how old is too old to break a horse??

Depends on the personality of the pony + how well they've been handled I would say. One that is used to being caught, having a halter on, being led about, well handled and trusting of its handlers might take to it quite easily. Think it might be a tad different and take a lot longer with a ferral pony.
 
I broke my horse when she was 9 years old, I never had any problems with her, although she was already used to being led out in hand with traffic etc from quite young (3yo).
 
hmm, i think 14 years of never being ridden (if that is genuine, and no one has tried and failed...!) is a long time for a horse to mature in its mind and be very prepared to say "NO THANKS" to being ridden.
the great thing about young horses is that they are so naive, and often accept new things happily in their naivety. i don't think you could say that about a 14 year old...!
i'd want to know WHY no one ever tried to back the horse. tbh i'd steer very well clear, there are so many cheap young horses about at the moment, why go looking for trouble?!
fwiw if someone asked me to start a 14 year old, i would decline...!
 
im not looking to buy just spotted it, it a highland who has been used for breeding previously.

i wouldnt be taking anything on to break ATM just wonder if there was an age limit
 
i would have thought 14 was a bit late it'll be very set in its life and i'd question why in the 11 years since it was 3 nobody has had time to break it. i think it would be a bit of a waste of time breaking it tbh at 14, people don't seem to want anything over 10 unless they want a schoolmaster so i don't see why anyone would want a 14 year old that's got no experience at all. I think generally the rule is the older the horse the harder they are to break in but obviously there are exceptions it's just they seem to accept things being done to them better when they are younger and lots of things are changing for them anyway
 
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i would have thought 14 was a bit late it'll be very set in its life and i'd question why in the 11 years since it was 3 nobody has had time to break it. i think it would be a bit of a waste of time breaking it tbh at 14, people don't seem to want anything over 10 unless they want a schoolmaster so i don't see why anyone would want a 14 year old that's got no experience at all. I think generally the rule is the older the horse the harder they are to break in but obviously there are exceptions it's just they seem to accept things being done to them better when they are younger and lots of things are changing for them anyway

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well tht what i thought too. it was just when i saw the ad i was curious
 
i broke a 12 year old tb x a couple of years ago, pretty much feral, not much handled as she was on a large field with a lot of other mares (breeding) and wouldnt be caught so was left to herself

she is still a bit nervy but was a love to back, never a cross word, and shes much admired now as shes turned out to be a beautiful little thing, not bad for a couple of hundred quid
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I broke a 16 year old pony who had been a brood mare all it's life. She had been well handled and been shown in-hand. I just took my time with her and it went like a dream. She only bucked once when I first cantered her. She now has a new life as a riding pony and is very much loved by her owner.

I think it depends on the temperament of the horse. I know one horse who was untouched till it was 7 and after nearly a year of careful handling the owners have given up on her as she was so set in her ways they couldn't do much with her, she was wild!
 
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fwiw if someone asked me to start a 14 year old, i would decline...!

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I wouldn't - in the last 2 years we've backed a 9 year old and a 10 year old (the 10 year old hadn't had much handling either!) and both were easy-peasy. Not much difference between 10 and 14!
 
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i would have thought 14 was a bit late it'll be very set in its life and i'd question why in the 11 years since it was 3 nobody has had time to break it. i think it would be a bit of a waste of time breaking it tbh at 14, people don't seem to want anything over 10 unless they want a schoolmaster so i don't see why anyone would want a 14 year old that's got no experience at all. I think generally the rule is the older the horse the harder they are to break in but obviously there are exceptions it's just they seem to accept things being done to them better when they are younger and lots of things are changing for them anyway

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well tht what i thought too. it was just when i saw the ad i was curious

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We backed an Arab ex broodmare at 15 years old - she was fantastic - I think having spent her life in a field having babies every year she was really pleased to be out and about.

Super hack
Hunted 5 seasons
Won dressage,showing, show jumped and went round Aldon at 19 years old

Still going now at 27!!!!!!!!!!! and loving it
 
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