# How old is too old (horse age)?



## Saskia

Hey, so I'm vaguely keeping my eye out on horses (i'm not LOOKING but I'm not "not looking") to buy but I am not sure about age. 

In the past I was into competition but I don't really want to do that anymore, so I am more looking for a low level all-rounder and pleasure horse. 

Anyway my plan had been 15-16hh and between 6-10 years old, broken and quiet but not necessarily educated (can't be TB). Although I've seen a 12 year old QH that is good price and seems alright, but do you think that is too old? It is a bit "aged". 

It's older than I've ever considered before but I was talking to my mum, and it could save me a fair bit of money if I buy a slightly older horse, and I'll hopefully still get 7-10 years of good riding before I look at retiring it. It would be harder to resell if I had to but not impossible, right?


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## PaintHorseMares

If you're looking for an experienced, seasoned horse, 12 is a very good age since you should have plenty of riding years left. Although folks tend to want horses under 10, I know a whole crowd of people who want that seasoning and won't look at anything _under_ 10 years old. I still get offers for our 18 yr old finished, seasoned penner from people who want to just be able to go out and ride without having each ride turn into a training exercise for one thing or another.
BTW, old horse folks around here say that a horse doesn't get a brain until it is 10 years old.... ;-)


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## tlkng1

I would say it depends upon the horse. Some are done by 15 while others are still competing into their 20s. We have a mare at our barn that is 28 and while being kept only at the trot these days, still goes out on the trail almost daily. This same mare was still jumping lower fences, about 2'6, into her early 20s.

If you are not looking at competing, or only will do so on occasion, 12 is a good age. As was pointed out the horse has miles under his hooves and tends ot lack that young horse silliness..though even older horses are no guarantee in that line. And hey, don't cross ye old thoroughbreds off the list ...they can be just as settled as ye old quarterhorses.

I went younger with my new horse, 6 at purchase a few months back turned 7 in early March, just becasue of what I wanted to do and an older horse at 10+ would have seriously cut into the long term goals. Fortunately he is a level headed thoroughbred who wasn't raced into oblivion.


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## poppy1356

Well if 12 is old my girl must be ancient. I just adopted an untrained 18 year old and once she's ready I plan on having a good 10 years of riding with her given her health stays good. 

You do realize the majority of horses can easily live into their 30s if properly taken care of. And age doesn't mean anything when figuring how long you can ride them as anything can happen.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## HowClever

Honestly, for a lot of horses 12 is the prime of their life.


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## MHFoundation Quarters

PaintHorseMares said:


> If you're looking for an experienced, seasoned horse, 12 is a very good age since you should have plenty of riding years left. Although folks tend to want horses under 10, I know a whole crowd of people who want that seasoning and won't look at anything _under_ 10 years old. I still get offers for our 18 yr old finished, seasoned penner from people who want to just be able to go out and ride without having each ride turn into a training exercise for one thing or another.
> BTW, old horse folks around here say that a horse doesn't get a brain until it is 10 years old.... ;-)


I completely agree! I know more people who look for horses aged 10-15 than any other age group. 12 isn't even remotely old. I'm still riding our 30 year old stallion on a regular basis, also have 3 mares that are 25, 23, & 20 that are all still going strong and any of them could go back in the show pen tomorrow with zero health concerns. None of them have a single health issue. My 25 & 23 yo mares are like your penner PHM, the older a finished reiner and the younger a WP mare, I couldn't even count the number of times I've been approached with offers for them. Of course the answer is always no thanks, not for sale, never will be. :wink:


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## princecharming

PaintHorseMares said:


> BTW, old horse folks around here say that a horse doesn't get a brain until it is 10 years old.... ;-)


haha, i think my horse missed the memo, he's 15 and still doesn't have much of a brain...:rofl:


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## VanillaBean

Agreeing that 12 is perfect age.

One of my mares is 19 and keeps getting better and better! We are moving up levels in eventing and she has never been in better shape; I don't even have her on any supplements/grain. If they are taken care of well, they should live into their 30's.


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## WickedNag

My daughter's new horse is 13 one of the first horses I bought to tote he around was 24. Money very well spent


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## candandy49

When I went shopping for a horse in 1995 I was looking at 5 to 8 year olds. My plan was to find "the right horse" and we'd be each other's for many years. I found my then 8 year old mare and we have been each other's for 17 years now. If I got a say 16 y/o after 17 years that horse would be a 33 y/o if it lived that long. My now 25 y/o mare is still very healthy and looks very good for her age and can still frolick like a 3 y/o at times. Never would I have considered selling her at any point in those 17 years and especially not now. 

