training a 15 y/o horse?

I've just taken on a rescue pony that was trained to ride in April (mostly lead rein). Best guess on his age is 12 but could easily be older. He was trained alongside youngsters at the rescue centre and they said he learnt quicker than most of them, he is also much braver generally and was happy to go out on his own from the start. His history was that he was dumped in some woodland, apparently unhandled, and was entire so had to go through a late gelding just before being started under saddle.
 
I don't think any horse is ever to old to learn something new, I've heard of horses being taught to drive in their 20s
 
sylvie.hettema said:
Do you think it would be easier, harder or the same to train one?
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Completely depends on the horse!

I've had a flappy ID who was in her 20s and broken in a 4 year old who was a complete dope on a rope.

There's no right or wrong age. I think a change is a good as a rest for horses, and stimulation plays a great part in their mental heath and 'happiness'.
 
I taught my 15yo to drive last year. Took to it like a duck to water and is loving having a job other than a brood mare. I just got an 11yo today and i will be training her to drive too.
 
I generally find the older ones are more relaxed, they have already had a life and don't care much for drama so just get on with it. The only downside obviously is that they won't have a long work life or one at a high pace. Good for just tootling about and maybe a few years good comps. A friend has a 22 (or maybe even 25!) yo cob who regularly shows ridden and wh. He was broken at a normal age though.
 
Stop!! You need to step back and have a think about this. You admit that you are a new rider, and with the best will in the world, you cannot train a horse if you lack experience yourself. Green on green = black and blue.

It's a big responsibility - turning a horse into a model citizen, and it's very easy to mess up, even if you have years of experience. Your best bet would be to get a nice schoolmaster who will help you to develop the experience to be able to, one day, train a green horse yourself.
 
Auslander said:
Stop!! You need to step back and have a think about this. You admit that you are a new rider, and with the best will in the world, you cannot train a horse if you lack experience yourself. Green on green = black and blue.

It's a big responsibility - turning a horse into a model citizen, and it's very easy to mess up, even if you have years of experience. Your best bet would be to get a nice schoolmaster who will help you to develop the experience to be able to, one day, train a green horse yourself.
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I agree but in a way also disagree. I drove my friends cob once, for about 600 yards, then trained two horses to drive from scratch. Its all about dedication and learning what to do by reading up on it and asking for help.
 
Thriller said:
I agree but in a way also disagree. I drove my friends cob once, for about 600 yards, then trained two horses to drive from scratch. Its all about dedication and learning what to do by reading up on it and asking for help.
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I have limited experience of driving too, but I broke a pony to drive. I was able to do this, because I know horses and have years of experience. Having a pool of previous experience/knowledge is the important bit - not the discipline! The OP has previously said that she is a new rider, yet is very keen to train her own horse from scratch. There is so much that could go wrong with this scenario.
 
Auslander said:
I have limited experience of driving too, but I broke a pony to drive. I was able to do this, because I know horses and have years of experience. Having a pool of previous experience/knowledge is the important bit - not the discipline! The OP has previously said that she is a new rider, yet is very keen to train her own horse from scratch. There is so much that could go wrong with this scenario.
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Oh right..yeah i get it now lol i do have to agree. I have 24 years with horses before i did this.
 
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