# What to do with an older horse?



## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Twenty is hardly at death's door.


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## Horsesdontlie (Mar 11, 2011)

My boy is 20. I still gallop, jump, barrel race, and go on long trail rides. I have never stopped teaching him new things and working on our rough spots. I let him tell me if its too much. I just keep an extra eye for any soreness and check on his legs and back every now and then. He's still sound and ready to go. 

No reason to do ground work or anything of the sort with a horse thats too small to ride. Just make sure your horse is sound and healthy and do what ever you would do with a horse that you couldn't ride. You make sure you don't over exhaust them what ever their level of endurance is at.


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## horseloverd2 (Jan 23, 2009)

I used to have a 20 year old I worked with regularly. He could gallop and even jump and was healthy for his age (even the vet said so). 

Considering you think you're too big to ride her though, I would do as you suggested and make her a trick horse. Just be sure to keep the sessions short, fun, and food oriented.


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## candandy49 (Jan 16, 2011)

^^^^I agree.


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## HowClever (Feb 16, 2010)

No reason a healthy 20 year old horse can't have a job, even a new job. If she is sound and healthy then she would more than likely benefit from being used for something.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I agree with previous posters. Bring her back into work slowly & let her tell you how old she is. 

I still ride my 29 year old stud on a regular basis. Even let him have a play day when the neighbors cows got out a few weeks back. Their nasty old bull thought he was going to challenge Hondo, but he got down & dirty on that bull. You'd have though he was at least half his age in that moment, ears pinned, teeth bared, hunkered down on that bull. I wish I'd have had the neighbor snap a few pics. The old man had a great time, I think he licked his lips the whole ride home  

My helper was my recreational rider hubby and my 23 year old mare, Jana. It was the first time my hubby put a horse on a cow. He says afterwards "I won't make fun of cutters for using the horn anymore and I'm pretty sure I pulled my groin" haha! He didn't, thankfully but he did realize that still in their 20s, athleticism & drive is still there.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Fizz (Jun 3, 2011)

I was interested that you say she's not social? My old horse used to get a bit grumpy if he wasn't ridden regularly. Perhaps a bit of light work will make yours feel useful again. It's sometimes hard to feel a horse is not a project if you're used to that, but isn't it great to give a horse a happy time in its latter years? She'll tell you soon enough if she doesn't want to be exercised.


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

Thank you all for all the advice, it is definately helpful. I wasn't intirely sure what I could do with her as my first horse was 2 years old when I got him. (I was just as green as he was, so most of what I've learned was with him.) A horse we got a year ago was 14 and still very nimble, so I was only hardly introduced to the idea of an "old horse". She was trained, but needed alot of work and I've definately fixed most of it.

But now a horse that is 20 I was at a loss. She is in the shape of a horse let age and eat in pasture. So if you looked at the three of them, you could tell easily that she is the oldest.

And as for the being not social; I am only saying that based on she did not really warm up to anyone. If anyone would approach her she'd trot away. My other horses are usually following me around, so that might be what chased her away. She is still fairly new here, and hasn't had much of a use for years, so it could be just that she doesn't have a job.


I will start a little with her today if it isn't too windy or generally crappy outside. Hopefully it goes well. From the time I've spent with her she is a little flighty at times, but you can definately tell the training is there. I barely have to touch her leg and she will pick up her hoof and stand there. With every one of her feet, too. (She can tell the difference between asking for foot and just touching the leg, though. I sort of have to be on a mission. xD


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Arthur is going on 24 this year. I've had people in recent years offer obscene amounts of money for him at fun shows, thinking he's no more than 7 years old and apparently well trained. I gallop, jump, barrel race, trail ride, and bareback on him, and he stays in the same condition as the 6-yr old in my avatar, who practically exercises himself!

Gain her trust by grooming, grazing, and spending time with her. Make your presence a positive thing, something to look forward to. Older horses often have better, calmer temperaments and a calm frame of mind that appears to a lot of people. Ride her for short periods of time at first, see what she likes (be it trail riding, arena work, or bareback walks around the pasture), and work from there. If you find that neither of you enjoy riding together, it's safe to retire her as a pasture puff.