I did add another two horses who were both 13 y/o geldings. The first gelding I bought was true sweet heart and a very good horse for my oldest granddaughter to handle and ride. A long came an opportunity to do an even trade with a friend who had bought a horse that was to much horse for her first horse. Through the *grapevine* I later found out that horse I had traded died of Liver failure. Then the horse I got went totally blind at 18 years of age. He lived with us another 3 years and did very well with his blindness. When he was 21 he injured himself very badly and we had our Vet put him down.


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## mfed58

I see a whole bunch of really good advice! I have a TB that just turned 13, and he's in the prime of his life. We just lost a 23 yo horse because of a broken humerus, and up to that point he was a great riding horse for good old pleasure hacks and trail riding. I would just be sure to really check the physical health and soundness of a horse that is approaching 20. That being said, there are alot of great old souls out there in the 15 to 20 year range that would be perfect for what you want! Good luck!


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## Saskia

Thanks for all your advice! 

What do you think would be too old to consider now? Until what age do you think I could do serious riding? (Riding every day, some jumping, only 3ft or so).

I don't really want to be stuck with an old horse after only a couple of years riding. I want to be do some jumping and a bit of everything really. I'd lean towards a young horse but it seems these days for a broken horse under 10 that isn't a TB you're paying $3000+ and I feel that's a lot to spend for an unproven pleasure horse. I want something safe.


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## Fringe

I don't consider 12 to be old at all. I've known horses who have worked well most days until their early 20s.


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## Remy410

I bought my TB mare when she was either 17 or 18. She just turned 23 and is a great trail horse. I also have one that's about to turn 5. We may be looking for a third horse for an all-arounder, and if we do I will be looking at older horses only.


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## LoveHipHop

I think that as long as the horse is fit and ok with it all, jumping and things would be fine on a 12 year old! Seeing as you aren't thinking of doing really serious competitions and would like to do some pleasure riding, I think that you would get a fair few years out of a 12 year old and the horse would have lots of experience too! It really depends on each individual horse I guess, but most horses are good to go for a while after 12 

Hope you find the right horse for you soon!


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## Country Woman

I know Big Ben and Hickstead were both 17 and still competing 
but sadly Hickstead died of a heart attack


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## iridehorses

With your criteria, I would be looking up to 17 or 18 years old.

I just bought my mare this time last year and she turns 15 at the end of the month. I expect to be able to get a good 10 years of riding from her before I start to think about letting her retire.


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## AndreaSctlnd

Both my mares are 11. I consider that the prime of their lives. My one girl has heaves that we are controlling with medication and as long as that keeps working I plan on riding her for years. She will never be a racer but she is a great light trail riding horse. My other mare is fit as a fiddle and if she keeps going that way she is...she will be even better in a few years. Can't wait to ride these girls for many years to come.


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## Mellow Mel

Just got my boy and he is 15(turned 16 today), looks and acts like he is 8 but boy is he solid because he has hundreds of miles on him. When I started looking, I did not want anything older than 12...the more I looked, the wiser I got...switched it to nothing under the age of 12!!!!
Good Luck!


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## kassierae

My mares are both 19. Had Annie not injured her knee i would still be barrel racing her. Magic is a shetland, and still gives pony rides. She has the attitude of a 3 year old. I also know sever lesson horses in their 20's still giving lessons and competing.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Rachel1786

I got my first horse and it turned out he was 28, I've had him for about 14 years which puts him at about 42 years old, he was retired when I got pregnant 5 years ago and has since lost lots of muscle and weight, then in October he got injured so he is permanently retired. My other 2 horses are a 15 year old OTTB and a 20+/- year old appy. All are completely sound and healthy. My TB will be going to her first show this month 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Saskia

Thanks again  

It's not just this 12 year old, although I am going to look at him but after replies from the seller I'm not too enthusiastic. It's also just looking around at the horse prices and availabilities and noticing you can't really get affordable youngish safe horses. 

There seems to be a huge gap in the market, you can get either untrained green young horses (which are cheapish), or competitively trained/competition prospect under 10 year old horses (which are expensive) or a slightly older horse seems quiet/experienced (extremely varied price range). Very few people just have an average youngish pleasure horse. What happened to the people who just want to ride around, or the pony clubbers?

