularly with a lady who has a 26yr old tb, that she's hunted EVERY season since it was 4!