If she seems sore or restricted when you start putting her through her paces on the ground or under saddle, try a senior or joint supplement and see if she improves.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

The more you work with her the more she will probably warm up to you. Also the horses with "jobs" tend to stay younger at heart and do better with age. 

How small is she that you don't want to ride her? 

One of my favorite rides was a arabXQH who was 26/27 when I rode him. He was full of spunk and only about 14 hands. He really didn't look old at the time either - you couldn't tell a difference between him and a 10 year old other than the fact that he would be a bit stiff if he had been stuck in pasture for a while. When he was ridden lightly on a regular basis he stayed more flexible. 

He is now in his 30s and is a retired pasture pet. He is starting to look older now as he isn't holding conditioning (Mostly trouble with his topline) and not as spunky, but he is still bright-eyed and enjoying life.


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## Quedeme (Aug 6, 2008)

Also, if she's small, depending on her temperment, you could let kids or elderly people give her attention with just some grooming and luvins. If you don't want to sell her, offer her up for a lease, free or cheap so long as she stays on your property. Let someone use her for 4H. There's lots of things you can do that don't over work an older horse. Though 20 really isn't 'that' old. Aged, yes, 'old', not so much lol. Think of 20 like middle aged for humans. Starting to get stiff, a little stuck in their ways, but still healthy and happy to be around and loved. 

Good luck, whatever you choose to do with her ^_^


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## Jessskater (Mar 16, 2011)

My TB turned 22 in April and she acts like a 10 y/o. We sometimes gallop and she just loves it.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

assuming that she's Gypsy, the horse in your barn- I really don't think she's too small for you. 14.3hh is still a good sized animal, and as long as you arent going to be galloping around for hours, I don't see a problem with you riding her. You arent overweight. Granted, I dont know your height, but you look like you'd be fine on her. It sounds as if you really just dont want to put in the effort though, and if thats the case- I agree with everyone else. Free leasing her to some 4-H kid could do a lot of good. She's most likely bored out of her mind being retired so early, and crabby because of that boredome. 

We still work our 49 year old quarterhorse, delriah, at a walk and trot once to twice a week, and she loves it. It helps her maintain a good weight, muscletone, and a 'happy to be alive' attitude. Horses need a job =] 

I'd say either start advertising or tack her up! See how she responds to new things. You never know. There could be a sweet, amazing ride buried somewhere under her aloof attitude 'old horse' lable!


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

MHFoundation Quarters said:


> ...I still ride my 29 year old stud on a regular basis. Even let him have a play day when the neighbors cows got out a few weeks back. Their nasty old bull thought he was going to challenge Hondo, but he got down & dirty on that bull. You'd have though he was at least half his age in that moment, ears pinned, teeth bared, hunkered down on that bull. I wish I'd have had the neighbor snap a few pics. The old man had a great time, I think he licked his lips the whole ride home ...


This is completely off the thread, but oh well...your story reminded me of a dog I owned.

Chris weighed about 100 lbs and loved kids. We were in England when he turned 10. That winter, we had a good snow and our little one block big neighborhood was filled with youngsters. I let Chris out.

Soon one of the kids got the idea of getting on a round trashcan lid and holding on to Chris with a leash. Chris pulled him up and down the road, and soon Chris had a job to do. For the next 6 hours, he pulled kids (with or without trashcan lids or sleds), ran thru the middle of snowball fights and in general was the life of the party. 

As the sun started to set, I brought him in. As we reached the kitchen, he gave me an odd look, slowly sank to the ground and gave a loud groan. I got him some motrin, but he spent the next 24 hours groaning loudly every time he moved.

And yes, he had a fantastic day.

A few months later he broke his back. We were able to keep him going, but he needed a medication that caused him to get very skinny (70 lbs). He lived to nearly 15. Looking back, I'm sure that day was one of the highlights of his life.

Chris standing in front of our Border Collie, about the time frame this happened. He loved trying to catch snowballs in mid-air:


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

bsms said:


> This is completely off the thread, but oh well...your story reminded me of a dog I owned.


Doesn't bother me! I'm a dog lover too 
What a great story! 

I have an old dog too, she is 16 yr old german shorthair pointer. Tiny bit of arthritis in her shoulder but she still runs the farm "hunting" every day. She doesn't get to do any formal bird hunting anymore, in her ornery old age she chews up the birds before bringing them back lol! :lol:


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