I'm still a bit stuck in my old head-space where I used to want to compete in showjumping and such, and liked training younger horses. But when I'm honest with myself the most important things to me when buying a horse now are safety followed by temperament and soundness. My last fall (a year ago) really knocked my confidence and maybe a slightly older, safer horse would be best for me. Probably not too old, 14 or 15 would be my max, but even that should have a lot more experience (if I choose correctly) than even a 7 or 8 year old. 

I'm meant to be waiting... but I just keep looking at the classifieds and seeing horses there and wanting to look at them! I am so sick of my weekly lessons with unresponsive horses I have no hope of improving! I want my own horse I can work towards goals with, and go out on trails. I want to ride everyday!


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## PaintHorseMares

Saskia said:


> There seems to be a huge gap in the market, you can get either untrained green young horses (which are cheapish), or competitively trained/competition prospect under 10 year old horses (which are expensive) or a slightly older horse seems quiet/experienced (extremely varied price range). Very few people just have an average youngish pleasure horse. What happened to the people who just want to ride around, or the pony clubbers?


Judging from my own situation, I think part of the problem is that folks with those good, youngish horses just don't want to sell them. I enjoy pleasure riding and what motivation would I have to sell our 8 and 10 year old trail mares that I've been riding since they were green 3 year olds?


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## tlkng1

After I lost my 18 year old TB I tried a mare that was only 4 (which I had never intended to go that young but I WAS looking for something around 6-8), but,when I initially tried her there was a guy shooting off a BB gun and she didn't even flinch an ear, plus, she was schooling to 4'. So, I took her on trial. Fortunately, or unfortunately as the case may be, she had a mini-heat cycle (stalled next to a really big gelding she fell in love with) and that plus a very busy night at the barn and she turned into nutty mare. After I sent her home I upped my age ladder to no younger than 10. The horse I bought in Jan was advertised at 10, however, when I ran his tattoo, turns out he was only 6...I didn't tell the seller that though until I had the deposit down. He is a very sane and level headed thoroughbred and just turned 7 a few weeks back.


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Saskia said:


> I'm meant to be waiting... but I just keep looking at the classifieds and seeing horses there and wanting to look at them! I am so sick of my weekly lessons with unresponsive horses I have no hope of improving! I want my own horse I can work towards goals with, and go out on trails. I want to ride everyday!


This stood out to me, lessons should be fun and about continual improvement. If you are ready for more than those horses have to offer, why not look for another instructor or barn with horses more suited to your needs? That way you could continue your search and not feel so pressed to find one. 

The right one is out there, sometimes it just takes awhile to find it.


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## Saskia

MHFoundation Quarters said:


> This stood out to me, lessons should be fun and about continual improvement. If you are ready for more than those horses have to offer, why not look for another instructor or barn with horses more suited to your needs? That way you could continue your search and not feel so pressed to find one.
> 
> The right one is out there, sometimes it just takes awhile to find it.


Unfortunately, there is only one riding school in my town, and then the next closest is about 150km away. There are a few private instructors not affiliated with the school, but you must have your own horse and your own riding facilities. As we are a pretty small country town, you don't have those people who are too busy to ride their own horses, so it's quite unusual to find a share situation or a horse to ride just for lessons. I am pretty frustrated with the lessons, they are $40 an hour for a group lesson and the majority of the time we seem to just trot around without a point. Back when I used to ride (years ago), we'd work on things like collection/extension, or do lots of serpentines or transitions, or leg yielding, shoulder ins - just lots of more refined work - in lessons but they don't seem to do that here. I could get a 45 min private lesson but they are significantly more expensive and I would still be riding the same quality of horse. They're not bad, they just mostly have beginner children on them (as the riding school is actually part of a boarding school for children).

I'm taking lessons mainly to get back into riding. When I fell last year I didn't get back on, and thought I would never want to ride again. Over time though, I wanted to ride more and more so I started lessons to rebuild my confidence on a safe horse. Now, I'm feeling a lot better, and have ridden are variety of horses and while the ideal would be to lease or something, its not really an option. I'm taking it slow though - don't want to rush into a horse!

I'm actually looking at a horse tomorrow! He lives quite far away (near my mother) but I was going down there anyway for Easter. He's 14 years old but is apparently really quiet, has had beginners and children on him, great for trails, great with traffic etc. He's only 15hh so I hope he's solid enough as I am not short/small. I'm just taking a look, I'm in no rush to buy.


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## MHFoundation Quarters

That stinks that you don't have other options. At least you are getting saddle time though and gotten your confidence back, that's great! 

Hope it goes well with the one tomorrow.


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