What age horse would you buy?

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Tangaroo

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Out of interest, what was the age of your horse when you bought it?
I only ask as my 6yr old is broken (PSD) and may not come right. My last horse broke as a 6yr old, although he did come right and went onto event.
SOmebody said to me that if you buy a 7 yr old upwards that has done a reasonable amount of work it has vaguely proved its up to the job.
I realise all horses can break in one way or another at some point but have to admit, when i bought a 9yr old who had evented quite hard all his life, he never had a days lameness and is still going at 18 with his new rider.
I will probably look for a new horse in the spring and am really reluctant to buy another youngster, even though i find bringing them on rewarding.
Thoughts please
 
Bought one at 11 (died in his 30's), bought my other at 10 (still going at 22) and bought my most recent at 3 and is now rising 8 (and frantically touches wood) is fine. I think keeping a horse sound depends on many factors.
 
My first one was 4 (PTS with grass sickness within 6 months), my second was 8 (PTS at 15 with a broken hind leg), and Jazz was 6. He had 3 months off last year after getting caught in a fence and 3 months off this year with hind leg lameness. Fingers crossed for 2016 being a sound year! I think if I was buying another I'd go for something a bit older, as bringing Jazz on has certainly been rewarding but not straightforward - he was genuinely horrible at 7 - although he's not the most straightforward anyway so maybe it's more that than his age!
 
I think it's complete and utter pot luck.
You could make an argument for and against most things!
I'd be cautious of a 7-9yo because my gut feeling is, if it were any good why would it be for sale having invested all that early time money & training.
A youngster is always a bit of a gamble too.

I do generally support the theory that if they are going to be sicknotes then they usually show clear signs by 10 ish, if they are still competing into early teens then niggles are to be expected but usually able to be maintained - quite a generalisation I appreciate.
 
I have bought horses at all ages and have had good and bad luck with all ages .
ATM we have
Given to us at 8 (LOU horse ) still going strong hunting three days a fortnight at 14 rising 15
Bought at eight ( broken to carriage at two ) hunting and in top form at 15 rising 16
My TB bought at 5 now ten
My younger ID bought 5 now 7 rising 8
My newest horse bought last feb is 14 rising 15 and recovering from KS surgery ATM so that's not so good
It's a mixed bag as a rule I am very cautious of young horses who had careless work when young I won't look at a horse that's hunted three ( or I suspect has hunted at three ) we have had great experiances with older horses where you can get a lot for your money ,I get then well vetted that can help a lot because you can hopefully know what your managing from the start.
There's a lot of young horses being damaged by incorrect work and training and I do think by 8 they are getting weeded out however basically I think there's a large amount of luck involved with getting a long term sound horse .
 
After various issues with my last horse - bought at 6, put down at 10 - I've just bought a ten year old for exactly this reason - and because I'd quite lack to just get on and have some fun, rather than teach another one to trot in circles / hack alone / etc.

Good medical history was on my list of criteria. Of course it isn't a guarantee, but gut feeling says horses can be sickly types just like humans, so something that has been hale and hearty to date is a good sign in my book!
 
After disasters with two youngsters, I am now firmly going to stick with purchasing slightly older (10-13) horses, with a reasonable amount of milage on the clock, so the chances if it breaking are bit less as any problems should have shown up, also less work in teaching them things.

If I can find one that's been a happy hacker for a while, then even better as it means it's likely to be cheaper than a "full blown" competiton horse
 
My horse was 8 when I bought him over 5 years ago and (touch wood) has never had a day sick or sorry and we do everything from dressage to hunting. I paid a fair price for him and he was worth every penny and more.

Personally I wouldn't buy a youngster. I broke my previous horse myself but these days I want something I can get on and have fun with. A youngster is cheaper to buy but you need to invest your time and spend money on regular lessons/clinics and need the confidence to deal with any issues that arise. Personally I see it as a false economy but complete understand why others want to do it.
 
After a (long) lifetime of starting young horses, I've finally reached the place where I don't ever want to have to do the "firsts" again (first ride/farrier visit/trailer load/journey/competition/hack/jump/etc.). Next (and last ever) horse will be: over 8, over 15.2h, over bucking people off ( perhaps...:-), over splints, over silly nonsenses.
 
Having had a lifetime of fixing issues that stem from terrible breaking I will only ever have youngsters & break them & produce them myself. Plus I love the satisfaction you get when you take them out & start getting results ! :)
 
I buy what ticks the boxes, older rather than younger.

