Horses competing in their 20s - any advice?

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Holly88

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Hi all! I’m looking for a bit of advice (and reassurance really!) about competing and looking after an older horse. Do any of you have horses that are competing in their 20s? I’ve recently been offered a lovely horse to ride who will soon be turning 20, and I’m trying to gauge what I should be doing with him and what level might be suitable us to compete at (I’d not be looking to do anything more exciting than jumping about 3ft anyway). Also, if anyone has any advice on keeping veterans fit and healthy, I’d be really interested to hear it. Thanks in advance for the advice!
 
My old boy is 28 and still hunting and competing regularly - the new vet didn't believe how old he was until I got out his passport!

Things to remember are -

- Warm up and cool down are incredibly important. A proper warm up makes a huge difference to stiff old legs.

- Blue Chip Original is your best friend. Keeps my boy looking fantastic.

- NoBute is wonderful for stiff, arthritic legs.

- Make sure he's warm enough at all times.

- If you're hunting, don't let him run on adrenaline. They all will - make sure you know his limits and stop before he gets there. Even if you only get an hour out, at least you've had an hour of fun and your horse isn't exhausted.

- Haylage tends to be better for old lungs.

Feel free to pm me if you'd like any more advice. My boy is doing incredibly well - and as he's an ex puissance horse his legs are pretty battered! I'd say go for it, the oldies are the best.
 
Don't worry about competing him at 20, I think it is better to keep them going as it gives them more of an interesting life and keeps them healthier. I would just ensure he is kept fit so the liklihood of injury is reduced as he will not heal as quickly and make sure he is always kept in good condition (he doesn't drop weight). I would carry on competing at the level he is doing now and reduce his workload/competition level if he starts becoming reluctant or indicating he is struggling, until then enjoy your time with him, I am sure he will teach you alot and you will both have a great time!
 
My pony is still out competing at 22. He doesn't look any different to 10 years ago, but he does need keeping going. For instance, at comps, he needs keeping warm on chilly days, and needs re warming up between rounds if there is a long wait. He used to prefer to be stabled, but his current loan home say he now prefers to be out, this I suspect is due to the fact he can keep moving more, which keeps him loose.
Things like feet care and ground conditions become more important, and he needs to be kept very fit, although he has always been a bit like that!!
Our 23 year old is currently in the form of her life, she has had a lot of issues from the age of about 8, but will be going to fun rides this spring hopefully, for the first time since 2008.
We bring them back into work slower than we used to now they are older.
 
A couple of our ponies were competing in their 30s - first time I ever came second in a veteran class instead of winning it on my (then) 32 year old mare was when her old owners rode into the class on her 37 year old mother!!! I'd reiterate what others have said, to be honest:

1) warm up and cool down thoroughly
2) always get off between classes and give them a break
3) keep them well hydrated
4) judge what you do on how they feel (i.e. pull out of a class if your horse feels tired and, equally, don't let someone else put you off if the horse is clearly willing to go on!)
5) remember that travelling is tiring for a horse too, so don't finish a day with nothing left in the horse's tank
6) a good veteran feed/supplement is worth the investment.
7) enjoy yourself!

All of our golden oldies loved to be out working and competing. Go for it!
 
My old boy is 24 this year, he isn't competing as such but did a busy season of pleasure rides last year finishing with the Newmarket Heath ride.
I fully intend to do the same this year.

http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/u...rt=3&o=0&_suid=135730760770901900133528306241

Totally agree with warm up/down being essential, Oz takes a good lot of walking at the start of a ride before he is ready to do anything else.
Also agree with Nobute, it's brilliant stuff!
 
TJ&Ozzie said:
My old boy is 24 this year, he isn't competing as such but did a busy season of pleasure rides last year finishing with the Newmarket Heath ride.
I fully intend to do the same this year.

http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/u...rt=3&o=0&_suid=135730760770901900133528306241

Totally agree with warm up/down being essential, Oz takes a good lot of walking at the start of a ride before he is ready to do anything else.
Also agree with Nobute, it's brilliant stuff!
Click to expand...

Wow! He's 24?! He looks fantastic, what a lovely horse :)
 
Lovely to hear about the other oldies out competing.
Mine is rising 21 and still out and about.

Those who are using Nobute, when do you use it, as a regular addition or just before/after heavy work?
 
What work is the horse in currently? I honestly don't think I'd take on something of that age which isn't currently in the level of work you require as it's too difficult to get it there (and keep it there). Is the horse sound enough and happy at the level you want to work at?

