How old is too old to sell your horse

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canteron

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My horse is 14 this year and currently on a brilliant loan. The loaner is going abroad in December and I have decided the horse will either go out on loan again or be a field friend until I can find a good new job for her - even though theoretically her achievements give her a schoolmistress value.

How old is too old to be comfortable selling your horse in the current market.
 
our old pony has gone out on loan at 16 - not because of his age but because he owes us nothing and we feel its our 'duty' to give him a home for life , but i suppose its diffrent for every owner and horse :)
 
I've seen horses on the market alot older than her! I am currently looking at a new loan next week who is 15 years old.
I think you should be fine rehoming her!
Have you got any more details about her? PM me if you want :)
 
It depends on the horse really - a really fit, well horse, particularly one that is a great schoolmaster and therefore has a certain level of value - I would say 18-20 at the absolute max - though at that age it would have to be a very careful sale and mostly likely only via word of mouth to somebody trustworthy.

I think once a horse starts to lose all value [either because its too quirky, or not physically capable of a decent level of work], or show any health problems - then that is when it is definitely too old to sell.

Nothing wrong with selling a 15/16yr old horse IMO, unless they are showing early signs of really slowing down from age - but I'd always be that bit more careful as you really want any home in mid-late teens to be the last home that horse has.
 
I don't know I'm afraid - I think a lot depends on the horse (bit of a cop out answer there, sorry - but it's true!)

There was a thread recently where someone asked for advice about buying a 16yo and there was a lot of positive response to that, so depending on the horse and its condition/energy being 14 may not put off people.

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread through, as I am toying with buying a 14yo mare who I know is super, but her age does put me off as I want to do a lot over the next 5 years and I don't want to be in a situation where 4 years from now I have a horse which needs retiring from competitions but I can't sell. Be interesting to hear other people's experiences.
 
Like Polo*Pony says if a buyer/loaner is wanting a horse to compete on for the next 5 years then they may have a concern with the age but if they just want the horse for general rinding and pleasure then I dont think that the age is an issue as long as it is fit and healthy... I think a lot of people would want an older horse, one that has "Been there and got the Tee shirt"

The older horse can teach a lot of riders a trick or two :)
 
IMO it depends on health - mental and physical.

I know of 14 yr olds that are health wise too old to be rehomed successfully....But equally I know of spritely 25 yr olds that still have plenty of life and years left in them!!

In the past we sold one of our ponies (he was in his twenties I think), but ONLY on the grounds that we would have him back when the young boy had out grown him - he was quite grumpy and prone to napping, so in the wrong hands I think he could have been treated really wrongly.

Polo*Pony - My boy Bruce is currently 14 years YOUNG!! He's got so much left to give and I'm currently beginning to take him competing again. I think with a thorough vetting and horse history analysis (IE any old injuries that are likely to cause arthritis etc) would give you a clear idea of what she's capable of.

cheeseandhorses:) - How come you consider 16 to be old? Out of curiosity, not trying to pick a bone :)

I wouldn't have said that old horses = been there done that. I'd love to see someone other than me or sister/PS get on Bruce and ask him for proper work - he IS a schoolmaster, but I find them trickier than a youngster in the sense that there are SO many buttons to press, for instance, I ask for collected trot which to Bruce means PASSAGE LIKE A MAD MAN. Whereas a greener horse doesn't question your aids so much.
 
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I'm not that well up on other horses but like xspiralx said I found my girly through a stable friend, she knew I was inexperienced and wanted a pony to just hack on, my mare is 15yrs and I love her.....you just point her in the direction you want and she goes!!! I tack her up and ride out alone most times, I would never had done that last year! I feel so safe on her.
She had another buyer when we went to see her, for a childrens riding school, but at 15 her owner wanted her to have a quiet life with me!!!
 
I've just put my 19 yr old anglo arab out on loan,he def doesn't act his age! he is doing hacking and light schooling,i don't think i'd ever want to sell him as he's a older boy,the lady is keen to have him long term which is great,i really miss him and after the 2 others of mine sell i'll be looking to get a younger similar type to him. So wish i got him (he was given to me as my friends friend had cancer) when he was a young boy,would of had soo much fun together.
 