When I bred, mares had to be 4 - 14.

Riding horses have to be made, I want to ride, starting horses holds no interest for me. I got a new mare this summer, she is 17, done everything, does what I need her to, riding is fun again.
 
We've found the same thing. Repeatedly... :c Often if it's something chronic with a young horse, it will only show up once they start proper work. If you can have a couple on the go, and run them alongside an established horse, that is one thing, but if you want to ride and compete and only have one horse, I think at this stage my advice would be to get something 8+!
 
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It is total pot luck I've had a 10 ur old pass a vetting with flying colours only to be retired as a field ornament 6 months later
 
Cortez said:
After a (long) lifetime of starting young horses, I've finally reached the place where I don't ever want to have to do the "firsts" again (first ride/farrier visit/trailer load/journey/competition/hack/jump/etc.). Next (and last ever) horse will be: over 8, over 15.2h, over bucking people off ( perhaps...:-), over splints, over silly nonsenses.
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The end of being the test pilot , I understand this very well .
 
i have an oldie and when he goes i want a horse 14-16.
Ive been very lucky with my current one but assuming he has about another 5 years or so , taking me into my 50's the next one will be my second and last one. I m not bothered about anything other than the odd hack out but i bet it will be like looking for rocking horse poo when i go horse shopping!
 
Mine was 8. My reasoning was the same as OP's friend about standing up to work. I also wasn't experienced to take on a youngster with possible ninja moves. She's now 16 and I would never put someone on her now that was as inexperienced as I was! Luckily I didn't know what I didn't know and she has upped her game as I've got better. I would do the same again or older, I don't want a youngster.
 
I've previously bought 4 or 5 yr olds, mostly due to budget. Just lost my to mare at 25 to Cushings after 21 yrs together. Bought her on a whim as an unbroken 4 yr old when I was really looking for an older all rounder to keep on working livery at my friends riding school.
We knew it would be her last summer in 2015 so I took the plunge and bought another. Looked a range of ages to get a feel for what I needed, tried a green 5 yr old and a recently broken 4 yr old before deciding to up my budget slightly and go for something more established and older. Much as I love training from basics and achieving the results from my work I realised my current life situation wouldn't allow the time and commitment needed for a younger horse.
Bought a 10 yr old Dutch Warmblood with low mileage, he obviously had a good start in life in Holland but hasn't done much in the uk other than use his quirks to his own advantage. 6 months on we're making great progress and I'm glad I opted for him. Busy job and rubbish weather has meant I haven't been able to ride much some weeks which doesn't bother him and I can quite happily get on him after a few days off and pick up working where we left off.
 
I've had Tinner since a weanling, he'll be seven this summer. Ive found his riding on etc enjoyable, but the bug splint followed two days later by toxic laminitis wasn't so cool and now I possibly have many years of paranoia about laminitis ahead of me. If I were buying now I really would be torn between another young horse (I love knowing everything that's happened to them) and an older horse.

I bought my first when he was five, he's now 23 and wonderful, but when I look back I really shouldn't have bought a green spooky youngster!
 
I tend to buy 5-6 year olds, mostly due to budget & I really enjoy bringing young horses on.
However Billy was 4 when I bought him, but was September of his 4th year & he was as easy as a 4 year old as he is now as a 9 year old! Plus we just clicked and I knew right away he was the one for me.

I think when buying young you have to have a good look at their conformation & decide if it will stand up to what you want to do. Obviously no horse is perfect & horses with terrible confo can never have a lame day whereas a perfect confo horse could be constantly lame - but odds are a horse with good confo will last longer than one with poor!
 
Not young enough anymore to put the time (and years in) bringing on a baby again. Bought a 13 year intermediate event mare and had the best time ever eventing on her. She broke at 17, when an old injury I didn't know about surfaced as arthritis in her neck but still have her at 28. This time I bought a 6 year old who has already run in a couple of 100's and I sincerely hope he will be my last competition horse.
 
For myself I've had a succession of 11 year olds all well schooled and competed regularly as I have neither the experience or courage to do the early work myself. For my daughter we bought a succession of rising 6's. Touch wood, we've not had any real issues with any of them but I am very picky over conformation and with the younger horses, their feet. I have bought older horses with poor feet but my lovely farrier always sorts them out for me and my horses tend to have an easy life, hacking and dressage!
 
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