Would you buy 16 year old horse ?

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HollyJ

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Just looking for opinions really.... went to view - he;s fab.

Hacks , jumps, good in traffic , was pleasant to hack out...

I don;t have the confidence for silly youngsters....

I should just go for it shouldn't i really....

Potential for dressage with some fittening / schooling...
 
if that is what your after then yes. 16 can be very young for some horses, i know my old mans horse is older than that and can act worse than my 2 year old at times so i wouldn't class age as a major issue when buying a horse if its what your after and suits your circumstances.
 
As long as he's sound and not silly money I'd snap him up. Insurance may be higher and also veteran food supplements etc , but well worth it if he's truly a good'n . good luck
 
I think these days people tend to have looked after horses better so they last much longer even at competition level. if you are wanting for flat work and for normal level dressage you should be fine. Obviously there will be some wear and tear on joints but aslong as you hjvae vetted to check for nothing major (obv thats same for young horses). You should have a good few years of ridding left, but remember you will probably have to keep for life as selling on a horse once in its twenties is something few people will buy unless for companion but would you want to risk that. If you can afford to keep for rest of life go for it!!
 
Absolutely, just go for it I would say, unless the horse had extremely high mileage and been a top showjumper/eventer/dressage horse then 16 is actually no age.
I have friends who have bought green youngsters and said 'never again!', once they realised the amount of sheer hard work required to school and bring on a horse. You tend to take that for granted when you have a well schooled older horse!
 
I bought an 18 year old because at the time he was just what I needed. I never regretted it. If this horse is what you want, I would recommend going for it.
 
As long as his feet and back are in good health go for it, at sixteen he has many more years left in him.

Make sure he is sane and sensible though, not all older horses are!
 
Thanks all - i think i just need some reassurance - will be getting him vet checked if decide to go ahead .

he's jumped in his youth up to 1m 70 < i think> bsja - thats my only concern is joint wear and tear. hopefully some flexion tests and vetting should assist with showing anything up... he's sound as a pound at the moment and in fab condition..

he won;t be jumping that high with me ...lol
 
very sensibly priced - owner just wants him to have a good home. he's been well looked after but shes got three youngsters to concentrate on now.
 
as long as he's sound I would go for it. mine was 15 when I got him (he's 20 this year). he's never had any joint issues and he jumps 2-3 times a week at about 1.10
 
He sounds suitable for what you want him for....so I wouldn't say no! Would def have him thoroughly vetted out....esp his flexions...Don't want to get a couple months down the line and find out he has signs of chronic arthritis etc...
 
I bought my horse at 15 & it was the ideal first horse - safe, sane, schoolmaster! He has been amazing for my confidence & given him a new lease of life aswell!

If he is everything you want, dont let his age hold you back - he can teach you a world of things!
 
Just to reiterate what everyone else is saying - absolutely! I bought my old boy when he was 19, he's 28 now and still going strong (although I haven't competed him at all or jumped him very much for the last 3 years).
 
Yes I most certainly would, I have just bought an ex racer who is 16. Please do be careful with the flexion tests though, I hate them especially for an older horse, if he is sound I would leave it at that.
 
My first pony was 15 when we bought him, I outgrew him and sold him at 17 to another 'learner' rider. A couple of years later I seen him show jumping and then on a 25 mile ride the year after! He was still going strong and as fit as a fiddle.
 
Yes I would, I bought an 18 yr old horse, untried, from a horse sale, becuase i felt sorry for him (actually, to take him home and pts he was in a bad way) Took him home, fed him a bit and hey presto, he became my main riding horse for the next 10 years! He is now 30, rather stiff but still full of life. He was lame as anything when I saw him, and you could hear him creak and crack across the ring, but he has been sound all through (apart from occasional knocks etc) he is arthitic but is still pretyy much ok.

Also, was very high mileage - high goal polo pony.

Absolute loon but safe as houses if you know what I mean.
 
Yes!
I've just bought a 17 yr old. She was perfect for what I wanted. We don't sell on and have kept horses to well over 30, ridden until at least 30, so I expect to get many years of riding from her - she's going to take me into my retirement and then enjoy hers here.
I agree with Pastie2 though, I hate flexion tests. I didn't have mine vetted, I've found that vets find it difficult enough to diagnose an equine illness when the owner is saying there's something wrong, so not much chance when the owner is trying to sell. Either that or the slightest thing means that the vetting is 'failed'.
I tried her over several weeks and listened carefully to what the owner was telling me. I also knew where she had been previously. Go for it!
 
HollyJ said:
Thanks all - i think i just need some reassurance - will be getting him vet checked if decide to go ahead .

he's jumped in his youth up to 1m 70 < i think> bsja - thats my only concern is joint wear and tear. hopefully some flexion tests and vetting should assist with showing anything up... he's sound as a pound at the moment and in fab condition..

he won;t be jumping that high with me ...lol
Click to expand...

1m70!!!! Are you buying him from John Whittaker?
 
Go for it! Just check on how long the last people had him and what they were doing with him (thinking of clapped out front legs from show-jumping). Also ask to see his veterinary records.

If he has lasted this long without serious problems he could be your dream horse. I bought an oldie and never regretted it (inspite of HERex-showjumping front legs!!!) I do hope you decide to buy him.
 
My last mare was 17 when I got her. Her owner wanted a good home as she had to sell to help her husband with finances. She was very fit and until she was PTS two years ago with twisted gut never sick or sorry. She taught me an awful lot about arabs as well.:)
 
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