Would you buy a 15yo eventer

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horsemow1

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Would you buy a 15yo eventer he schoolmaster type set out looking for a 6-10yo but fallen in love, would age matter he is a tb evented to 3* but been downgraded four years ago
 
I personally wouldnt by anything past 12! But i think anything older than 12 is ancient!! x

I was looking for anything under 8 but all so hard to find or overpriced! Looked at a 13year old but decided against it. Depends how much eventing it had done too, if it had done alot, i wouldnt touch it but just personal opinion! x
 
What do you want to do? I would but I would be looking for a horse that wanted a quieter life as I don't want to compete much any more. My mare is 21 and still going strong - in fact she gives my friend's BSJA horse a lead across country and people ask me if she is a baby as she doesn't act her age. I also had another super horse who won our riding club cup for the most points over the year at the age of 23.

It would depend on the condition of the horse and how much it had evented. I would have it vetted.
 
Depends if you are planning on selling on or not? I'd get a 5* vetting etc and remember he will classed as veteran so that may entail extra care.

I say all this and unknowing I took on my old boy aged 20!!! :eek: he was so mental, lively and badly behaved that at his vetting the vet couldn't get near his mouth and said he could be anywhere from 8-12 based on the quick glimpse he got. Bought him, got him sedated to have full dental work and was aged at 20!
Well at the age of 23 he qualified for HOYS in the open 15hh workers :) We didn't take him as couldn't afford it but he was well up for it!

He retired at 26 with mild arthritis and generally just ready to a ornament, and was pts in may due to lami, horse of a lifetime.

I loved my oldie. he never looked or acted his age. Goodness know what he had done before, glad he had an amazing last 7 years though.
Veteran showing is also a huge circuit now if he nice enough?!

My very 'old' looking boy. he was awesome!!! Miss him though

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My horse i brought a couple of months ago is 15 and doesn't act his age at all!! I always though anything over 10 was old. Soon changed my mind!! My boy had done a lot of BSJA and was doing that up until last year. Brought him to get my confidence back in jumping. Its not old at all.

I mean there was a 19 yr old eventer in the olympics!!
 
If its a good horse, passes a vetting and will be excellent for what you want then yes.
But be prepared to only have a few years ridden work.
The horse may have to reduce its work load with age and then retire.
It could then live many happy years in a field do could you offerd to have another or be happy not riding or doing very little?
 
Sounds like a super horse and depending what the vet picked up I'd go for it. Sort of depends how much he's evented (did they run him lots each season or was he saved for better ground etc). We bought my 15yo eventing schoolmaster 2 1/2 yrs ago and he's been super. He also windsucked but we manage this by 24/7 turnout, which also helps with his joints.
 
May be worth checking his record to see how many times he was run. A proper schoolmaster is definitely worth the money depending on what crops up on his vetting :)
 
Yes, chances are he's been very well looked after, ESP if he got to 3* . We had a 16yr old Bsja pony pass the vet yesterday, he flew through flexions etc, expect normal wear and tear and a few bumps, but there's no reason he hasn't got a good few years left in him.
 
Definitely- he sounds ideal for what you want :)

Only thing I would say, is make sure you are prepared to offer him a retirement home for the rest of his days once his working life is over- he may have another 5-10+ years of life left but it is always a consideration when buying an older horse.

Also, I would get him 5* vetted but please don't be shocked/horrified if something shows up.
He will have wear and tear and may be a little stiff or have changes in the hocks etc but I would think that would be normal with an older horse who has competed at a high level.
 
I do say I wouldnt buy an older horse anymore (in danger of ending up with a field full of pensioners) but I would buy a 15yr old schoolmaster type to show me the ropes as it were.
 
Never buy a 15 year old eventer unless you have ex-rays of his legs. Eventing can cause all sorts of leg problems thro wear and tear.
 
I personally wouldnt buy an older horse although saying that Im possibly about to rescue a 14yo showjumper...! I prefer 4 / 5yo's as I can make them mine then. But it totally depends what you want the horse for - it sounds like you want something to show you the ropes which a 15yo certainly will. 15 isnt old anyway, remember many of the horses at the top level are 16, isn't Lenamore 19 and he just flew round the Olympics?? And he looks utterly amazing.
 
Yes but would definitely get my vet to do a 5 stage and maybe even x-ray legs.

I know plenty of horses below the age of 10 that have retired for varying reasons and plenty of horses 15 years and over that are going strong as ever. Anything is a huge risk but good luck.
 
Yes! My first "proper" horse was a 15yo TB who had done intermediate / CCI**, was up for sale for around 10k but failed the vetting, our instructor knew him and put our name forward to the eventer as a suitable home, we got him for 2000 including full wardrobe and tack.
The vet did warn that he might only have a couple of seasons sound left in him, but in fact he went on till he was 22, he was still out competeing the day before he suddenly died of an organ faluire - he had never had a day lame or off sick in his time with me. We did everything from PC teams to hunting, and was a fantastic schoolmaster, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend an older horse to anyone wanting to step up a gear and learn from them, 15 is no age atall these days!
 
As a schoolmaster he sounds ideal for what you want to do.
I would 5 stage vet him, check his BE record to see how often he's run and ask for your vet to gain access to his vet records to ensure no recurring nasties in there waiting to give you problems.
 
I bought my ex-eventer mare at 13, she had only competed up to novice level but sadly was PTS shortly after a year of ownership due to collateral ligament damage, navicular and other sorts of leg problems.

I didn't have her vetted though and if I did, I think alot of her problems would have showed up. I never regret buying her though, she taught me so much and if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't of done half of the things she taught me to do. She really did take me through the levels.

I would go for it, I can't tell you how rewarding buying a school master/mistress is. It was just unfortunate I didn't have my mare vetted, that and she had lots of problems, although I'm quite glad I didn't have her vetted, If I did and she failed then I would not of bought her and she really was my soul mate, I can't thank her enough for teaching me the things she did.
 
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