What do your oldies do?

Lucky788

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Just that really what does everyone do with their over 20Years?
Mine is mainly hacking but feeling very good coming out of winter so thinking of starting some lessons again mainly walk/trot and lateral work as he is slightly arthritic in his hocks
 

Pie's mum

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Last season aged 22 my oldie won the BS club leagues for our region at 70 and 80cm. This year he’s still jumping and doing everything he was doing 10 years ago but I’ve made the decision not to compete him as much and to stick to lower heights, hopefully so he continues to have fun for years to come. He loves his work and gets really down if he doesn’t jump for a few weeks - but I am mindful that he is an old man now and I don’t want to hurt him!
 

Britestar

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27yr old - not a lot now, the odd hack in the summer, but not in winter as no rugs so a hairy monster.
23yr old - retired at 15yrs so just hangs around the field and keep the others in order.
22yr old - full work, have retired him from long journeys to comps (ie 500 mile each way journeys). he's currently having great fun doing Trec, and is pretty good at it. Still does DTM, jumping and what ever we fancy doing.
 

Follysmum

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My oldest is 22 and is still hacking 2/3 times a week for 1-3hrs. Low level long distance rides of 20 miles and below. It was my intention to slow him down but he definitely doesn’t want to he strives on his rides.
 

Shay

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My oldie is 27 - ish. Born before passports and lots of them did loose a few years when they got passported. He's been with us 15 years now and has a home for life. Until this winter he hunted every week in season and was leased out in summer to get kids to PC Nat Champs (which he did very successfully), do PC Camps etc. He is getting on so this winter he has hunted less and I'm not really keen on doing the whole competition summer again (my daughter stopped that type of PC Competition when she went to Uni a few years ago - so it is just for other's kids). So probably just fun rides, folk I like for him and a quieter life. I always did say I would break him to drive one day....
 

Ruftysdad

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My oldie is 27 - ish. Born before passports and lots of them did loose a few years when they got passported. He's been with us 15 years now and has a home for life. Until this winter he hunted every week in season and was leased out in summer to get kids to PC Nat Champs (which he did very successfully), do PC Camps etc. He is getting on so this winter he has hunted less and I'm not really keen on doing the whole competition summer again (my daughter stopped that type of PC Competition when she went to Uni a few years ago - so it is just for other's kids). So probably just fun rides, folk I like for him and a quieter life. I always did say I would break him to drive one day....
 

sport horse

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25yo Gelding - looks after male youngsters
23 year old mare - looks after young fillies
23 year old mare - has gone feral and is a total pain! Is meant to help look after youngsters but actually leads them astray. Having been an international SJ and had foals herelf she should know better!!
 

Mule

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The 25 year old is arthritic, so she's not ridden. She hangs out with the others, grazes and demands to have her tail groomed😄 She's also very fond of carrots.
 

JJS

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My (at least) 26 year old is still ridden. He'll hack anywhere and for any distance without breaking a sweat and loves being out and about. He also does the occasional bit of schooling, but he's never really enjoyed jumping, so that's the one thing we do keep to a minimum. If he has one of his rare days where he decides he likes it after all, then he'll pop a few poles, but only very little ones. No one has told him he's old, so he just carries on as he always has.
 

Snowfilly

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My mum has two oldies, one 22 year highland who is a nuisance and still acts like an idiot 5 year old. They hack, show, jump and generally do everything they always have. My mum loves his bounciness.

The 23 year old ex broodmare prances delicately around the field, complains about mud and acts superior to everything else. She claims that having had her own foals, she is now exempt from babysitting and nannying duties. It's a good job she's beautiful... She enjoys tail scratches and head rubs.
 

JoannaC

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24 year old was semi retired but actually is looking really good and is sound so thinking of taking him dressage and maybe some veteran showing this year as well as happy hacking.
 

