How old is too old

[maxapple]

What would be your limit (age wise) for buying a horse?

Do you think 19 is too old for a warmblood?

 

[Chestnuttymare]

I think it depends mostly on the horse. My tb is 24 and would have her over some much younger horses i know. she still has spirit and is fit and healthy. she will hack for miles. I also think it depends what you want to do. My friend got a horse of 19 and had 6 or 7 years fun with him. I suppose getting an older horse you are more likely to have health problems later on but then again i know lots of younger horses who have had plenty big vet bills.

 

[topclass]

I got my shire at 24 and had him until he was 33 and I wouldnt think twice about buying one at 19

 

[MizzPurpleKitten]

I got my Warmblood at 19, he was in pretty poor condition so I spent a while building him back up and getting him fit, then I took him back out competing BSJA Grade B Level....only stopped that due to lack of rider (I HATE jumping and my friend who did compete him moved away).....later found he has arthritis in his pastern and fetlock joint on his near fore but this hasn't stropped him doing anything and everything *touch wood*, he's a million times more spritely and exuberant than any of the youngsters on the yard and I often get comments when out competing (I do Dressage with him) asking if he's a youngster on his first time out because of his silly behaviour! He's 21 now and still the same.

Always depends on the horse, but in my case, 19 was just a number

 

[LaurenB]

personally I wouldnt just because of the chances that you will be coming into vet bills quicker, but thats not to say you wouldnt with a younger horse, personally I wouldnt but it depends on what your wanting to do, e.g. if its going to be a schoolmaster.

 

[nikicb]

Our 19 year old is the youngest I have! The others are 20 and 35. Ok, the 35 years old is slowing down a bit these days (but will still buck and whizz across the school with my 14 year old son), but the other two are mere spring chickens. You could buy a 4 year old and it could fall over and break its leg in the field tomorrow. Yes you do need to think about the fact it isn't getting any younger, but if it is likely to meet your requirements for the next 3 or 4 years, you probably can't guarantee any more than that with any other horse. Good luck, and I hope it works out for you.

 

[Dot2dot]

I am trying to sell my 16 year old mare and people are saying they like her but she's too old. Such a shame as she is a really nice mare who doesn't know she's 16!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I bought an 18 yr old last year.
It depends on the horse - and the price!
Having lost 3 horses prematurely (aged 6, illness, 11, illness & 11, septicaemia), I often think that at least an older horse is likely to have immunity to more germs and will hopefully have developed a bit more sense of self-preservation.
We had a ShirexClyde who lived to be nearly 40 and was only retired for a few weeks at the end of her life. Our 30 yr old cob is retired but is very healthy.

 

[LaurenB]

That's a really really god point pearlsasinger! Never ever thought about it like that!

 

[ginger76]

i brought an 18yr old just over a year ago and we are having a brilliant time together! we have been sj, xc, dressage, sponsored rides, an endurance ride, sj clinics, i wouldnt sell him for anything! hes fit, looks really well and is really enjoying life! he doesnt realise hes 19 and certainly doesnt look it, the age did put me off to start with as i thought i would only have a couple of years of riding him and might be limited with the things we do and the posibility of arthritus but fingers crossed all is great! age wouldnt put me off now, horses are def going for longer nowadays

 

[hol089]

I've got an 18 year old cob on lwvtb, its about 2 weeks till the 3 month 'trial period' is up so I've given the owner my offer and she's having a think about it (I offered quite a bit lower than she wanted) he is in great health and being the oldest at the yard bosses all the other horses around

I just think at that age it really needs to be a home for life, I don't like seeing oldies for sale

 

[KSR]

I would happily have an older horse.. I lost my 9yo mare to colic in 2010 and my BD appy to toxic shock from ruptured bowel at 18 last summer.. I have others at 1,2,4,7,11 and 14 but age is a number..

I work as an embalmer and from that I generally feel that if you have a pulse you have equal risk of dying at any age.. The only difference being the frequency of age related disorders..

I agree that ideally for the older horse it should be a home for life..

I hope my lot achieve the longevity and continued contentment I see many of your horses have