My previous horse (long term loan, went back to his owners in October for semi retirement) will turn 18 this year and would never have coped with the life you mention because his legs are knackered thanks to years and years of hunting. He'll still hack (fast hacks too, not just shuffling around) and would do the odd short day's hunting but there's no way he'd do DR or jump up to 3ft regularly. I wound him down from that sort of work last year as he couldn't cope, and there's no way anyone would be able to get him back up to that level as he gets older.

A lot of horses do cope but I'd want to see the horse coping with it in the first place.
 
I compete a friends 27yo highland pony occasionally and she's fab. We only do low level local stuff but she does very well and also competes nationally for the RDA too.

Time means I can't do masses with her but she really enjoys it, plus we hack out when I can and she is an ace pony who prefers not to act her age :D
 
Vodkagirly said:
Lovely to hear about the other oldies out competing.
Mine is rising 21 and still out and about.

Those who are using Nobute, when do you use it, as a regular addition or just before/after heavy work?
Click to expand...
I use it everyday but if I have a long ride coming up I give a bit extra a couple of days before and after.

I also use ice gel on his legs straight after every long ride. Even after Newmarket he wasn't a bit stiff the next day.


beth21 said:
Wow! He's 24?! He looks fantastic, what a lovely horse :)
Click to expand...

Thank you! He is a star, does everything I ask of him and more! He had big shoes to fill when I got him as went from my pony club pony of 12 years to him. He has excelled all expectations and 7 years on he is still super! He had a few nosebleeds towards the end of last year so this season may be a quieter one but if he is happy and well then we shall do as much as wants and is able to do :D
 
Thanks so much for the replies everyone! It's great to hear about other veterans that are still active and the advice should be really helpful - will have to make myself a list!

He's not been doing much for the last year, but before that he was competing regularly. I think we'll just take it really slow and see how he gets on - I'm not really set on a level I'd want to be at, or what I'd want to do, so I'm quite happy to do whatever he seems comfortable with. From the rides we've had so far though, it feels like there's an awful lot of go in him yet and he's very keen to work!

Thanks again - hopefully in the summer I'll have some photos of him showing off :D
 
TJ&Ozzie said:
I use it everyday but if I have a long ride coming up I give a bit extra a couple of days before and after.

I also use ice gel on his legs straight after every long ride. Even after Newmarket he wasn't a bit stiff the next day.




Thank you! He is a star, does everything I ask of him and more! He had big shoes to fill when I got him as went from my pony club pony of 12 years to him. He has excelled all expectations and 7 years on he is still super! He had a few nosebleeds towards the end of last year so this season may be a quieter one but if he is happy and well then we shall do as much as wants and is able to do :D
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You're welcome, got to give credit where it's due! It's nice to see you've done such a good job with him and he's obviously happy! I know that we all have to slow down at some point, but I think it's sad when they still have lots of life left in them to stop them from doing what they love unless they're at obvious risk. You obviously know him well enough to listen to what he's telling you anyway. What a lucky pony :D

If I were you OP, I'd use examples like this to reassure you :)
 
Agree with all the good advice so far. It is important to take special care for an older horse to keep them at their best in old age. Its great to hear about other oldies.
I bought my old boy when he was 21. He is now 31 and retired just 7 months ago.
I knew he would cope with the work I wanted him to do and as he got older and eventually slowed down a bit I was happy to accept that and lucky enough to be able to buy another horse to retrain with the view of eventing him when old boy retired who would then be comanion for eventer.
However the eventer was diagnosed with wobblers and so he retired a month after my old boy, so I now have 2 retired horses instead of one old and one young eventer!! age is no guarantee.
So I would say definately dont be put off by a horses age but make sure he can cope with what you want to do and be prepared that he might need to slow down/ stop this might be in 1 year or in 10, who knows??..
Good luck.
 
Mine will be 22 this year (had him since he was 4) and I took him SJing for the first time this year (not been out due to the poor summer weather!). Hopefully, with some better weather ahead he will be out more this year. He completed the RC eventing champs when he was 18 and loved it. 20 is not old if a horse has been kept in regular work and has not had any soundness/health issues.
Mine is still my main horse - i have a 3 yo (turning 4 this year) to bring on but my horse is still hacked out by me and my mum and will be until he decides he's had enough.

I also have a 26 yo pony who is still hacked out (not competed but that's mainly cos he's bonkers! lol) and he would be hacked out more if I had more time - or trusted anyone to take him on loan! He doesn't look his age at all really.
 
