what's the oldest that you'd buy?

Depends on type really. With one exception, I've never bought a ready made horse, always had either youngsters or ones with issues, so even for a project I'd go under 12 tops, easier to re train. For a top competition schoolmaster type, maybe 18 if it was fit & healthy with a known history. A good pc pony for daughter, of native type, probably anything under 25, again if fit & healthy. Plodding about isn't my thing, if it was then I'd consider a healthy 20yr old if I didn't have the funds for a younger one.
 
I like to bring on my horses myself. The oldest I've bought was an 8yo that was backed at 3 then chucked in a field! I think older horses are fantastic especially for showing people the ropes in competing or just getting out and about, just depends on what you want to do, for me the challenge is to bring on younger or green horses.
 
yes sorry I think for a child's pony, certainly older, I agree veterans are fab but I think it's just the fear of losing them through old age that puts me off, even though obviusly that could happen at any age
 
Personally I prefer untouched/ unbacked youngsters as they are a blank canvas that hasn't been ruined by previous owners (probably). So never tend to buy over 5-6 years.
 
It's not so much fear of losing them, its more the extra expense of keeping an older horse, not just daily costs but no insurance for vets etc after a few years. Plus I have one healthy, ridden 23yr old, & daughters 11.1. In 5yrs I'm sure ridden wise, neither will have a purpose, they'll be just pets, & I wouldn't want a third knowing full well that soon I'd have 3 that weren't in full ridden work.
 
My horse was 13 when I took him on loan and 14 when I bought him. He is my horse of a lifetime, literally perfect for me (not for everyone, but for me) and I regret the fact that I didn't have him at a younger age. 1) because I think we could have achieved much more together than we have apart (no big deal but would have been nice to see how far we could have gone) and 2) because I won't get to enjoy him as long as I would have had I bought him at 8. Silly reasons because obviously an 8 year old might go lame the day after you buy it and at 8 my horse wouldn't have been perfect because he wouldn't have gained all those years experience. But for these reasons I think I would be reluctant to buy anything any older than 14.
 
I bought a mare well into her 20s. A few years ago when I was still on a livery yard she came to the yard after being sold as a 17yo quiet hack to a novice lady who never even tried her before she bought her :o She was not a quiet hack, she was a buzzy little thing who had been a cracker of a pony in her day, there was no malice in her, she just wasn't really suitable for a novice rider :( Anyway, lady wanted to sell her on, there were no takers so she was going to put her through the sales, lady asked would I ride her at the sales. I said yes but could I have a proper look at her and ride her first. On examining her I guessed she was actually in her mid 20s. I guessed right, 2 vets looked at her, one aged her as 25, the other aged her as at least 25, perhaps nearer 30 :o :( Cue me thinking you can't put a mare of that age through the sales :( I bought her so she could have a permanent home to end her days :o :) I kept her in semi retirement/light work and we did a bit of vhs showing. I had her for about 2 years before she had to be pts.
 
Having always had youngsters I do find it refreshing when I ride a schoolmaster and there's never a question of will it do xyz? Of course it will it's been there and done it already! Got given a lovely 25yr old mare last year who was just fantastic to go for a jolly round the villages on, unfortunately only had her 8 months and discovered she had cancer :(. But if I was looking to buy a confidence giving schoolmaster I wouldn't turn down an oldy, probably wouldn't pay money past 20 though unless I knew the horse beforehand and it was special
 
I got my mare at 9 years old. I'd probably go up to 12. I have attachment issues with my animals & would want the best chance of a long life together ! I'm a forever home horse owner. I have no riding ambitions other than the sheer delight of being with my girls ! ! I remember reading somewhere that it was verging on unfair to sell a horse on after 15 years old, as they don't cope so well with major ownership changes as they get older - unless they go to lovely folks like us lot on this forum LOL !:D
 
I had the best time of my life on a horse who turned 21 shortly after we got him. He was amazing, perfect for me (I didn't want to jump more than 3', and neither did he. I just wanted to blast round 2'6 and win, which is what he was very very good at...

In terms of horses for nervous people, or for children, I don't think you can beat a golden oldie :D
 
Anything I couldn't insure would worry me, that's the major issue, would happily buy up to 15 but then again when I have a bit more spare money I would buy up to 20ish depending on type, whether in active work still, to be honest if I had it a year and it became a pet for several more years I would be cool with that. I just wouldn't really want to end up spending so much on the pet horse that I had to sell the rideable one...

Most would want an oldie for the confidence giver aspect, and being able to take a novice friend out for a hack with no trouble etc, but must remember not all oldies are like that and I do feel for those who aren't when they are being sold.
 
