What do you class as an old horse?

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Flyermc

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Ive read afew posts that mention old horses that are only 16/17/18 years old, are these actually old horses?

My pony is 17 years old, ive had him since he was 4 and rightly (or wrongly) i dont view him as old? I still have my riding lesson on him every Saturday. We complete in dressage, jumping over the summer. Im planing on going hunting for the 1st time in afew weeks, go out on long hacks most Sundays (its a 7hr hack this Sunday) He's ridden/lunged or walked out inhand more or less everyday. He's not on any supplements and doesnt have any soundness issues. The only thing that shows his age, is that he's going abit grey around his eyes.

So is a 17 year old horse (18 in May) actually old?
 
It depends on the horses themselves as to whether i class them as 'old'. I normally say 19/20 is older but not old. My mare died in july after just turning 20 no health issues but you could tell by looking at her face and her character that she was getting on. However there is a 35 year old pony near where i live which still competes! So in my opinion i only class a horse as old when they start to slow down themselves and start to age more quickly, whether this be 17 or 27. Older horses are the best in my eyes;)
 
At 23 my horse was still fly bucking around the field, and taking off with me across the fields, refused to stand still once I got on, got very impatient waiting for feed or being turned out, enjoyed knocking over my wheelbarrow poo picking, spooking at random objects passed everyday..... Was far more placid at 12! lol

For me, a horse is old at about 20, but not always mentally so- does that make sense?
 
Getting on is when you have to slow down. old is when you can't get on at all! I think it depends on the horse and the miles. And the scenario. If buying, 13 was my absolute max age limit; I want to enjoy as many full and active years as possible (barring accidents) before I am caring for a horse I can't ride, as I can only afford to keep one. When said horse is 18 I doubt I'll consider her to be 'old'; rather into middle age!
 
I would consider anything over 14 "getting on a bit", and anything over 18 "an oldie"
That doesn't mean that they don't have many useful working years ahead of them. But I would ease off on things that would be very strenuous on their joints.

A relative of mine used to hunt a 24yo mare twice a week. Not something I would do but the mare didn't look a day over 16
 
A few years ago my 23 year old 14.3hh chestnut mare won the riding club cup for the most points during the year at all competitions. (and I am 5ft 10)

My current horse is 22 and definitely does not see herself as old!
 
I don't know. I never really think of my 20 yr old as "old", but then again she does have a lot of age related issues so in many ways I suppose she is because of that, even if she doesn't look or act it!!
 
I can't believe my horse is classed as a "Veteran" at 15! I would class anything over 20 as an old horse, however horses age at different rates (just like us) & the level of competition / riding will differ from horse to horse.

I regularly hunted a 30yr old pony & competed a 25 year old including jumping 3ft courses. My current horse has had pretty low mileage but whether she'll be competing at that age... well lets just hope so :)
 
I think it's probably something that's changing - I get the impression that average equine lifespans are on the increase and that horses are more likely to be in full work into their twenties. In a way i don't think 16 is unreasonable because at that age you are probably going to start considering changes in management or workload, at least in a horse that does work hard.
 
Around 26/27 I'd say was old. Any in their 30s and 40s I describe as ancient, or really old. My 36 year old is still going strong mind you and still loves to hoon around and go out for rides. I know he's very old, he doesn't :smile3:
 
I bought my mare as a 14yo. Shes 19 now. I don't think of her as old (shes retired due to injury though)
I get really sensitive when people say to me things like "shes getting on a bit" "shes old" "with her age I wouldn't worry about..." etc.

I wont think she's old till shes like 27/28 maybe?
 
I see being old as a state of mind and general health more than the passing of time..

In human examples, I know some 80/90 year olds who are fitter, more active, mentally sharper and healthier than some 60 year olds..

It's very subjective..

An arthritic cushingoid 16 year old horse would be more aged/older than a fit, competing, healthy 26-30 year old horse..
 
I got Misty when she was 23ish. I took her to two pony camps, the second being senior where we rode for 4 hours a day. She came out of retirement aged 32 for light hacks and would still take off with me, and carried on doing so until she died at the grand old age of 35. She didn't look it, act it or think she was it.

I took her to local shows for the veteran classes when she was in her 30s and was always a bit astounded that people would enter their 15y/o ponies. I had another 8 years to wait to meet her when she was that age!
 
I have two 'oldies' mother and son, the mare is 30, shes15h, she suddenly aged a great deal the last 18months, as she showed signs of cushings, sadly this is going to be her last summer :(. Her son is 22, he's 16.3 and although sound is retired, he's aged a lot quicker than his mother, he's got a lot older this year, and is showing early signs of cushings too:(. I think the smaller they are the slower they age, both my oldies have grown old disgracefully together ;) dreading the day thats comming before winter sets in, especially knowing it wont be too many years behind with the other, but i owe them both the world - its been a wonderfull pleasure having them share their lives for the last 22 and 27 years - its been lovely seeing them develop from babies into amazing partners at home and competeing, a hard act to follow !
 
I think of anything 20 plus as old.

Anything 15 plus as an 'older horse', you do need to be a little bit more careful after this age, ponies tend to go on longer than horses, I worry about mine when he gets into his teens as he was raced at two.
 
