How old is too old to sell?

How old is too old to sell a horse?


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Shadowdancing

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Just a wondering really. Is there a cut off age where you wouldn't sell a horse on or is it totally dependent on the horse's health and condition?

Prompted cos I've just seen a lovely horse for sale on the internet at the age of 22. Wonderful looking for his age but it got me thinking...

I've never been in a position to sell a horse but for me PERSONALLY and based on my much loved steed, I think I'd only carefully loan a horse over 18 years old and would not sell them. I'd be too worried about possible infirmities and unsoundnesses creeping in and it being not correctly managed or passed on after everything we'd been through together. I'd want them somewhere nearby I could check on them you know, that sort of thing.

Interested in thoughts on this...
 

Equi

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Totally depends on the horse. A friend bought a 21yo school master and is still regularly riding and aims to do some competing :)
 

milliepops

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yep depends on the horse and rider's intentions/needs.
I sold my first pony when she was 18 with no qualms, she was about 13hh of pure ponyclub perfection and was sold to a family with 4 little girls to teach them all how to ride.

I wouldn't sell the ones I've got now but that's because I like to train them up and then enjoy them... then I feel I owe them a retirement (or pts if not possible).
 

debserofe

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I have a 28yr old connemaraxtb who is still going strong (she's my little pocket rocket) - hacks out most days, is as sound as a pound and safe - I got her when she was 20 - she has fabulous conformation and feet and has never been sick or sorry! I had a 15 yr old IDxTB that recently had to be PTS - his conformation was not perfect, internally he wasn't great, his feet were pretty shocking and he had some fairly serious behavioural issues - but he came from Ireland and could jump - all at the age of 5 (before I got him)! So it pretty much depends what you are looking to do - it is unlikely that at 22 she would be up for jumping 5* cross country (although there are always exceptions to the norm). They are usually saner as they get older (although, again, not a given!).
 

Antw23uk

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It breaks my heart seeing these old horses for sale, especially when they look like they need retirement or PTS! I voted twenty but it would depend on the horse. I would still look at buying an 18 year old horse if it was suitable for the job I wanted (safe bombproof hack type) and was in good health. There does seem to be a serious shift where people think from about 14-16 a horse is old! I think the youngest horse taking on Blenheim this year was 16 so I do think as a whole we have a warped sense of whats old nowadays?
 

milliepops

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There does seem to be a serious shift where people think from about 14-16 a horse is old! I think the youngest horse taking on Blenheim this year was 16 so I do think as a whole we have a warped sense of whats old nowadays?

Yes, I was looking at this in relation to another thread recently about giving veterinary treatment to an older horse. There were several horses competing GP dressage at the olympics in their later teens. These are horses at the peak of their career :)
 

Damnation

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It breaks my heart seeing these old horses for sale, especially when they look like they need retirement or PTS! I voted twenty but it would depend on the horse. I would still look at buying an 18 year old horse if it was suitable for the job I wanted (safe bombproof hack type) and was in good health. There does seem to be a serious shift where people think from about 14-16 a horse is old! I think the youngest horse taking on Blenheim this year was 16 so I do think as a whole we have a warped sense of whats old nowadays?

Me too, I've seen some oldies at 25+ who need retirement up for sale and wish I had land because I would have them all! (probably a good idea that I don't..)

I think "back in the day" 14 - 16 was old, and alot of insurance companies classify a horse as "old" from 16-18 when realistically they could go til they are 30+ which doesn't help that perception. In reality horses like people are living longer and longer which does make me wonder if horse insurance needs an overhaul to up the age they class a horse as a "vetran" and therefore less cover.

I too would go for something 18ish if it did the job, my YO has a 20 year old maxi cob on loan who despite having cushings is showing absolutely no signs of ever wanting to slow down and doesn't show her age at all!
 

Cortez

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I've voted 18, but it would totally depend on the circumstances. I would never advertise a horse for sale after 18, but I would "place" a sound schoolmaster in the appropriate hands. Seeing older horses going through sales is heartbreaking; who knows what their fate will be? At least a young, "potential" horse has the resilience to face the future.
 