ZondaR

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My 23 year old is currently on his goodbye tour of the hunter trial courses he has been competing in since 2002 when I got him. The course we did today has always been our favourite and the commentator gave him a great send off. There are 3 more hunter trials left on the tour and then he will be retiring. He's full of life and energy but he has slowed down quite a lot and I'm not going to wait for him to have an accident or a serious injury before retiring. I believe he's telling me now is the time. I love him so much and am feeling very nostalgic this evening. :(
 

GG13

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Not much. Most of their days are filled with grazing and mooching about their fields. Sunbathing is also a firm favourite :)

I like my guys to enjoy a long retirement after busy lives competing so tend to start reducing their work in their late teens and fully retire them by 23/24; if they haven’t had to retire before due to injury/they've been ready to stop earlier.

I currently have 3 between the ages of 24-32 who are fully retired, and another aged 23 who is currently in light work 2-3 times a week but will retire this autumn, if not before if he starts to shown signs he’s struggling
 

daydreamer

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My 23 yr old ex eventer works about 5 days a week. Hacking a couple of times a week depending on the ground and weather, 30min-1hr including hill work. In the summer he often canters up "gallopy hill" leaving youngsters in his wake. The other sessions in the week are usually schooling with a bit of lunging and pole work. I've been having fortnightly lessons since last summer and we're currently working on improving our counter canter, medium trot and lateral work. He is a real quality horse and I love him to bits. I do spend a lot of time doing bodywork, stretches and massage with him!!
 

poiuytrewq

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Well I’m a bit jealous! Mines 20 and retired about 4 years ago!
He looks old too. This is the first winter he’s dropped off.
 

ester

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Currently at 26 he is shedding lots of hair on my mum (in retirement with her and that is the current complaint there is always one!)
he hunted to 23/24 and retired last summer when he was struggling with the hard ground and said mum never really did like riding him anyway :eek:.
 

Caol Ila

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My rising 26 year old still does dressage about twice per week (which has more to do with my lack of psyche in a tiny arena than her abilities) and hacks 3-4 times per week for anywhere from half an hour to an hour. She could hack longer, but going further involves taking your life into your hands on narrow roads with a 60 mph speed limit, and it isn't fun. Unfortunately I can't move her, because in her old age she is a Lady Who Must Live In The Lifestyle To Which She Is Accustomed, and yards I've found within driving distance with better hacking would not suit Her Ladyship, while ones which might are an insane distance away, and I drive far enough as it is.
 

Toby_Zaphod

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Our 21 yr old is ridden most days. He hacks out several times a week he has the occasional lesson. He competes at Novice Dressage occasionally & he's jumped at home once a week normally around 1- 1.05 mtr, we don't affiliate him now but he still loves to jump. His ears prick as soon as he sees we've put his toys out in the school.
He has never been raced or rallied so he's still in great health & loves his work.
 

southerncomfort

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My 27 year old was retired at the end summer last year.

The 19 year old is really only ridden when daughter comes home from university. She is perfectly sound and rideable but not for the faint hearted!
 

BOWS28

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My soon to be 21 year old mare is still hacking, schooling and competing at novice dressage BD. She doesn't jump anymore but we still do pole work and she is loving life!!
 

AandK

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29yo has been fully retired for about 9/10yrs. 22yo I have just had to retire due to ligament injury. For the last couple of years he had been doing RC stuff and a few UA ODEs.
 

pansymouse

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My 26 year old is hacking regularly, behaving like a 5 year old and constantly on the look out for the opportunity to gallop flat out. She has no mobility or age related issues apart from some grey hairs on her face. She will still jump far higher and better than I ever could.
 

tiggipop

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my 27 yo (him in avatar) has just started to show signs of arthritis this winter and we have now slowed down. still ridden 5 times a week but no pressure pootling around!

at the age of 22 he took me to my first ever dressage test and in that year he took me from unaff prelim to affiliated elementary - we did regionals at novice level and areas at elementary..
 
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