Where are all the 'older' horses then?

Dovorian

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 December 2003
Messages
1,368
Location
under my umbrella
Visit site
Have spent the day searching for a horse who would like a happy and quiet retirement - light hack really.

Have seen 4, one v lame in both front feet but allegedly in full work... 2 advertised as late teens must have been late 20's and the last was a jibbering wreck just out of training.

Where are they advertised, or is it word of mouth?
 

Batgirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 February 2011
Messages
3,190
Location
Yaaaarkshire
Visit site
I would say word of mouth for an oldie. Mine is about to be retired as a light hack but he is a bit high maintenance (3 lameness episodes a year give or take) only 1 requiring vet. He is a barefoot 20 year old :) Have just given up my full loan on him, very sad as he is a dude!

Owner likes word of mouth so she knows more about the owner and their experience etc
 

Identityincrisis

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 November 2011
Messages
1,473
Visit site
I think word of mouth is your best route. When I was selling my older boy, I was really fussy about where he was going to go and in the end decided to keep him as I just couldn't bare him to go to the wrong home. I'm sure this is how a lot of people will feel so word of mouth is the best option.
 

AdorableAlice

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 October 2011
Messages
13,000
Visit site
Thank you Paris1, good suggestion but I do still want to be able to ride, local charities are overflowing with companions or 'projects'.

If I were in your position I would place a wanted advert and then weed the crap out.

There is a vast difference in selling older safe schoolmaster ponies on and big aged horses usually with loads of baggage. The ponies will almost always go by word of mouth.

Old horses on the other hand are often dumped by people who should face facts about the future of a expensive to keep, usually age related unsound horse.

Before everyone goes off at me, I fully understand there are exceptions to the rule. I have one stood in my yard right this minute, he would make someone a super low level dressage horse and hack - but he has had a major injury and he is a high maintanence, well bred, sensitive soul and it is my responsibility to ensure his future or end.

I really hope you can find what you are after and there will be plenty of people on here that will know of the odd genuine gem. However, in your search you will meet plenty of people who cannot face dealing with an older horse and adopt the out of sight out of mind view with horses that should never be sold on as riding horses.

There is a lucky horse with your name on him somewhere.

I have my tin hat on, so fire away !
 

cyberhorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 February 2008
Messages
1,276
Location
Westmorland
Visit site
You do see some advertised on preloved, as has been said owners tend to use free ads or boards at countrystores/tack shops.

eta: I have a 14yr old competition horse and when he gets to the point of needing light work then I would not be selling him, but loaning/sharing him out to someone like yourself. Often owners who have had a top quality horse years and think a lot of them won't sell to what they may see as an uncertain future, so you could go the route of loan with view to buy when you have shown you are genuine about the horse. I know as an owner of a soon to be older horse that's how I'd look at things.
 
Last edited:

superted1989

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 July 2008
Messages
754
Location
Isle of Wight
Visit site
Prior to getting Markie, I was specifically looking for a 'twilight' years horse but without major health issues. I wasn't bothered about riding as my previous, and much missed, boy had been retired for 18 months and I've found I'm not bothered about riding. However, I did find a lot of people trying to rehome horses that should a) have moved to the everlasting meadow a long time ago, b) were obviously in need of some serious vetinary/farrier treatment, or, c) were being passed on so that the owner didn't have to pay for PTS and disposal. The big charities weren't really an option for me as the cost of visiting them the required amount of times, them doing a home check and the actual cost of bringing a horse over worked out really expensive.
I had a limited budget to be able to buy, ended up spending double to get Markie! He was 19 (20 now) and I paid the asking price of £1000, although it did include an extensive wardrobe. His previous owner could have sold him 10 times over easily and I could easily sell him tomorrow to a few people and get a lot more than I paid for him!
Gratuitus picture!
Markiechar.jpg

What I learned from my 'oldie' hunt is that a good horse will command a good price, no matter what age it is! I could have bought a 'bad' 5 year old for my £500 but couldn't get a 'good' 20 year old for that money.
 

Always Henesy

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 December 2011
Messages
941
Location
East Sussex
Visit site
Erm my 16 yo totally sound and very talented 17.1hh TB is going out on loan on Saturday.
I have just been loaned a ShirexWB 19hh :eek: 19yo ex 2* eventer to happy hack on/low level hunting/sponsored rides.
Both my boys are just scrumptious..and such lovely kind souls.

They are about - but agree that usually it is through word of mouth.

ST - Big up the Markie fan club (I luffs him) :D
 

Auslander

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 November 2010
Messages
12,622
Location
Berkshire
Visit site
I'm looking for an older horse that has competed at a decent level, but is looking for an easier life. One that I can school/hack, and my son can ride in the school. I advertised on Horsequest, and have had some really great responses (bit gutted that one of the options was a retired advanced dressage horse with all the party tricks installed - but he was in North Wales, so too far away!). I'm seeing a horse this Friday, who ticks all the boxes, and have a couple of others in the pipeline. HQ def worked for me.

