# "Old" horse appreciation.



## Ladybug2001 (Mar 15, 2011)

Many people have those "older" horses that sit around in the pasture and eat up their money. Most people would frown upon this. Though some of us happily give them that expensive hay and go the extra mile for their comfort.

I'm asking for everyone to share their stories of their older horses.


I myself have two "older" mares who I wouldn't trade for anything.


Ladybug is a twenty year old grade mare who came into my life when we both were seven years old. She taught me falling hurts and sometimes a horse just rather not be caught. After thirteen long years together I would definitely consider my old girl a "hag". Though even after everything she won't let anyone but myself catch her. Her age I realized has started to show through. Her once gorgeous sorrel coat is starting to roan with gray and her huge blaze is starting to grow out.


Lena is a eighteen year old APHA mare who I adopted three years ago as a rescue horse. She was nothing but skin and bones, a horse that even for what she had been through gave all her love to me. I fattened her up and gave her some much needed TLC. She taught me that adopting and rehibilitation an animal is the greated gift of all. I was able to watch her go from nothing but skin stretched over bone to a chunky mare that loves her treats. Out of my two horse herd she is nothing but the sweetiest, my boyfriend who is a "city-slicker" has even fallen in love with her and she follows him around the pasture.


Both old girls are on supplements to help with their joints and Lady also for her hooves. I spend one day a week with them as I moved away from home. Taking the time to pamper them each with a good grooming session and lots of treats.

Ladybug on left & Lena on right


----------



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

You don't need to apologize for being kind to animals. =D


----------



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

My late gelding, young for an old horse but old for him.

17 in the jumping photo, he was semi-retired just a couple of months later after his arthritis suddenly and rapidly went downhill and he started refusing fences. 18 in the photo with his favourite student who rode him once or twice a week up until his full retirement. She wanted me to teach her how to braid so I showed her on him and she tried it on my young mare.

He went back to the lady I bought him off when he retired, on lifetime lease, because by that point I had gotten to the stage where I simply could not afford to own two horses, and if I had to move one on, I didn't want to move my riding horse on. He never left my ownership and was cared for and treated like a king until his sudden but peaceful passing <3


----------



## ForeverSunRider (Jun 27, 2013)

*Mr. Sonny Jack*

My soon to be 19 year old gelding, Sonny, or Sun Canyon Bluff, is my old man.

We bought him off a friend when he was 15 and he's been perfect. He's an awesome trail horse, very patient, and I still run him on barrels on occasion. His joints are still strong, he enjoys working, and he'll do whatever you ask of him. Except work with cows. You would think that after being a barrel horse at rodeos from age 4-15 and living next to a cattle slaughterhouse, down the street from a dairy farm, and sharing a driveway with a girl's 4H steer he'd be over his fear of them but...nope! The old ****** still spooks at them lol. Nothing too horrid so I can deal, but yeah lol.






























He's 17 in these pictures. This is my cousin using him for HS equestrian. He totally kicked butt, just in case you were curious. She would laugh because she'd hear all these girls talking about how they've schooled their 4 year olds all winter on barrels and she was like, "Well, I plucked this guy out of my cousin's pasture..." and they'd win. :lol:


----------



## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Josie aka THEIRONS SMOOTHNWIDE is a 21 yr old QH made.

She was my first horse I owned my ownself when she was 10 I was 11.

She wasn't always the nicest teacher lol. She has her quirks...like bucking every morning before work, rolling on me if she thought I wasn't paying attention, jumping the barrier if I was taking too long in the box etc etc.

She was extremely athletic despite a knee injury and we competed regularly in English/western show, rodeo, cow horse, just everything.

I retired her at 15 due to navicular/knee/arthritis issues. She went from being completely lame and needing wedges and shoes 24/7 to being completely sound barefoot now though so that's good haha.

Now she just gets spoiled by my niece and gives the occasional lesson.
and she loves our cows.....alot.

Josie in the old days








(dat booty doe!)








and her cows. 








new definition of a "cow horse"








Sugar is a 28? Yr old APHA mare. She's the boss lady for sure. She was trained in level 3 dressage but ended up just being my mom/dads trail horse. We tried to breed her to a gorgeous paint stud when she was 19 but the baby ended up breech we think and tire her uterus. She recovered and now she just bosses the boys around and trots back and forth across the mats in front of the stalls so she can hear the Clomp clomp Clomp noise lol

Typical Sugar








Shes got a booty on her too lol


----------



## ZombieHorseChick (Jun 5, 2014)

my Pony Benji  he's in his late teens, and retired, just our family lawn ornament lol


----------



## NordicJuniper (Jun 9, 2009)

My old guy is sadly no longer with us, he passed on New Year's Day this year. Complications with colic.

