golden oldies 16hh plus

How old did your aged 16hh plus horses live to?

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idx

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Hi

Ponies regularly live into their 30's and 40's but I am wondering how old your 16hh plus horses lived too?

I have a 27/28 year old mare and I am starting to get nervous!

Did any of you PTS not due to an emergency but because the horse could no longer be a horse in a herd?

IDX
 
Ok, well actually he was only 15.2hh but was a big 15.2hh and he died aged 36. We do have a 27 yo ex racer who is still going fairly strong, if a bit stiffer now and as little light weight wise. Our 36 yo actuall died or killed himself or something as I found him dead in the field but he had fallen by the looks of it and we don't know if the fall killed him or if he had a heart attack or something and that's why he fell. He was always a very dramatic type though. I think if that hadn't happened we would have probably had to have him PTS that year anyway as he had started to struggle to get up if he lay down and would occasionally fall (or we assumed he had fallen). We couldn't have his feet trimmed anymore as he'd fall so he was on borrowed time i guess anyway.
 
I've had several TB's get to 30, and then suddenly they tell us no more. I am always better to be too early than a day too late.
If they can't roll /get up, irritated by flies, can't move quickly to keep warm, lose weight, spill their feed due to long teeth or are suffering from arthritis which only gets worse in colder months, then they go in the nicer weather. They have to be living with a smile on their face, and when that glint in the eye is gone, then its time.
Of course, it shouldn't be battle to get them to 30+, you have to treat each horse individually.
 
I had a 16.2 id x gelding and he lived until he was 26/27 - he was put to sleep as he had cancer and was getting stiffer and stiffer in his back legs so I made the heartbreaking decision to have him put to sleep before he went down and couldnt get back up :(

However on a cheerier note, I know of friends who have had 30 yr plus big horses :D
 
well my boy is 27 now and he will be going to the lovely meadows in the sky at the end of this summer as with his arthritis he struggles to get up if stood in for a long time and doesnt cope with living out. :( It is sad but i dont want him to get stuck and be unable to get up.
I think thats why ponies live longer, they dont struggle so much to get up being little and they tend to cope better living out so therefore keep moving and dont stiffen up
 
According to the vet my 1st Clydesdale mare must have been in her 40s when she was PTS in 2000.
Unfortunately since then a 17.2 Shire, a 17hh Clyde and a 16.3 ID have all been PTS prematurely, (6, 11 &11 respectively) from different conditions. In view of this I didn't vote.
I shall NOT be having another horse over 16hh.
 
My old 17'2 TB reached the grand age of 36 before I have him PTS it was just his time but quality of life was going to get worse so it broke my heart but I gave him dignity it was the least I could do for him :(

My 17'1 shire is 33 and going strong just a little stiff sometimes but nothing to worry about :)

My 17'3 clydesdale is 19 and is an absolute nutter nothing wrong with him at all expect he's nuts.:D


I have always had horses 17 hands and over and I always will :cool:
 
Thanks for all your replies - its been quite reassuring to read.

I am in the "better a day too soon" camp and I have been thinking its either going to be the end of this summer or next. However then I look at her as she canters off and she seems happy and I think maybe she could live to 35 so I started to wonder am I being premature! She is arthritic and takes a moment to compose herself when getting up but I guess she will tell me when it is time I just would rather she went at the end of a summer when life is good rather than wait until a disaster.

dizzydancer - my sympathies - its the kindest thing we ever do for them and they are so lucky to have caring, familiar homes in their old age.

All - Thanks for sharing.

IDX
 
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