When do you considered a horse old ?

[LadyGascoyne]

I think age is a very different concept in prey animals than it is in predators. Very few prey animals will die of ‘old age’.

I don’t think equine aging is necessarily quite the same concept as it is with humans, and that’s what we naturally compare it to.

An old horse in the wild would be a lot younger than an old domesticated horse. If we are linking age to life span then we need to factor in how we have artificially extended the lifespan of the pet horse.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

Mid twenties I always think. My welshy will be 18 this year and is growing old disgracefully, I don't think of him as old, just more mature

 

[WaterySun852]

My 21yr Irish draught has just finished his 14th hunt season … every horse is different ,he feels and looks amazing and is on no meds.

Meanwhile on the otherside of the coin, my rising 16yo ID has just been medically retired with arthritis of the neck & coffin joints, not eligible for steroid treatments so is on a sachet of bute at each end of the day ?

 

[scats]

I had a freak of nature, 14.1hh jumping pony who was still out winning everything in her mid-twenties. When she was 26, she did a 13-mile sponsored ride and finished it cantering sideways, with not an ounce of sweat on her. Friends horses were all exhausted trying to keep up with her. She was lean and extremely fit, probably the secret to her success. We never had to medicate her joints or have her on any supplements.
She won her final showjumping competition at 27.
Im fully aware though that she was a definite one off!
She was 24 here.

 

[Berpisc]

I have a retired pony who until last year when she was 30 looked like a 20 year old, other than gradually going greyer round her face. She still moves well but last year didn't carry her condition all that well. At 31 I am wondering if this will be her last summer.

 

[dorsetladette]

It really does depend on the horse. I think in general ponies age better than horses. My 24yr old stallion was mistaken for a 9/10yr old the day the vet came to PTS he was fit as a fiddle and ready for olympia that year. If it hadn't been for a badly placed kick I think he'd probably still be going strong now at 31. But my now 19yr old welsh D has had a pretty hard life, hunting for 4 full seasons and a season eventing by 9. He's showing signs of wear and tear and I'm probably going to have to come to terms with the idea of retiring him sooner than planned. His personality is also more of an old gentleman rather than the in your face character of my old stallion.

 

[Annagain]

As everyone else says, it depends on the horse.

I've had three 'old' horses. Ebony was 25 when it was like someone flicked a switch and he went from being the nutter I'd known since we were both 13 to an old man ridden wise. He'd done the Badminton ride a couple of months before and flown round. I took him to a little local cross country competition and was doing the 60cm short course (as opposed to the 90s we used to do) and half way round he suddenly felt like he didn't want to do it any more. We stopped and there and then I decided to retire him. I tried, but he got really depressed so he went out round the block once or twice a week and this was enough to keep him happy until I lost him unexpectedly to colic three days before my 27th birthday and 6 weeks before his. Even though he was more or less retired he didn't seem old in himself and losing him was a huge shock.

Archie is somewhere between 26 and 28 and has been retired 2 years. He was on borrowed time, ridden wise, for many years before that and had just hacked and done the odd fun ride for the last 5 years and only some light flatwork as well for another 5 before that. Since retiring, he has flourished. It's taken 10 years off him. He looks like you could throw a saddle on him and ride him tomorrow. The farrier says he seems much happier to hold his legs up and he only looks a little bit stiff on very cold mornings as opposed to every morning when he was in work.

Monty on the other hand retired last year at 25 because of a suspensory injury. He could come back to work this year but we decided not to as we didn't think it was fair to bring a 26yr old horse back into work and he owes us absolutely nothing. Retirement has made him old. He's lost all his muscle and he's got that pot bellied old horse look. He seems to have lost his spark a bit. We're going to start taking him for little in hand walks to see if that perks him up. I don't think we'll ever get enough muscle back on him to ride him again even if that would make him happier. We're hoping he'll brighten up again in the summer.

 

[Fransurrey]

I was reading a article they said most experts agree horses are considered geriatric at 18 to 20 years old . When do you consider a horse old ?

When they show age-related conditions. That might be clinical arthritis, muscle wastage, holdiing onto winter coat, deterioration in eyesight. Some are old at 16 (like my mare). Others like my gelding don't really show their age until mid 20s or later. I've know 'old' 9 year olds and currently ride out with a 30 year old gelding who leaves others standing.

 

[limestonelil]

I think it's the Whittakers who will win biggish sj classes at certain shows with older horses brought out especially for that class. It's always very impressive, but I've started wondering what the horse feels like two days later, based on my own age related physical changes.
Scats, love your post above.

 

[SO1]

I think there is a lot of luck involved my pony now 20 started getting injuries at 17 now on his 2nd round of rehab for soft tissue injury. I am hoping he will stay round but after going a bit mad on small paddock turnout yesterday he has done 9 months of controlled walking and box rest.

If he is lame again I will probably give up and look at ways of enabling him to comfortably retire. I have had him for 15 years and been lucky to enjoy many good times. I can't afford another horse but quite happy to enjoy grooming and in hand walking.

 

[Mosh]

My mare is 28, she still jumps, hacks, schools, XC and goes online showing and the odd show and left a 16hh cob for dust the other day.

She is on Meds for cushings so we will never affiliate but she's happy, looks good and throughly enjoys being a total pest. She has the odd bute if and when it's needed but I guess by some of the comments then she should be retired...

 

[Mule]

For me, 17 is getting on and 18 plus is old.