May 20, 1989-January 1, 2014. He was 24 years old.

Here he is at 23, at the beach

















And giving pony rides at almost 24 years old

















And finally, on his last day with us

















He went down hill extremely quickly and looked sick and worn out within a matter of days before he was euthanized. In memory of him I kept his entire tail, part of his mane, had him privately cremated, got a decal for my car, and made a poster for him.


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

My guy is 21 :> 

He was a school horse for many years, and was gifted to me just a couple years ago... He was older when I got him, of course, but he has been a fabulous companion. I feel honored to give him a happy, comfortable retirement. 
It's already sort of started... I still ride, but no more competition


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I have a 20 year old APHA gelding, he once was a breeding stallion and I used to show him for his then owners. My husband now rides him, takes lessons on him, I trail ride him a few times a week, so he isn't no pasture puff. He is starting to show his age, just a bit, he is still handsome. He is again in the show ring, however this time with my granddaughter, clearly the most important, trusted job he has had in life. 
Back in the 90's:
[URL="http://[/URL]
Last month:


----------



## autumn rain (Sep 7, 2012)

I have a sweet old Standardbred who is now in her 33rd year. She was on the track in her younger days and worked hard then. She was the horse that taught me the basics in a safe manner. I feel I owe it to her to give her a wonderful retirement.


----------



## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

My girl is 17 this year and an amazing horse. I bought her January of last year under the impression she was between 10-12! Turned out when I looked up her BLM brand she was 16! Which she is starting to get a few gray hairs under her forelock (but don't tell her) She's the boss of the pasture but very sweet to people. She has been a wonderful girl and I can finally walk up to her in a field without running around like a crazy person!  she has been so patient and is in great health no lameness or soundness issues and she even jumps and has a ton of get up and go left! She is also bred for a 2015 foal to a foundation Quarter Horse stallion.

















At her first show:


----------



## oobiedoo (Apr 28, 2012)

*Judy Judy Big Ears*








If the link works, this is my 22 yr old Standardbred mare. We bought Judy 3 yrs ago for my granddaughter Chloe who was 2 at the time. We were spending a small fortune for her to be led around every weekend and she'd cry and cry to turn around every time her hour was up. Judy was rescued by someone else and then sold to us, still underweight, for $200. Best money I ever spent. Chloe has a pony now but Judy is still the one she really trusts. Ugh! Will keep trying to upload.


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

The oldster on my place that is most important to me is my grade AQHA Denny. He's 20 this year and he was the first horse I ever broke and trained myself from day 1. Because I was young and stupid when I trained him, he's got his share of quirks and he's extremely hot blooded, but he's got a heart far bigger than his body can contain.

He and I back in the day when we were both young. I'd been riding him about 3 months at the time.









He ended up being a good horse for a lot of years


















And please, no comments on the safety of this picture. As I said, I was young and stupid LOL.









Just the other day, I wanted to see how much he remembered about being ridden. He's not had a rider in about 2 years but I just grabbed my string and swung aboard. His brakes were a little squishy....but then again, they always have been LOL.


----------



## oobiedoo (Apr 28, 2012)

0424141608_zps29f89aec.jpg Photo by karensue927 | Photobucket should have been photo link? Wht am I doing wrong?


----------



## oobiedoo (Apr 28, 2012)

karensue927's Library | Photobucket
Ok, maybe I've got it. This is Chloe on Judy Judy Big Ears, my 22 yr old Standardbred. Judy Rules


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

love this thread!


----------



## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Oh my, I can't even begin to explain how special my old guy is to me. At 29 he probably costs me more per year to feed than the other 11 added together but he's more than earned every cent I spend on him. I've had him since he was 2 but hung out at the farm he was born on so I've known him since birth. Well actually he was about an hour old the first time I saw him.

He was 18 in this picture and it was his last major away from home trail ride.



At 23.









At 25 getting the last picture with his best friend, Gracie Mae. They'd been pasture pals since she was a yearling and he was 4. Only 22 and she was being euthanized the next day due to her arthritis.



I'm old fashioned and still take most of my pictures with a camera that requires film and developing and then gets put in a photo album so that's the most recent one I have available on the computer.


----------



## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Just for clarification, he's the chestnut with a blaze.


----------



## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

So Hawkeye. I think I've told his story a lot but this horse. Best friend ever.

And it was fate. I met him when my parents went to our friends house for dog agility training with our bloodhounds and was instantly smitten. He had that effect on everyone.