My pony was 21 on the 1st, she's fit as a butchers dog! she's hunting possibly every other weekend during the season, and is jumped and goes xc throughout the summer! And has been highly placed showing (at local level) Honestly I think buying an older pony was the best thing i've done! haha! :D

Under 16 btw ;)

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...26476848.29220.159488474089400&type=1&theater

Hunting on new years day! ^^

(If link doesn't work let me know)
 
It is great to hear all about these oldies that are still going strong!

Another thing I have found that helps my lad is a decent break. He has 8 weeks off a year and I think it does him the world of good. It started when I started my current job which is very time consuming between November through to January. He is allowed to get hairy and muddy and spend all day strolling round the field with his best friend! Has the weeks go on he gets cheekier and cheekier and I know when it's time to get him back into work! Which is now! Lol
 
My girlie will be 20 this year. I only started training her for dressage when she was 17 and she is now training medium level (just started playing with changes) and competing elementary. No one believes me when I say her age. The physio is more and more impressed every time she comes to do her checkup every 6 months with her muscle development and suppleness improving.She said Dancer is one of the soundest and supple horses of her age!
She thrives on work as she is very highly strung and energetic tb.
She gets a equilibrium massage pad session before I school her and spend a fair amouth of time doing stretching and bending work at the beginning of the session.
She gets worked 6 times a week- 3 time hack/ lunge and 3 time school. She competes mainly in the summer.
Keeping her warm enough is really important so she is really rugged up and checked regularly she is the right temperature.
I have changed her feed to baileys performance balancer, chopped grass, Rowan Barbary mash and micronised linseed. She also gets a joint supplement, magnesium and brewers yeast. I make sure she is always a good weight.

I am going to continue to school her and improve her as it is what is keeping her going and so healthy and supple and fit. I'm sure she will tell me when she wants to start slowing down but for now we are enjoying ourselves :) And no one say old horses can't learn new tricks ;)
 
These posts have really spurred me on now showing me that age is not a limiting factor!
My mare is 25-28 and will be brought back into hacking work in a month or two due to injury.

Im a veteran newbie, what is nobute? and how is blue chip feed good for veterans? At the minute my girl is on alfa a molasses free and convalescent diet as well as codlivine and stroppy mare supplements x
 
Keeping them warm, well fed, moving and on good ground will help.
I concentrate on supple work with the older ones, they know their movements so these only need doing a few times, tp limit the stress on them.
Good hoof care essential as is tack fitting and dental care.
 
Thank you everyone for all the great advice! We had our first go at jumping at the weekend (after a month of building him back up and getting him fitter) - I only put up a 2ft cross and he pinged it about twice the height! I'm anxious to see how he is today, but fingers crossed he will be ok. We had a good long warm up before and he definitely seems keen, with no signs of being stiff.

We're doing a dressage test on Saturday too so I'll let you know how he gets on.

Thanks again!
 
I compete my 24 year old regulary, as long as they are fit and healthy they will benefit from the work. My 38 year old was shown and hacked until she was 37 and it was only when she retired that she began to go down hill. My 30 year old was working and showing etc regulary until was 29 after she got diagnosed with a degenerative brain condition x
 
We had one of our ponies back for my children who was 25 when she came back to us, and competed into her 30's.

She was a wonderful school mistress and loved jumping. However to help her when we did x country we warmed her up by lunging, thus saving her carrying weight for too long!

We also tried to get her home and out in the field as soon as possible after competing rather than standing about in a trailor.
 
My boy is 22 and last year he was doing common ridings, XC and dressage with the odd showing show thrown in for variety :)

Hes had the winter off but is getting brough back into work in the spring and we are aiming for common ridings and pleasure rides :) He could do more but I dont have anywhere to school for comps anymore and I have another pony ho is needing brought on and oldie loves bombing around the country so that it shall be :D

As first poster said, keep them moving and supple and know their limits, ,y oldie will go til he drops to keep up with the others and I need to tell him to chill :)

If not on a joint supp get one, maxaflex is great and reasonable and dont concentrate on age but do keep it in the back of your head :)
 
Just thought I'd give an update on this and thank you all again for your advice. He's doing really well, and here's a photo from our second time out doing dressage -he came 3rd in the intro and 6th in the prelim, and we're off out again tomorrow.

Really proud of him and he seems to be really enjoying himself -a little too much according to the judge at our first time out who said he was 'disobedient' because I couldn't get him to stop jogging in the walk bits! Oops...



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