Always Henesy - really glad your boy is sorted. If it wasn't for my son deciding he wanted to ride, he would have been perfect. I hope he's really happy in his new home!
 
Last edited:

eahotson

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 June 2003
Messages
4,131
Location
merseyside
Visit site
Prior to getting Markie, I was specifically looking for a 'twilight' years horse but without major health issues. I wasn't bothered about riding as my previous, and much missed, boy had been retired for 18 months and I've found I'm not bothered about riding. However, I did find a lot of people trying to rehome horses that should a) have moved to the everlasting meadow a long time ago, b) were obviously in need of some serious vetinary/farrier treatment, or, c) were being passed on so that the owner didn't have to pay for PTS and disposal. The big charities weren't really an option for me as the cost of visiting them the required amount of times, them doing a home check and the actual cost of bringing a horse over worked out really expensive.
I had a limited budget to be able to buy, ended up spending double to get Markie! He was 19 (20 now) and I paid the asking price of £1000, although it did include an extensive wardrobe. His previous owner could have sold him 10 times over easily and I could easily sell him tomorrow to a few people and get a lot more than I paid for him!
Gratuitus picture!
Markiechar.jpg

What I learned from my 'oldie' hunt is that a good horse will command a good price, no matter what age it is! I could have bought a 'bad' 5 year old for my £500 but couldn't get a 'good' 20 year old for that money.

He is GORGEOUS.
 

lizziebinks

Active Member
Joined
6 May 2005
Messages
43
Visit site
Word of mouth I think.
I have one that I really should think about putting out on loan but it is precisely because he is so good, so sound and (for me) so damn perfect that I can't bear to loan him out just yet. What I really need is for someone local to me, that I know, come and persuade me to part with him and perhaps then I might....
These good horses do exist.
The reason I hang on to him is that all season he hunted once a week, all day every Saturday, lives 24/7 in a field and a saint 'to do' and is anyone's hack. I took him unaff SJ for the first time in 5 years and he won the class. He's an ex event horse and wonderfully schooled.
So he's just turned 18 but none of the above has changed which is why I am loathe to let him go yet I have to face facts that he is now 18 and I can't keep hunting an old boy like this. He is sound as a pound and with just one injury in the 10 years I have had him.

BUT I would only let him go to someone I knew - probably off the hunting field or via word of mouth so I could ensure he gets the retirement he deserves. Any good horse worth his salt is going to demand similar treatment from their owner. I would be wary of any old horse being given away/sold via advert. Good horses sell themselves without the need for advertising.
 

Tammytoo

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 June 2011
Messages
1,633
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
On paper my 17 y.o. tb mare would have people running a mile. Failed racehorse, failed polo pony, failed eventer, took at least an hour or two to load, and eventually ended up a bag of bones with the Blue Cross.

A year on I have the sweetest, kindest, slightly nervous but bombproof in traffic horse who follows me onto the trailer with no headcollar. She was so easy to turn round, but people just didn't give her the chance.

She cost me £400 donation and delivery from the Blue Cross.
 

flirtygerty

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2010
Messages
3,278
Location
Rothbury Northumberland
Visit site
We have been lucky enough to find 2, the first, a big ginger ex racer, 18yr old called Ozzy was advertised in our local feed store, a happy hacker, one in a million, we didn't have him nearly long enough, lost him to colic late Feb,and still miss him loads, his replacement is an 18yr old WB ex broodmare, an opinionated sweetheart from our local rescue center, my OH hasn't bonded with yet because she's not Ozzy, he will get there just because he enjoys happy hacking and will realise Ozz was a one off, our perfect horse, but life goes on although I did consider giving up horses and loaning my 9yr old out after losing Ozz
 

Marzipan12

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 September 2009
Messages
87
Visit site
Don't rule out charities.

I work at one and we receive a lot of calls from owners wanting to find a home for their older horse but want it to have a secure future. Most are still rideable but owners need to give their horse up for genuine reasons, i.e their own health etc. We would rather help them find homes straight away than have to rescue these horses a few months down the line because the horse has been rehomed unwittingly to an unscrupulous person and the horse has been neglected. Obviously this is just a possibility, but prevention is cheaper than the cure. We don't take the horses on site as they have homes and are not emergency rescues, but we spend a lot of time liaising with horse owner, new loaner etc, checking homes, assessing horse to make sure its all right.

Give local charities a try, they are not always full of companions or projects. Some have genuinely good horses looking for homes and then you make room for a new rescue. :)

Good luck whichever way. Shame you're not near us.
 
Top