Fast forward a few years and the friend was moving and wanted to give us Hawkeye. Of course we said yes.
We got him at I THINK 19 but I'm super bad with dates and times and stuff haha

He loved loved loved loved loved peppermints. Seriously. It was an addiction for him.

He saved my life (literally) and I saved his. He babysat me on trails when turdhead Josie went loco on trails or when I just didn't want to fight her.

He babysat friends who had never ridden (I think my friend actually beat me at a gymkhana when hed never run them before lol. Ya Josie had problems)

And he LOVED babysitting Charlie. I thought he would poop himself when he first saw charlie he was so excited lol

The only time he was ever really "hot" was when he was turned loose. Then his gorgeous tale would flag up and he'd be off!

The last couple years of his life (25/26) his age really started to show. He'd spend less time playing and couldn't move as good.

Oh and did I mention he had cancer for the majority of his life? Never would a known from attitude but he had some knarly melanomas on his left elbow.

We put him to rest at 26 during the first days of spring when the cancer finally beat him.









When he was still spunky
















Yeah...charlie liked playing tricks on him :/ lol


----------



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

EVERY ONE of these horses was a safe, sane and giving and FORgiving riding horse. Bless them all!!
(I'll post pictures of my now passed on old guys soon.)


----------



## ZombieHorseChick (Jun 5, 2014)

My two old pals that have passed were my heart and sole, and my first two horses ( technically they weren't my family's first, we had a insane ex race horse that was drugged when we bought her... But I don't count her) I don't have and pictures of Grey( speckled grey mare, our first horse) and Mac ( big boned and crested chestnut gelding, super stubborn) my family got Grey when she was 20, and man did she have spunk! But she was an angle with kids, she live out her days being spoiled in a pasture, being brushed and loved on, she was in her mid thirties when she passed from old age. And Mac was our second horse, we got him in his late teens, he was so stubborn but really good natured, you could have a kid hop up on him and kick and scream all they wanted and he would just stand there ( a lot of kids would get hyper and excited to ride lol) he passed in his late twenties, literally the night before we were going to put him down, he had a lot of problems, and we spent a fortune keeping him comfy in his last years( lots of supplements and joint meds) I wouldn't trade the years I had with them for anything <3


----------



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Corporal said:


> EVERY ONE of these horses was a safe, sane and giving and FORgiving riding horse. Bless them all!!
> (I'll post pictures of my now passed on old guys soon.)


lol my old boy wasn't forgiving! He was your typical Arab, held grudges with the best of them. So long as he didn't feel slighted he was hands down the best, safest horse for any rider, but he took things personally and if someone upset him he would get them back.


----------



## ForeverSunRider (Jun 27, 2013)

As it would appear we are doing deceased horses as well, here's my sweetheart of an old gramps, C.J. Forgive me, they're pictures of pictures.

He passed away at the ripe old age of 27. But he was a spitfire to the end. He was a very Arab Arab if that makes sense. But at the same time he cared for me and did his very best to teach me how to ride and kept me safe. He was absolutely perfect for a 10 year old little girl. 

But apparently he ONLY liked me. He was our easy rider and my mom and dad went on a triple riding date with some friends (apparently that's a thing) and my dad rode C.J. but I guess he couldn't keep him on the trail to save his life bahahaha. That horse was always good as gold for me, but he went tromping through the brush and grazing and all that bad trail horse jazz with my dad.


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

^What a pretty face


----------



## New_image (Oct 27, 2007)

BEAUTIFUL thread!


My gorgeous older mare is no longer with us. She was laid to rest just six weeks ago at the age of 27 after a sudden onset of severe neurological symptoms. She was my first horse and was with me every step of the way. There are no words to describe how missed that pretty mare is. As she climbed through her twenties she was undoubtedly "not cost efficient"... but she was worth every last cent of what was put into her to keep her happy and comfortable. A girls first horse and very best friend of fifteen years is worth its weight in gold.


----------



## Ace80908 (Apr 21, 2011)

This is my brand new "old horse" - 

Our new rescue pony Snickers, aged 19. After she finishes gaining weight we will see if she wants to be our new family riding pony for my girls, ages 8 and 5. 

My childhood was spent riding a gelding my mom bought when he was 18, he lived to be 38. My oldest daughter learned how to ride on a 37 year old. 

I am hoping we have many years with Snickers.


----------



## makin tracks (Jan 25, 2009)

Here is my old girl. Sash was a failed racehorse, trained dressage but mostly wasted in the paddock because I was busy supporting the kids when they were competing. Had a tangle in the float which injured her shoulder and then a close encounter with lightening which upset her balance for a very long time. She had her last gymkhana at age 20 (she won her barrel race) and is now living out her days at age 27.


----------

