What would you consider a Veteran?

I don't know, it depends what a 'veteran' is.

My girl is 18 years old and she is no 'veteran' - little pickle tanked off with me in the orchards today - hit 25 mph (I carry a satmap), and refused to slow down until we were half way round :o) I must work on my brakes!

We were on our way home and I think she was a bit peed off that we had only W&T up to that point as my friend's horse was not able to canter. We dropped my friend off and I thought we would have a nice little canter on the way home - obviously she had other ideas.

In the summer we did several charity rides and a 20 mile endurance - don't know when she is likely to slow down, but she is showing no signs yet :)
 
My friends beastie is 20. He is probably a veteran in the fact that he needs 1 dannilon a day and has a bit of arthritis, but is certainly not acting it. Today on his ride with me, he was not the oldest (one was 25), but he acted the youngest, jogging the whole way round and galloping off when I asked for trot. :D, so veteran in theory, i just don't think anyones told him yet. :D :D
 
HollyB66 said:
I don't know, it depends what a 'veteran' is.

My girl is 18 years old and she is no 'veteran' - little pickle tanked off with me in the orchards today - hit 25 mph (I carry a satmap), and refused to slow down until we were half way round :o) I must work on my brakes!

We were on our way home and I think she was a bit peed off that we had only W&T up to that point as my friend's horse was not able to canter. We dropped my friend off and I thought we would have a nice little canter on the way home - obviously she had other ideas.

In the summer we did several charity rides and a 20 mile endurance - don't know when she is likely to slow down, but she is showing no signs yet :)
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It sounds like your girl and 'my' boy are very similar! lol :p
 
I think it sad when anything under 20 is considered a veteran as my NF is 16 and nothing like a veteran, she show jumps does mounted games, dressage and loads more.


My 37 year old is only just starting to show her age and my 30 year old does as much now as she did 10 years ago with no ill effects.

My two older mares have no stiffness, no age related problems and unless you look at the chestnuts face you wouldn't know she was old (she is getting grey hairs now on her nose).
 
howengold said:
I think it sad when anything under 20 is considered a veteran
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I totally agree HG. With improvements in care and feed etc, we are seeing our horses reach increasingly more "mature" ages.
I think an OAP will let you know when THEY think they are an OAP, though its worth remembering that a horse reaching the latter end of its teen years may have a more specific dietry requirements
 
Grandads mare is 32yo, I've come to the conclusion that she's now officially a veteran, as now she is officially in retirement and just eats and sleeps :p.
love her to pieces - ex-grade A, show jumped at olympia, whipper-in for the hunt, brood mare, hunted first or last, happy hacker, taught me to ride, we've only just stopped riding her (although grandad was planning on taking her hunting last week!) :D
 
howengold said:
I think it sad when anything under 20 is considered a veteran as my NF is 16 and nothing like a veteran, she show jumps does mounted games, dressage and loads more.


My 37 year old is only just starting to show her age and my 30 year old does as much now as she did 10 years ago with no ill effects.

My two older mares have no stiffness, no age related problems and unless you look at the chestnuts face you wouldn't know she was old (she is getting grey hairs now on her nose).
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I agree now after what everyone has said i agree with you mostly because some horses don't show there age.:o
 
Well technically its 16 but to be honest, I don't regard anything younger than 20 as 'old' and even then it really depends on the individual. Very often horses can look 'old' if feeding isn't quite right or their management isn't quite right...
 
My mare is 16, she has had a couple years off due to a hind leg tendon injury....she has been back in work for 2 months and certainly doesnt show her age! She looks like a 10 year old, she acts like a 2 year old in the field!
I love slightly older horses, especially ones that have been there and done that......but still have a sparkle to them and pretend at 16 they still think a metal dustbin is going to kill them.....just to keep us on our toes!!

I personally consider veterans to be over 20 really. Even then....age is just a number!
 
The veteran horse society uses the age of 15 as the marker for when a horse becomes a veteran. Of course that doesn't mean all horses that are considered veterans are past it. These days you see more and more still working into their 20s and beyond, and looking well on it too :) My oldest is coming up to 27, she is still happily schooling, hacking and showing. The only things I really restrict her on is the amount of lungeing she does (ie very little!) and jumping. In her mind she still thinks she can jump anything you point her at but I restrict both the amount of jumping and the height she does now.
 
I think the VHS and showing classes use 15 as the age when they become a veteren, as do many insurance companies. But realistically a horse can be at the very top of his game at that age and keep going for many more years.

But then it is the same with people, not everyone in their sixties is ready to be pensioned off, many are still fit and active and feeling young, some are even running marathons and climbing mountains.
 
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