I sold a pony at 18 having had her for two years, she was a 13.2hh school mistress and worked in her next home until 21 when she was retired there. But we did ensure the people had a similar ethos to us. But she had to find more work as she was too 'young' to retire when I grew out of her. The new owner had our details and we were always in contact and would have been willing to have her back had they been able to retire her. Some ponies just don't do retirement and find happiness in a happy hackers home. Think it's horse dependant.
 
Think it really depends on the horse, personality, achievements etc. A 16 yr old could easily have another 10 years. Some horses look/act their age but most (in my experience) don't.
I can not see why you could not sell. Would a loan home again be more suitable?

My mare is 17 this year and still acts like an 8 yr old! She will still give you 110 percent without quible. I have had her 13 years and owes me nothing, I could not sell her but will look for suitable loan home.

Good luck. X
 
I would say it depends completely on the horse (with limits of course) My old pony was still in his prime at 25! - No way i'd have sold him but then i wouldnt have sold him at 6 either! I was still taking him plodding at nearly 40. ( he went so downhill when retired that i decided to bring him back into very light work and he thrived on it before anyone jumps on that ;-)!)
personally i wouldnt buy say a TB over 15 but a childs pony if healthy i would have into its 20's
 
A couple of weeks ago, there was a thread on here about a 30 year old pony for sale on Preloved!
Attitudes to horses age is thankfully changing, and more people see positivity in buying an older horse. It's not all vets bills and Laminitis! They have such a lot to offer, especially to new owners.
A lot of people don't feel comfortable about loaning someone elses horse and really do want to own their own. From the horses point of view, it wouldn't know if it were owned or loaned, just that it had relocated. I would say that if a horse was capable of doing a job, whatever the age, then it can be sold for that job with a clear conscience, provided the new owner is going to give the home the horse deserves.
 
Before we got Puz WHW tried to loan us a 32yr old pony!!

I wouldn't sell past about 15 tbh, but would loan. But none of ours are going anywhere. Xxxx
 
I have just sold a 17yro.

He had been on loan with the girl for a year and she had known him for 2 years before that and is absolutely in love with him and he is spolit rotten.

I know it's not enforceable, but there is a clause in the sale that I have the option to buy him back if he is ever for sale again so he is assured a good retirement either with the girl or with me.

I wouldn't have put him on the open market though.
 
I really hate seeing ads for old horses and especially old dogs for sale. I have 3 now at 16 and would never sell them but I do have my own land and 2 are mares who can breed. One is an ex SJ who I may loan this year and if she wasn't so quirky would perhaps consider sale but I would have an absolutely tight 'first refusal' contract. I sold a 14 year old mare through a dealer 2 years ago and have spent ages trying to trace her as she was quirky too and am riddled with guilt.
 
A good friend of mine bought an old NFx mare for £10. She was in her 20's then, is 30 now and she pulls a little cart around the lanes and across fields very day!

Apart from a slight dip in her back you wouldn't spot her age as she looks about 15. My friend does say though that if she ever stiopped working her, not only would the mare be very miffed, but she would undoubtedly become her age.
 
Thats fine tbh!
we tried selling at 16/17 but ha no luck but she wasnt well avertised and shes tricky so many people buying a old pony dont really want a nutterrr?!
 
If the hores is still fit and happy in its work I would sell up to 16yrs, if older would more likely look for a loan home, so that the horse could come back to me to retire if needed.
 
I bought an arabxTB 18yrs old that was waaay too much for me. I simply couldn't handle him riding wise. When he took off, the only way I could stop him was to leap off and after this happened more than a handful of times I gave up.

With a decent rider he was a really nice horse and was still jumping 4feet and very sprite. He went to ireland at 19yrs and had a whale of a time with his new owner. I've lost their number :( but a few years after selling him, they still had him and loved him.

TBH, my ponies have a home for life unless something goes seriously wrong financially for me. Buying - I would buy a 20 yr old again however.
 
I'd never ever ever sell or full loan him, but i've just put my 23 yr old gelding up for share/ part loan. He doesn't look, feel or act his age, and will quite happily still pop 3ft. Chances are nobody will be interested in him because of his age, but he's so bored at the moment, and I just don't have time to work him, but he's by no means retired!
 
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