Abacus

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I voted for 'no upper age' and in this I am thinking of the wonderful older ponies in particular that do a fabulous, perhaps lower level or slower job bringing on children. The reason I might sell rather than loan is that I think that someone willing to invest in buying is on average more committed and, frankly, prepared to care for a pony they own a little better than one they loan. I know many loan homes are fantastic so this is a generalisation.
 

3OldPonies

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I went with the 'other please tell us' option, because like a lot of people on here I think it all depends on the individual horse or pony. However; having said that it really does pee me off when people try to offload an oldie that really should be retiring because they can't or don't want to ride it any more because its old. My first pony was 22 when I got him and he was a real star at getting me from the 'omg someone's left me alone with a horse and its all up to me now' panic of first ownership to being confident in myself. Older horses and ponies do still have so much to give, my two are now retired and have been for years, they are just great and we have if anything an even better relationship than when they were rideable.
 

Lammy

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I personally wouldn't sell anything on that's over the age of 18. Though my own 18 year old is still very much full of life and has plenty of go, she has a lot of miles on the clock and needs to be reminded that she needs to take things a little slower than she did when she was 12. I would worry that if I sold on an older horse they would be worked too hard - just because they're up for it doesn't mean they should be doing it. Nevermind worrying if they would be retired at the right time or if they would get a retirement at all :/

That said if I had an older ex-pro jumping pony it would probably go on loan to teach kids the ropes...those little things go on for decades. The 22 year old BSJA pony I used to ride is finally enjoying life in the slow lane at 33...but she only stopped 5 years ago and has gone back to her original owner for a well deserved retirement.
 

Annagain

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Personally I would never sell an older horse, mainly because I don't buy older horses so by the time they're old I've had them years and love them too much. However, in principle I think it very much depends on the individual horse, the reasons for and conditions of the sale.

As an example. An old child's bombproof first pony may only have been part of the family for a couple of years and the child may have outgrown him - either/both in terms of size and/or what the pony can do. If the pony is fit and healthy however there's no reason why he can't do a job for another family. If that family is better placed to offer the pony a long term home (e.g. they have their own land but seller is at livery) then selling him could be a better option to secure him a good future.

The same could be said for an ex-eventer who needs to slow down a little but still has a lot to offer. Maybe he doesn't even need to slow down but his owner has decided he deserves a quieter life. Again, if the buyer (maybe even for a token £1) can provide a good home, while I couldn't do it myself, I don't find it unacceptable.
 

rowan666

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I would never sell a horse over the age of maybe 15ish (i have loaned out older but he did come back to me to retire) I have happily bought horses/ponies in their 20s and I certainly would again, age never puts me off if the horse ticks the right boxes but it does break my heart to see them for sale especially the ones that really are ready and deserve to be peacefully retired
 

PorkChop

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I would sell an older pony, and have, but I wouldn't a horse.

That's not to say I wouldn't let it go to a new home if I felt it would be beneficial to the horse to keep working, but I would definitely retain ownership.
 

SuperH

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Gosh age is just a number there are so many other factors to consider. I bought a 25 year old once (she was something like a Welsh D cross, I've found these tend to go on forever), she was my horse of a lifetime, I bought her from the field where she hadn't been ridden much for a while. She was bored with the lack of work and hated living with the other horses there. The first couple of years we did everything, including winning the winter sj league at my local riding club (she was a heck of a jumper and easily cleared the field gate at 4'8 when she wanted to). After that we did a bit of endurance, she would hack forever. I think she very much enjoyed her years with me, far more than she would have left in the field with horses she hated.

I've also passed on an older horse. He went to a lady who wanted to do light hacking and pamper him, again I think he was better going there and getting her full attention than having to share my attention with a younger fitter model.
 

oldie48

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I voted "other". Many ponies go on into their 20's and over giving children so much pleasure and not everyone can afford to loan out a good pony and still buy the next size up. I'd be unhappy about selling any horse that wasn't 100% sound and healthy at any age. I sold a 17 year old some years ago and he's very happy because he went to the right home and will be there for life. TBH I think you have to look at each horse as an individual and try to do what's right for them.
 
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