“Age is just a number.” If the horse is healthy and sound now, she likes him and is willing and able to keep him - go for it.
I bought my mare when she was 7. In the past (almost) 11 years she has spent more time recuperating from some ailment, illness or injury than she has under saddle! But that’s what happens when you own a horse. 
I used to think age was just a number too, until I managed three very different healthy geriatric horses and hit my own mid 60s. It’s not just a number, there are some physical changes that cannot be stopped and need to be factored in even if everybody is in good general health. Things wear out, the internal thermostat has more challenges, healing is often slower.
Long as people are prepared to deal with these things, geriatric horses are fine and often great finds. Just see too many that assumed things would stay the same…and they reality is they don’t. Particularly those who board out and can only afford one horse.
[QUOTE=teh_Kibbster;8765813]
Friend of mine has an opportunity to adopt a free, 24 year old Hanoverian gelding. Horse was well known on the circuit at home. She’s looking to ride casually, trails and lower dressage 1-2 days per week. Horse is not a bad fit for her - if he was 10 years younger, there would be no hesitation.
Horse is sound. Owner is moving across the continent and does not want to haul the old man. I personally think Owner just wants to unload the pending vet bills as he gets up there in years.
WWYD? Friend has the ability to retire on property if necessary.
I say arrange a free lease or wait and find something younger. However, my personal experience with that ended up with a retired 10 year old so… :lol:[/QUOTE]
My educated guess is that if the horse was 10 years younger, he would be FAR from free.
He sounds like a nice horse to putter around on doing trails and WTC, which is all lower level dressage is, at the end of the day. If the prospective owner has the means and facility to retire him on their property and won’t be stuck paying board costs when the time comes to retire him from work, so much the better.
I would assume that light maintenance is to be expected and I would certainly get a full PPE, just to get a good baseline and understand if there is anything significant brewing. Personally once a horse gets into their mid 20s I don’t usually plan on doing any sort of major medical intervention; it’s too hard on them and they tend to have difficulty recovering/maintaining quality of life. So I would not expect to have major vet bills, but that is just me.
I think he sounds lovely, but I have one in his mid 30s who is still perfectly sound and is only retired now because I have two others. Every once in a while I go hop on him just for fun, and he likes to remind me he could still buck me off pretty much anytime he wants. Tough old TB and he’ll probably outlive me.
He sounds great and the set up sounds good, too, why not if he can be retired at home? The old guys are treasures
I just bought a 22 yr old QH. 
Not only that, but I dragged myself over 3 days after outpatient surgery to try and buy him, because there were folks lined up behind me if I didn’t take him. Lady E, I loved reading your story. I hope I have as many sound years with my little treasure as you did with yours.
The key is that she can retire him on her farm. That way she doesn’t have to make a hard choice between continuing to ride and keeping up a retiree.
I hope she has lucked into a super deal. Please let us know how it turns out!
I know a 27yo that was retired for 10 years, then gradually brought back into work this winter when circumstances necessitated rehoming. He LOVES having a job and is doing great WTC 3-4 days a week. What is the horse doing now? If he’s been sitting in a field for the past few years your friend will be taking more of a gamble, but if he’s been in some sort of light work program and staying sound-ish, he should be serviceable for light hacking 1-2x a week. I have such a soft spot for oldies that like to have jobs, I’d take them all if I could!
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