Would you buy an 18 year old horse?

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chotty

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Just wondering what people's opinions are on buying a horse that's 18 years old.

Currently have a rising 7 on lwvtb and to be honest, i'm not buying him. He's lovely, such a nice nature and is generally fine to ride, but I'm just not confident enough. He's very green so needs someone to be able to commit to riding more often than I can (currently finished my last year of uni so it's only a couple of times a week ATM). So just now I mostly just bring him in for a feed/groom and quick lunge and he only gets ridden about 2/3 times per week.

I know that HE doesn't care about not being ridden, but I just think that I'm sort of wasting my time a bit and am starting to not enjoy it as much as I can't just 'get on and go' and he can be quite spooky/hots up so you have to pick and choose what you're doing with him.

Decided what I really need is a bombproof confidence giver, all rounder type that I can have fun with.

Have seen an 18 year old for sale that's in my budget and sounds just what I'm looking for, however my mum keeps going on about his age?

Would his age put you off? Even though they sounded what you wanted? He's not expensive, but could be with age-related issues in vet bills?

X
 
It wouldn't necessarily put me off. Plenty of horses are competing into their twenties. If he ticked all, or most of, the important boxes and was going to be a safe horse for you, then I'd get him vetted and take it from there. Good luck.
 
I bought an 18 year old, sounds like for the same reason - as a confidence-giver (my previous, and first ever, horse could be a bit of a nut job). I did already know him, so I knew the health issues he came with, but he was just what I needed (except for the buck) and I had him pts at 29 because of his teeth when he was still sound as a pound. Yes, as he aged I had to be cautious about what I asked him to do, but I think it was a good decision to buy him.

It is definitely worth considering imho.
 
I bought a 16 yo late last year - it's his 17th birthday tomorrow. We also have a 17 yo pony (she's been with us since she was 14). Both are more sound, healthy and happy than the two 10 yo horses I've bought before! When I was looking last year for a sensible schoolmaster, my age range was 14 to 18 and my budget was £2k. I would have bought an 18 yo but with anything, I would have been careful and I did have my boy vetted.
I think it depends on the individual horse, and for what I wanted age didn't put me off. He's convinced he's about 6 anyway, and people keep asking us if our pony is broken yet as she must be a baby!
I'm confident we'll have years ahead of us yet, and I don't regret buying an older horse (but am glad I was careful!)
 
I got Red at 19 (although we didn't really know how old he was); he was an amazing horse, and I miss him every day (I lost him in October - aged 29). He didn't have any age-related vets bills right up until the last 6 months; he knew his job, gave me tons of confidence. I competed him up until he was about 25 in XC & DR; but he started to let me know that he'd had enough. Rode him right up until a couple of months before the end, (only stopped because I'd fallen off my younger horse & had to have knee surgery). He still jumped the odd log in the woods; he was a fabulous hack. As I said, still miss him every day and wouldn't hesitate to have an older horse again.
 
If they get to 18 still sound and healthy they probably will continue that way. Just make sure he is vetted and allow for natural ageing issues in years to come, but you should have plenty of enjoyment before that starts.
Try and get some honest history, how long has seller owned him.
 
I just bought a 17yo so yes I would buy an 18 yo, but then I am just a happy hacker, I do know someone who was given an 18yo Tb and she competes (local/unaffiliated) every weekend, they have a great time together and neither are sick or sorry. In fact the horse I spent the most on vet bills for is my youngest horse, my 9yo Tb mare!
 
i bought a 19 yr old last year and i really thought long and hard about it because of his age -but he just ticked all of the boxes and was the quality of horse i would never have been able to afford if he had been 10 yrs younger -he doesnt know hes 20 and getting him was by far the best thing i could have done- we have a wonderful time :D
 
I would if he was healthy. Horses are tending to live longer these days so he could have an awful lot to offer you. Besides, look at how many young horses end up being written off as unsound.
 
Certainly, mines 19 and is great, I expect to be competing him for another five years if I'm a little sensitive to his personal needs (not racing him round on hard ground etc.).

If the horse you're looking at is fit and sound (to pass a 5 stage vetting) at 18 they have done pretty well and unlikely to fall apart suddently.
A horse of any age can get colic, trip over in the field and tear a tendon, get kicked and get an infected joint etc (don't want to put you off horses in total just thinking of common big insurance claim threads on here)
 
I think as long as you're prepared to keep them in their twilight years there's nothing wrong with buying an older horse if it ticks all the boxes
 
My first horse was 15 when I bought him (or so I was told, but he could have been a year older). Now 34 and still hacks out. Never given me a vet bill.
 
Friend of mine just did . . . but she's had him on loan for the past three years so knows what she's getting/is already in love with him.

Honestly, if the horse suits you, go for it.