Taking this post slightly personally, for me and the horse. We're both on the wrong side of big age digits, but we still clatter round a little show-jumping courses etc like the best of them. It's all down to a bit of luck staying sound, good genes and plenty of exercise. But also accepting that the inevitable will happen to both of us at some point...I make the most of every ride for that reason.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
I think I'm right in saying that for insurance purposes a "veteran" is classed as 16+ ???
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I don't know about that - I lost the ability to insure for LOU when my horse turned 13! which I think is a bit silly - I felt he was just in his prime at that point and would have a really hard time replacing him.
 
KSR said:
I see being old as a state of mind and general health more than the passing of time..

In human examples, I know some 80/90 year olds who are fitter, more active, mentally sharper and healthier than some 60 year olds..

It's very subjective..

An arthritic cushingoid 16 year old horse would be more aged/older than a fit, competing, healthy 26-30 year old horse..
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I would agree with this statement. Take for instance my mother - and my MIL. They are the same age. However my mother has most certainly had a harder life - is still working (on her feet). She is over weight, has chronic health issues including an inoperable hernia (was operated on four times following a colostomy and its beyond repair now), she smokes, she drinks, she's had a rather interesting life. She's borne five children, raised four. She has been single for all of her life bar the 18 years married to my dad.

My MIL on the other hand - has never had to work - much less do manual labour ;) . She is a lady of leisure and plays golf and curls in the winter. She is fit, lean and lives a really healthy lifestyle. She's had two children and raised three (she was married twice and always had support from her mates).

I would say that my MIL is a MUCH more youthful 73 than my own mother was at 53 !

Lifestyle, health and fitness will all have a role in whether someone considered old or not ....not just whether or not they're eligible for a bus pass! ;)
 
Actually I think I need to separate things to answer this question. My vet agrees with my estimate that at least 50% of horses over 16 hands don't make it past fifteen. Butt that's not age, it's illness and injury. So for an insurer, though, sixteen is old.

Then there are horses stood in fields retired due to disease not injury, and for me any of those sixteen and over would be old. As would any horse which wasn't injured which is worked on medication.

Any horse not working or on a significantly reduced workload, and over 20 would be old.

For those still in work unsupported by medication, they are as old as they feel.
 
Agree with cptrayes on the whole.

Big horses are generally also "old" before ponies. I manage my 18yr old WB like he is an oldie because I want to nurture him along for as long as possible. He is definitely stiffer than he was a few years ago. He would still like to hooley and flybuck if I let him and adrenaline will overcome any aches and pains but he might well suffer after it. I am extra careful what I do with him now so that I don't put too much pressure on his joints.

There are 4 horses on my yard in the 18-20 bracket and all exhibit signs of being "old" or "older" HW cob (arthritic and intermittently lame) Ex-eventer (fit and healthy but now only does flatwork and dressage) Ex -cavalry horse (big knobbly knees and v stiff only does light hacking) WB dressage / RC (has always had underlying problems but is showing signs of increased stiffness).

You also don't see many top competition horses competing over about the age of 18 -19 maybe 20 at a push they are usually retired to a less demanding life - this must indicate that physiologically they are changing / have changed.
 
It's all relative but for insurance purposes they do have to cross the line somewhere... E.g. Do you put a 25 yo through surgery? Probably not. Would you carry on competing a fit 18 yo... Probably.

The VHS champ this year was a 28 yo tb. Go figure.

The oldest horse I know is over 40... An Arab retired broodmare. The oldest working horse I knew was a 34 yo Arab mare who sadly died of colic last winter. Very sad.

Anyway, I don't think in this modern age where care is fantastic, a horse is "old" at 16 :) and I would buy a fit horse at that age :)
 
tallyho! said:
It's all relative but for insurance purposes they do have to cross the line somewhere... E.g. Do you put a 25 yo through surgery? Probably not. Would you carry on competing a fit 18 yo... Probably.

The VHS champ this year was a 28 yo tb. Go figure.

The oldest horse I know is over 40... An Arab retired broodmare. The oldest working horse I knew was a 34 yo Arab mare who sadly died of colic last winter. Very sad.

Anyway, I don't think in this modern age where care is fantastic, a horse is "old" at 16 :) and I would buy a fit horse at that age :)
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What concerns me TH is how many people who are newer to horse owning don't realise how incredibly exceptional the horses you have mentioned are. This can make them feel that they have failed if their own horses only make a normal 25ish. I also fear that it is causing old horses to be put through procedures which I personally feel are unjustifiable.
 
from a physiological POV I would say anything over 12 was old-that doesn't meant to say not useful, infirm etc but an age is an age. Vets class cats as geriatric at 12 I think? Many cats of course go well beyond that. Physiologically animals (and humans) have less effective and efficient immune systems over certain ages, are more susceptible to infections, increases in parasitic load and cancers are generally a disease of old age as well.
 
Yes, but it's rare for a cat to see the back side of 20 so I don't think the two species are comparable. Like someone here said earlier, insurance companies classify any horse over 16 as a veteran and will only insure them for injury, not illness.

My horse is 20 but to look at her, you wouldn't think her a day over 14.
 
You're as old as you feel. Lol

I class over 30 as old. I've got 2 pushing 30 and they are retired but they are as fit as fiddles (not working fit but healthy fit. lol) so long as I keep on top of weight/diet.
 
I absolutly agree with everything cptryes has said. How tall were the Arabs you knew tallyho?

Do insurers have different ages cut offs for veteran ponys compared to horses? I think a twenty something year old native and a TB of 16ish are usually comparable in the amount of extra thought going into managing them.
 
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