Oldest horse you knowingly purchased

[SpotsandBays]

My old pony was approx 14 when we bought her, (I say bought, she was fre but my dad chucked £50 to say thanks!) and my shetland was given to me in her late teens

 

[tatty_v]

15. He’s 20 now and still looking good! I just wish I could have had him younger, not because he hasn’t been able to do things, but just selfishly to have more time with him.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

My kids' pony was 13 when I bought her (last year) and I actively didn't want anything younger than about 12. She's not quite the complete dobbin I was expecting, but crucially she can easily go 3 even 4 weeks without being ridden and it makes not the slightest difference to how she is under saddle- she absolutely knows her job, and I never ever worry about her "going backwards". And I hope I'm not unreasonable to think we should easily get 8 years riding from her, by which time my youngest will have outgrown her anyway. But we're lucky to have our own land, so I don't really have to worry so much about the expense of keeping a retired pony.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

10 is the oldest I’ve bought and he’s now 25yrs old and still lively and hacks. Youngest was 5yrs which was pts due to wobblers by 8. Then 7yrs old swapped for above 10yr old as unsuitable for me and latest 9yrs now 11. Childhood pony was gained from my much older sister and was around 14yrs old.

 

[Lintel]

23, blind in one eye, arthritic knees. Got her when I was 13, she was my first pony (followed by BBP) she taught me so much about the caring for a horse, putting welfare above childish desires to hurtle around. I don’t regret or resent it for a second. She died aged 39 with a mouthful of pear and me telling her how much I loved her.

Omg? That's lovely and sad BBP

 

[Bonnie Allie]

17 yr old emotionally and physically broken SJer. It was come to our house or be put in a can. Whilst we ironed his quirks out somewhat, some never left him. He passed at 28 and was still jumping low level competitively at 25.

He had a tough life, raced until he was 7, then passed around through some well known show jumpers before being declared “broken”. He was a massive character that had a type A personality.

Some days I loved him and hated him in equal measure. In spring he would behave inappropriately toward the mares, jump out of the paddock overnight and eat the neighbours prize roses, yell his head off if he wanted a paddock change and if this request wasn’t dealt with quickly he would jump out and zoom off down the road.

Thanks to our Zippie I have met all neighbours within a 2km radius and am a specialist in electric fences and the installation of 1.8m gates.

 

[JDChaser]

16 year old ex-advancer eventer as a schoolmaster. He is awesome and has taken me to intermediate.

 

[Libbygrey]

My first horse was 19 when I got him. He was a school horse at a riding school I had worked at for 2 years so I knew him. I had him till he was 30 and only retired him when he was 27. It was a long time ago now but I still miss him sometimes.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

24 years old, standard bred ex racing trotter.
Was an absolute ?

 

[Red-1]

I think we thought my first pony was about 16 when I got him. The vet thought he was around 10 years older than that, and estimated him at over 35 when he went (melanomas through and through).

He looked really well until about a week before he was PTS, still in light hacking. Even then he looked well but a couple of lumps popped up, on his ribs of all places, and he was a bit breathless. Vet said he was riddled.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

2 11yo's - one a shetland and the other a 17.2hh tb that I brought home from work! I lost them both this year within a month of each other. The Shetland was 30yo and the TB 23yo but he had had a hard life racing and had many physical issues because of it.

 

[SmartieBean09]

My pony off a lifetime Jamin (in my photos below) was 18 when I bought her and after her I purchased Dazzle (in my thumbnail pic) as a 23 year old. Dazzle was slow and steady and Jamin was fizzy and stressy but so much fun. They had both experienced life and were as safe as houses. No regrets and I wouldn't dismiss another oldie at all.

 

[dorsetladette]

9 was my oldest - my daughters cob, hes 17 now and doing just fab.

My parents used to buy very old welsh stallions when they had the stud. They couldn't afford anything young and wanted the older bloodlines. I think the oldest was Viceroy and he came to us at 27 I think. Back in the early 90's no one believed he was still alive! If you watched him out in the paddock you wouldn't of thought he was a day over 10yrs - he moved like a steam train

 

[Fools Motto]

A £1 ''companion'' pony aged 26... had him about 8 years before we pts, and he was perfect in every single way. He came to us retired from a RS, but He did junior camp when a girls pony went sadly lame - she was so upset, so we got his tack (that came with him) and he popped round poles on the floor, and was lead over a few logs going 'xc'... the little girl had the best 2 days, and darling Miri was in his element. They even took him to a couple of shows for the veteran classes!

 

[rowan666]

19, walking vets bill but was a bloody good horse for a few years before health issues got too bad and was PTS

 

[Lex2009]

I actually wanted a older horse nearly bought a 20 year old but someone bought the the horse before me. I ended up with a 10 year old

 

[skint1]

Bought my first horse when she was 16, second at 15. I would definitely consider even older as i only hack with light schooling now and again at best. My only regret was that I didn't have more ridden time with them both, and more time generally with the first as I only got 3.5 yrs with her when I lost her. I bought a mare last year aged 11, only got to ride her for 6 weeks before a whole host of issues began to surface that we are slowly working through, I don't know what the outcome will be right now but I guess it goes to show that age is no guarantee of soundness

 

[honetpot]

A 17 year old TB, as a first horse for my daughter. He had been used for showing, but hated being ridden by certain judges. I bought him from someone who had registered him for BE. He did what he liked, and more importantly he put up with my daughter who just wanted to do dressage. He stayed fit and sound until we had him PTS at home.
The laziest horse I have ever owned, the equine equivalent of a lurcher.

 

[Mahoganybay]

My first pony was 21 when she was gifted to me, I had just come back into riding at the age of 30 and she was the best horse I have ever known/had.

We had 11 wonderful years before we said goodnight to her, she taught my Daughter and I how to ride and in all those years she never once scared me.

 

[JGC]

12 - my current horse last year. Although her passport has a "presumed" year of birth so she might be older. I was expecting to get a horse two or three years old, because I was looking for something safe and had seen it all to get my confidence back and fit in with a stressful job. Especially as I could probably squeeze to another if I had to retire one.

 

[Tarragon]

Lovely to hear all these stories about the Golden Oldies

 

[Tarragon]

I borrowed a retired Prince Philip Cup pony that was aged 24 years old for the summer. He had been retired, but didn't much like retirement! I think I won almost every gymkhana I entered that summer