P
 
My horse is 19 now and still has lots to offer. But I would only buy an older horse if i knew as much as possible about its history, bit like a car! Mines had two careful owners and I would never part with him. Alway worth asking if they would consider loaning him because of his age, worth a try. Good luck.
 
I bought my mare 13 yrs ago at 16 and shes still ridden at 28, so yes if it was what I was looking for then I would. the only vet bills I had hav been colic or choke which aren't age related.
 
More people should buy older horses instead of thinking they can bring on youngsters. These forums would have a lot less stupid problems if people knew their limitations. Breeders and backers don't help, telling novice people that they can cope with newly backed young horses. People are buying massive powerful youngsters and making a complete hash of it, frightening themselves and their horse, then blameing the horse and everyone else, for their own lack of skill, knowledge and experience.
Green and green equals black and blue.:)
 
Totally if you are after a confidence giver and see something suitable that age.

Having said that...

I'm assuming you're pretty young and living at home with parents? Have you thought what you'll do with the horse when you move out to college/first job etc and
- have less time and
- a (lot?) less money?

If you'll need to sell in a few years time it is worth considering that you'll need to ask if anyone would by a 20-something (?) year old.

And/or if you could afford retirement livery?
 
I did - a really fabulous horse as a schoolmaster for my daughter. It was stepping down from competing at intermediate eventing, so you get a lot of horse for your money. My daughter won her first competition on her.

But she dropped dead after we had owned her for just 12 weeks. I had a lot of trouble getting the insurance to pay out, but they did in the end.

I had my own horse for 30 years and he was still going out for light hacks at the age of 32, so 18 seemed positively young to me. I wouldn't do it again.

I think you also have to be prepared to keep them for the rest of their life.
 
I did and it was the BEST thing I ever did - he was my big lad, we only had a short time togehter 5 years but he taught me more about me, and riding than anyone or anything else could. He was a proper live wire - if you were not going to ride him properly then you would be bronced off - do things properly and he was a star.

I miss every hair on that big lads body and he was a 17hh warmblood - he was my best friend, my teacher and i miss him so so much.

Anyway - age is just a number
 
No chance, couple more years and I'd be looking to Wind things down a bit so of no use to me personally
 
It wouldn't put me off for general use (riding club, hacking, schooling, fun rides) - our two "oldies" (21 & into 30's) are still going strong with no signs of slowing down! However, when I was horse hunting I looked for something fairly young as I'm happy to bring on etc and ride daily, I also want to get out and about as much as possible so thought a younger model would be best suited to me. x
 
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Pale Rider said:
More people should buy older horses instead of thinking they can bring on youngsters. These forums would have a lot less stupid problems if people knew their limitations. Breeders and backers don't help, telling novice people that they can cope with newly backed young horses. People are buying massive powerful youngsters and making a complete hash of it, frightening themselves and their horse, then blameing the horse and everyone else, for their own lack of skill, knowledge and experience.
Green and green equals black and blue.:)
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Yes indeed. I made this mistake with my daughter's loan pony, got away with that because the pony's owner was on hand to show her the ropes, made the mistake again when I bought her a 3yo ex racer, sure we learned a lot but the horse could have been so much more in a more experienced home, my daughter and I both say that if we got her now, today, we could have made a much better job of it, and she could have spent her teen years having fun with an older horse who already knew its job. Youngsters need consistent work and handling (I feel) and a lot of people get them when they're incapable of giving them that, I've seen people do that over and over again and never even consider an older horse
 
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chotty said:
J

Decided what I really need is a bombproof confidence giver, all rounder type that I can have fun with.

Have seen an 18 year old for sale that's in my budget and sounds just what I'm looking for, however my mum keeps going on about his age?


X
Click to expand...

I bought an 18 yr old after a nasty accident because she is bombproof on the roads, which was exactly what I needed, she is still perfectly healthy, now that she is in her 20s. We have just pts a 31 yr old who was being ridden until she was 25 when she had a prolonged bout of colic, so we decided to retire her but ctually wished later that we had brought her bck into work. She only ever had 3 illnesses in the 22 yrs that we had her, once aged 10, related to a difficult foaling, the colic and her last illness which was thought to be caused by a tumour. However I have had 2 horses pts aged 11 - you can just never predict what will happen.
If the horse is right for you now then I would buy it. The only 'problem' is that you probably won't be able to sell him on if you decide that you are ready for something a bit more challenging.
 
Well, I have just bought a 20 year old pony for my daughter, so that age certainly wouldn't put me off. I knew the pony and how much work it had done. She has never been hammered into the ground and I tend to think that if they get to 20 sound, they will probably stay that way. You can buy a young horse and it can go lame the next week.
 
I have a 20 year old on full loan, love him to bits - a real confidence giver and showjumping schoolmaster. I take him out and do max 2'6'' which is fine by me!!
 
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