Your experiences, how long do TB's go on for.............

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Pilib

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I've got a TB ex-racer I've had him for almost 7 years, he'll be 19 in January.

He's well and happy if not rather stubborn! We hack a couple of times a week and do local riding club activities, not much jumping, the odd log in the park when I am feeling brave!

He raced early in his life and up until about the age of 5, did both tendons was pin fired and then didn't do much until I got him. He has totally flat feet but with an excellent farrier and me being careful we (touch wood) don't have many issues.

I am just wondering how long I can expect him to go one for, he's 19 now and apart form a bit of stiffness at first is in perfect health. He has a home for life with me but his age is starting to worry me.......
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So how long did your TB's go on for, how long were you able to keep riding them for and is the fact that he had a hard paper round going to make a difference?

Thanks !
 
Well you've done better than me, my first was 15 when I lost her (through ongoing health issues).

I think like any breed its a how long is a piece of string, they are all individuals at the end of the day although I know fewer TB's that have last into their 30's than more native types (but obviously it does happen!)
 
There is a pony at my yard that is a tb x some sort of native and she is 37. She still canters round the field bucking etc. She had to stop riding her 10 years ago due to cataracts, but she would still most likely be riding her if she could
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Average around mid teens to late 20's there is no set age, suppose it depends on how many miles are on the clock, my boy was pts when he started to go down hill, he was in his 20's.
 
Mine is 23 and has been retired for 11 years due to soundness problems. He is feeling his legs at times and is harder to keep weight on but other than that he's fine and dandy.
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My best mate's TB coming up 22, but actually going on 5.

He has a bit of arthritis but has never looked or felt so well.
He was raced a lot, too - winning over £40k - so he was hammered a bit back in his day.
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I don't think you can generalise too much - they are all different.
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My first mare was as tough as old boots. I rescued her at 23 and she still at 29 loved to jump, XC and do half day hunting - mainly because I hadn't the strength to hold her for a full day.

She did from 26 have a bute every other day to keep her from stiffening up - we didn't have the joint supplements back in the early 90s we do now.

She died at 29 due to being kicked in the field and her leg breaking - I think she would have gone on for a good few years otherwise.

Delia my 2nd TB was very well bred (Aga Khan) and she started to slow down about 22 and went to a home where they wanted a happy hack and pet which she did for several more years.

She died this year at 29 - whilst outwardly she looked very well, her front joints were getting sore and Miss Delia was the type with a very low pain threshold and looking very miserable even with bute, hence the decision to pts before she suffered.
 
Mine is only a TBX, but she was a polo pony and was well and truly hammered. She had a tendon injury and mild arthritis when I bought her. She's now 27 and fit and well. I retired her 4 years ago due to stiffness - she was a touch unsound on a circle so couldn't do school work, and she wasn't a sane enough to hack just potter about on. If her temperament was slightly different, she'd still be working now, albeit light hacking.
 
Our ex racer is now 24, although has been semi-retired since he was 19 or so. Although this is more due to lack of time than anything else.

His tendons are knackered, one is twice the size than the other, but have been like this since before he was with his previous owner, and has been sj and xc etc on his legs as they are now. He raced in 5 steeplechases I think? His legs are knackered not from racing but from running away with a gate attached to his legs
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idiot! (in his younger years, not since we've had him!)

He is stil in v good health, bright eyed, shiny coat etc, although has little/no topline he still winters ok for an old TB (out 24/7). He does have a bit of arthritis but is still fine for a poddle round the lanes, although always seems to jog most of it
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Mine is 24 now, he is the one in my siggy jumping the hedge in a team chase aged 19. He point to pointed until he was 13 (and won!). As others have said, I think it depends on the horse, but in some ways I think the ones that raced longer probably go on longer in life too as it shows that they are tough!
 
My old TB raced from 2 (although not for long due to temperament issues, not soundness or ability), evented up to Int, showjumped, then did dressage. He's 27, still being ridden, on a joint supplement but no bute etc and going strong. BUT he has near perfect conformation, has been cared for well, is not the type to let anyone do him harm.
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He's never sustained a major injury or even really needed much veterinary attention, aside from his teeth in later years. He doesn't look like he did when he was ten but he's still indulging in his life long habit of jumping out and attacking other horses if not watched carefully.

I used to run a school with a fair number of tb's that had raced then shown, which were all "18 and holding". Many had been 18 for a fair few years.
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Most received some sort or management but were ridden and jumped daily in lessons (under careful supervision, good footing etc), seeming to thrive on the work.
 
Oh yes they can go for ever. I got my lad when he was 3 and he is now 30!! He still hacks out quite happily although I obviously don't ask too much of him. He has arthritis in his hocks so is on Danilon daily plus Maxaflex and loads of tlc.
 
There are two ex-racers at our yard, one is 35 and I believe was retired at 32/33 and the other is about 28, he got retired last year
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They are as happy as larry and look fab for their age! Girl who owns them treats them like kings. They both hold weight perfectly.
 
I lost my first Tb last christmas. He was only 15, however his brain was convinced that he was 5 where as his body claimed it was 55!.

A friends ex P2p'er was over 20 when he went to colic, another ex-racer I knew went at 32!
 
My friend had a full TB, x racer, and she was still going out for gallops at the grand age of 30!! And if you pulled her up she would rear and buck lol. She sadly died at 31 years old x
 
well I was watching about 20 this morning, of an averagely aging population (all at least above 16, tops about 23, maybe a bit more) happily doing their work on the gallops! so they go on for quite a bit!
 
We have one who is 25, was a NH horse and also has been fired plus sometime after that had an incident where he took off still attached to a 5 bar gate and damaged his tendons again! We took him on at 19 as his owner was going to have him PTS following poor success with loan homes. She had nowhere else for him to go.

He is now 25 and still doing well. If we didn't have the others to keep us busy he would be still being hacked out too - we've done some jumping and a small xc on him but he was a bugger and hauled my sister round xc he was so keen!

He's had some issues this last year with foot abscesses and he's become a bit stiff but other than that he's doing fine and, had he been kept in work I think he'd be very very well. He still likes to hoon about the field though!
 
I don't think you can generalise. The last one I owned dropped dead of a heart attack before he had even turned 8
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