Buying a 20+ Year Old Schoolmaster

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@fordtraktor

It isn’t common. The longest I kept one going is 32 and he definitely dialed back at 30. I have retired 2 at 17. It really depends on the horse. I do have a friend who was able to ride her 40 yo QH until he died. He was a hearty dude.

Wow!

[exploding_pony]

I’m surprised someone is actually trying to sell a 24 yr old schoolmaster. Frankly, I think that is unacceptable.

A free lease perhaps, but at 24 yrs the horse is very much on borrowed time. Certainly he could go for a few more years, but 10 is highly, highly unlikely.

If you can afford to retire the horse, take him on. Schoolmasters are wonderful. But if this is your very first horse, and you are barely able to afford board, I would be thinking of something more like 15.

As horses age they tend to need more expensive joint supplements and intervention. That all adds up.

[netg]

@exploding pony

I’m surprised someone is actually trying to sell a 24 yr old schoolmaster. Frankly, I think that is unacceptable.

A free lease perhaps, but at 24 yrs the horse is very much on borrowed time. Certainly he could go for a few more years, but 10 is highly, highly unlikely.

If you can afford to retire the horse, take him on. Schoolmasters are wonderful. But if this is your very first horse, and you are barely able to afford board, I would be thinking of something more like 15.

As horses age they tend to need more expensive joint supplements and intervention. That all adds up.

Agreed, but that’s only knowing the general story. If my older guy were safe, I would look for a free lease for him. Since he’s not, I pay for training rides on him when I’m not riding, because he needs to stay in work mentally.

However, I know someone who lives out here - warm desert - who got a schoolmaster from someone in the northeast. I think it was either a low price or giveaway, but the previous owner knew the horse wasn’t handling weather well where she was, and that the horse would likely have many more years out this way - so it was a rehome for the good of the horse. And it worked - the horse who had been struggling thrived, and was a great help to the rider here. Years later, as far as I know the horse is still sound and doing well. So I won’t judge the person trying to sell the 24 year old since I don’t know the story, but I tend to be skeptical about their motives.

[Jarpur]

@right horse at the right time

I’m all for older horses and hope mine lives forever as long as he’s happy and healthy.

I am honestly surprised that people would say that a horse would be rideable for another 10 years… Really, 34, this is an expectation or even a strong possibility?
That would be great news for me but I’ve never thought of it as an option.

I had one that kept going until 31 (he passed away at 34); he was great in his mid through late 20s.

[Jarpur]

I should add that the last few years of his life were relatively expensive – he had Legend, he had Adequan, he had a specialist farrier coming in from out of town to do custom shoeing on his fronts (for a horse that had been barefoot for almost all his life), he had a special diet as his teeth gave out (he had dental surgery) and for his advanced age, he required this, that, and the other thing – all after a healthy, low-maintenance life.

Fortunately, I was able to keep him at home for almost a year-and-a-half at the end (we bought a farm partially to have a retirement home for him), so was able to keep a watchful eye on him and accommodate all the extras (I fed him five times daily, soaked his feed, hand-walked him, etc). My estimate at that time was that I spent $12-14K over the last few years of his life (not counting boarding) – and this was 20 years ago. I loved that horse and felt I owed it to him after the lifetime he’d given me.

Previous posters are correct that these future expenditures need to be kept in mind.

[KyrieNZ]

Young horses can crap out early, mature horses can keep on going and going and going. None of us have a crystal ball.

I bought an 18 year old a year ago and don’t regret a cent of his upkeep. He’s now on Pentosan and acupuncture (not something I would have thought of having had a horrible experience with acupuncture myself but touch wood, it seems to be working for him).

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@Jarpur

I should add that the last few years of his life were relatively expensive – he had Legend, he had Adequan, he had a specialist farrier coming in from out of town to do custom shoeing on his fronts (for a horse that had been barefoot for almost all his life), he had a special diet as his teeth gave out (he had dental surgery) and for his advanced age, he required this, that, and the other thing – all after a healthy, low-maintenance life.

Fortunately, I was able to keep him at home for almost a year-and-a-half at the end (we bought a farm partially to have a retirement home for him), so was able to keep a watchful eye on him and accommodate all the extras (I fed him five times daily, soaked his feed, hand-walked him, etc). My estimate at that time was that I spent $12-14K over the last few years of his life (not counting boarding) – and this was 20 years ago. I loved that horse and felt I owed it to him after the lifetime he’d given me.

Previous posters are correct that these future expenditures need to be kept in mind.

Beautiful <3.

[Dressurfrau]

I did just that a few years ago. I got a GP schoolmaster that was worth his weight in gold and refreshed me on the movements and helped some of my students feel a piaffe and passage for the first time… I have my own farm so I was prepared to keep him for his life. We lost him last year at the age of 30 and I wouldn’t trade my years with him for the world.

When I retired him, I kept him on Adequan because it made him so much more comfortable. Be prepared for the additional money it will take to keep them happy in their later years. We owe them that

[ivy62]

I have not read the entire thread but I bought a horse at 16 that had evented to Intermediate level successfully as he stepped down to dressage only. He needed a little maintenance and was the best horse I ever owned and then tragically lost him to a pasture accident at 18. Everyone I knew said why buy a 16 year old horse! Well, when they all saw him and got on him they were in love also. MIss him so…So I bought another 16 year old eventer who was stepping down; I don’t need to teach him anything but he teachers me and my daughter every day. He is now 24 and does require maintenance but as along as he is comfy he will keep working. It is better for them. You have to be prepared to have them for life. We are his last owners and we are ok with that.