 

[Cortez]

My horses have nearly all worked into their late teens - average age at retirement is 18, one was happily out doing displays at 22. I have always striven to look after them as well as possible, both because it's the right thing to do and because if they weren't fit and well they couldn't be out earning their livings. I have NEVER ridden a horse on bute, my feeling being if you have to drug a horse in order to ride it, then you shouldn't be riding it. I will give a retired horse anti inflammatory meds, or other medications (such as for Cushing's) as needed. When their quality of life is compromised and cannot be reasonably controlled by medication then they are put down BEFORE they are feeling bad.

 

[Zuzan]

I'm not sure all equines age at the same rate.. Humans can have body ages that are either plus or minus their actual age and I suspect the same is true of equines (or other animals)... for all the same health reasons, e.g. being over weight.

 

[TooScaredToJump]

Depends on the horse IMO, my rising 16 yo aged really quickly in the last year or two and I lost him when he should have been in his prime

 

[SO1]

I do sort of agree with that however I think some horses who have weight issues which are difficult to control without exercise benefit from being ridden on medication under careful supervision of a vet.

I know a couple of horses in this situation where the owner has been happy to retire but been advised by a vet to try and keep up with gentle exercise whilst on danilon.

My horses have nearly all worked into their late teens - average age at retirement is 18, one was happily out doing displays at 22. I have always striven to look after them as well as possible, both because it's the right thing to do and because if they weren't fit and well they couldn't be out earning their livings. I have NEVER ridden a horse on bute, my feeling being if you have to drug a horse in order to ride it, then you shouldn't be riding it. I will give a retired horse anti inflammatory meds, or other medications (such as for Cushing's) as needed. When their quality of life is compromised and cannot be reasonably controlled by medication then they are put down BEFORE they are feeling bad.

 

[bouncing_ball]

My horses have nearly all worked into their late teens - average age at retirement is 18, one was happily out doing displays at 22. I have always striven to look after them as well as possible, both because it's the right thing to do and because if they weren't fit and well they couldn't be out earning their livings. I have NEVER ridden a horse on bute, my feeling being if you have to drug a horse in order to ride it, then you shouldn't be riding it. I will give a retired horse anti inflammatory meds, or other medications (such as for Cushing's) as needed. When their quality of life is compromised and cannot be reasonably controlled by medication then they are put down BEFORE they are feeling bad.

What would you do if you had a generally healthy horse with a metabolic condition meaning tended to gain weight even on limited diet, that also had mild arthritis (that improved with daily exercise. And vet suggested hacking on bute to keep mobile and keep weight down?

 

[Cortez]

What would you do if you had a generally healthy horse with a metabolic condition meaning tended to gain weight even on limited diet, that also had mild arthritis (that improved with daily exercise. And vet suggested hacking on bute to keep mobile and keep weight down?

I would feed the horse so that it didn’t get fat and keep it out in a non-grass paddock. Our vets don’t tell us to ride lame horses, if they did I would not use that vet.

 

[ycbm]

Defining a horse as old has nothing to do with health or fitness per se, it's about life expectancy. I'm going to a friend's 80th birthday party soon. He's fit, well, intellectually runs rings round everyone, writes scientific books that he self publishes, teaches the holiday basics of 5 languages. But nobody could possibly say he isn't old, he's 80!

In the same way, I consider any horse (not pony) which has reached its twenties is old no matter what it's doing. This has gone up by 5 years in the last 40 years though. When I first insured 15 year olds were uninsurable due to their age.
.

 

[Xmas lucky]

My horse only 13 years old but she looks and acts like a 20 year old. My friend horse is 23 and you would think he only 10 . So it depends on a horse I think the average age is 20 years old.

 

[Armchair Eventer]

I have been sharing a Haflinger mare, just turned 17 but she behaves like an unschooled 5 year old - mainly hacked flat out and jumped by her owner though i have been doing a lot of flat work. But definitely no age issues or unsoundness. The owner is moving yards so it's au revoir (until she doesn't want to muck out on cold winter mornings and needs the sharer back and the pocket money for her uni fund). I have found an alternative at the same yard, 21 old Welsh D. He's been out of work for a while due to the owner's circumstances but throws a magnificent buck and is sound as a bell. I shall bring him back into work slowly.

 

[ihatework]

Excluding ponies (who generally go on for longer) I consider 15-17 as getting on a bit, 18-20 as older and 20+ as old horses.
Now some are fit old horses, still capable of age appropriate work, and some aren’t - that’s very individual.

 

[teddypops]

I had a freak of nature, 14.1hh jumping pony who was still out winning everything in her mid-twenties. When she was 26, she did a 13-mile sponsored ride and finished it cantering sideways, with not an ounce of sweat on her. Friends horses were all exhausted trying to keep up with her. She was lean and extremely fit, probably the secret to her success. We never had to medicate her joints or have her on any supplements.
She won her final showjumping competition at 27.
Im fully aware though that she was a definite one off!
She was 24 here.
View attachment 88680

My 31yo is like this. Super feisty, very fast and keen. She is not in any way stiff and has never had supplements or any medication. I have never tired her out and most horses have to jog to keep up with her power walk which is more like a run!

 

[SEL]

What would you do if you had a generally healthy horse with a metabolic condition meaning tended to gain weight even on limited diet, that also had mild arthritis (that improved with daily exercise. And vet suggested hacking on bute to keep mobile and keep weight down?

Sounds like two of mine. The mare with PSSM puts weight on just thinking about food.

I run them on a track as soon as the fields have dried up enough to take it. They get to browse but they also have to move. I have tested low NSC hay that can go out if there isn't enough roughage for their bellies.

That one has a gut which can't cope with bute. On paper her arthritis isn't that bad and she should be able to cope with light hacking, but she feels awful under saddle and is obviously unhappy. I got no pleasure out of trying to ride her for the sake of her waistline so we manage it the best we can.