If you just want to hack and show veteran classes go for an oldie. Got ours at 16.. and he is 26 now. He hacks 4 days a week and loves it...and has never had a days illness yet.
 
I wouldn't buy anything older than 12 I would prefer to buy a youngster to bring on myself :)

I have a 22yr old so buying another oldie just wouldn't be practical for me, he's still able to be ridden and still has lots of spark, but is having a winter off and we shall see what happens in the spring weatherwise :)

I think if your just looking for something to plod about with and don't have any asperations or plans a fit healthy veteran would be fine :) I know my boy could still cart me round the country no bother if I fittened him ;) :D
 
Meant to say my 22yr old is insured for injuries and thirdparty. I wouldn't put him through colic surgery and he's never been ill apart from some vasculitis and small cuts etc I can deal with. If he got anything bad enough that we would have to be on box rest for months or colicked that badly to need long term treatment I wouldn't put him through it.

There are insurance companies wou will insure your horse in its older age I pay about 20 a month for my boys :) .
 
My first two as a teenager were in their twenties. One lived to be 39 and was only retired at 31 because at 13hh I was feeling too heavy for her. She learned half pass at 30. Never regretted buying an oldie, it made me a much more aware and considerate rider than I might have been. After her I bought an unbacked 3yr old and life has been much less simple!
 
I bought my mare when she was 13/14, I intended to get something younger but knew she was the one when I went to see her, she taught me so much and took me through the dressage levels (and took me to portugal to train). Sadly I lost her a year later due to various amounts of problems, she'd had a tough life and had been evented into the ground :( ...I went through hell and back trying to fix other peoples issues and problems but I don't regret buying her, if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have gained so much experience and knowledge, it's scarred me though so for that reason I wouldn't get an older horse again, that and my purpose to get one (to take me through the dressage levels) has already been fulfilled.
 
with a pony i would buy something of around 20yrs old without a 2nd thought, ponies seem to go on forever and 20 is only just middle aged. with a horse i would go up to about 18 depending on the horse and what kind of life it had had, my first TB was 18 when i bought her and was a star, even novice hubby could plod out hacking on her.:)
 
Not right now I wouldn't. I have a 24 year old in incredibly rude health, costing me as much as my younger 5 year old so no chance!
 
As far as only getting an oldie if you have no future plans goes, what about all the competition schoolmasters? The horse I would credit my current riding to was a psg schoolmaster in his late teens. My ambition never has been psg, nor is it likely to ever be. But, the way that horse refined my position, my aids, my understanding of true self carriage, everything really, gave me the skills & experience to do loads of things I couldn't have done otherwise. No, I never bought him, but I'd recommend one like him to anyone. Likewise having my 23yr old schoolmistress for refining my daughters riding helps her. In 7yrs she'll be too old to be out winning top level ja, or pc champs. But, she will have taught my daughter enough by then that if she does have ambitions, she can do it on something else.
 
i have a 19 yr old warmblood that's fitness knocks spots off most of the other young horses on our yard!

He can still jump, moves freely, hacks for 2 hours etc.

I would only buy one in the veteran age group if it was off somebody who i knew well though.

I would never part with mine but if i was to sell i would hand on heart be able to sell him as sound and *touches wood* without problems
 
If the horse suited what I wanted to do then I would buy an oldie for sure. In fact if I am ever in the position of buying another horse which i hope I won't be having an 8 year old and a 17 year old currently I would buy an oldy so we could grow old gracefully together.
 
Having owned ponies and horses for nearly 40 years I've always bought youngsters or bred my own to bring on. This year has been a completely different story. I bought a 10yr old mare for my daughter in May (that was previously considered old in my eyes!). Having ridden her I realised that I was missing out big time. I've spent years bringing on and schooling young horses and not getting the benefits. I've had 3 spinal ops in the past 10 years so realised after riding daughters mare that an older horse could suit me better than my homebred very opinionated youngster. It was a heartbreaking decision to sell my youngster but boy did I make the right decision. I bought a 13yr old mw mare who has been used in a college. She's 100% in all traffic, forward going with brakes, polite to handle and a real sweetie, just PERFECT for me. Yes she's had a hard life and will feel as though she's semi retired with me being ridden 5 days a week. Am I bothered that she's over 12yrs? Hell no it's the best decision I've ever made and even if she only has a few years work in her it's all about living for today not as I've done for the past 30 odd years living for the potential.
 
I bought Maddie when she was 16, she's now 19 - I couldn't possibly have afforded her when she was younger and competing. She is very fit and forward going with beatuiful manners and an excellent schooling background. I like a school master because someone else has done all the hard work and I can enjoy the fruits of their labours in return for a loving and active retirement from a full competition schedule :D
 
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