HELP! My new 12yo horse is actually 21?

[RantyvilleHorror]

@hoopoe

never say never. There are plenty of people here who bought that young horse only to loose it within a year. I know a local trainer who took a ranch horse to 3 Day in his late teens and on to GP dressage in his 20s. You ride the horse you have and it may be a year or a decade. Seems to me, this $2000 horse has certainly earned his worth and more in just the year.

every day is a gift

He is definitely trainable enough for it, it’s me that is the drawback haha! But he is having fun and he has no idea of his potential so I hope that he is happy with what he’s got

[BAC]

@RantyvilleHorror

For anybody left wondering…

The horse in question turned out to be 19, not 21 - or 12! I still have him, he’s rebuilt my shattered confidence to a point I didn’t think would ever be possible again and he is simply wonderful. I’m sad we won’t have as long together as we would if he were 12yo as he was sold but he is very low mileage and doesn’t ride - or look - like a 19yo at all! We have started jumping and competing in dressage and prix caprilli, ride around the fields at home and go out hacking around the local area. He is 1 in a million and a happy ending, although maybe not the one I expected!

If he is all that, then he is priceless, you got a bargain for only $2k!

[173north]

So glad to hear this! My lease horse is still jumping around 3’ (and would be thrilled to do more) at 19. He doesn’t look a day over 9 - barely a hollow over his eyes, no graying out on his face, fat and shiny, very energetic & expressive. The vet we had out recently to inject his hocks refused to believe his age until she looked at his x-rays, which pretty clearly show the wear and tear of a late-teens horse who had a long show jumping career. He is worth his weight in gold to us and I’m sure he will march on for many more years.

Enjoy your horse, maybe the age mixup was just the universe delivering you the perfect match

[IdahoRider]

@Core6430

I think many of us older AAs could do fine with a sound teenaged horse.

God, I sure have. I am so glad I took a chance and bought my mare.
Sheilah

[WildLittleWren]

@RantyvilleHorror

He is definitely trainable enough for it, it’s me that is the drawback haha! But he is having fun and he has no idea of his potential so I hope that he is happy with what he’s got

Most horses would be happy eating 24/7 in a field I am sure he is not missing out on his potential. Glad to hear that you kept him, and that he has turned out so wonderfully for you. Happy ending for both of you!

[RantyvilleHorror]

@173north

So glad to hear this! My lease horse is still jumping around 3’ (and would be thrilled to do more) at 19. He doesn’t look a day over 9 - barely a hollow over his eyes, no graying out on his face, fat and shiny, very energetic & expressive. The vet we had out recently to inject his hocks refused to believe his age until she looked at his x-rays, which pretty clearly show the wear and tear of a late-teens horse who had a long show jumping career. He is worth his weight in gold to us and I’m sure he will march on for many more years.

Enjoy your horse, maybe the age mixup was just the universe delivering you the perfect match

I certainly think so! If I knew he was 19 when I saw his advert I probably would have kept scrolling. Not because there is anything wrong with having an older horse but because I’d only just lost a veteran! The universe knew better than I did

[smoofox]

Thank you for the awesome update!

[RantyvilleHorror]

Back with another update!

Have found out from previous fellow liveries of owner (who abandoned) that she didn’t actually ride him for at least 6-8 years because she said he was dangerous/difficult to ride. So I am hoping that this means he will keep going for longer than a (now) 20yo who has been drilled for decades!

[Abbie.S]

Funny how that works, isn’t it? I have one of those, a 17yo I re-started at 12 after he sat in a pasture for years because three people returned him for being “untrainable” or “dangerous”. He’s a saint of a horse, sensitive, but very polite and aware.

Glad you’re enjoying your horse, and that he’s found a softer landing in you than he got other places in his life.

[ake987]

Please come back and pay the photo tax, @RantyvilleHorror!

[scislandsprite]

Yes he will definitely be comfortable working for much longer! My first dressage trainer was very careful at not overworking horses and as a result, one of her upper level horses remained happy & sound to the point of voluntarily showing off GP movements at 28 years old!

[RantyvilleHorror]

I definitely will do! I’ll update later with a photo of when I got him and one from this week

[RantyvilleHorror]

Sounds almost identical to mine! I wonder if some horses just need a little longer to just mentally be a horse before they’re ready to be sensible about the ridden life.

[RantyvilleHorror]

I’m not sure he will quite get to that level (solely because I am incapable of training it!) but if we are still riding around and having fun in 8 years time I will be absolutely delighted.

[moonlitoaksranch]

This thread was a great example of an OP having grace under fire. The OP came with a situation, was dragged through the mud, kept their sense of humor, and came back and told us a happy ending, despite all the shade thrown their way. I wish all threads could end like this.

Congratulations on your older horse, OP! And big tray of chocolate chip cookies for your lovely attitude.

[Abbie.S]

That, plus I have found there are a lot of young horses that get really misunderstood when they are juveniles and lack the understanding of the world that age brings.

This is the case with my guy. At 17yo, he doesn’t have the desire to give a big response when he feels cornered or confused - he’d much rather not - but I can absolutely see how that would not be the case when he was a younger horse.

[RantyvilleHorror]

Thank you so much, that’s very kind! I completely understood why people thought I was trolling or just plain stupid, but it really is just how my life seems to play out it all worked out in the end!!

[RantyvilleHorror]

As promised - here he is… the man of the hour! The first two photos are the day I got him, the rest are from then until now.

[ThreeWishes]

He’s LOVELY!!! Congrats

[Clover5]

What a gorgeous horse!! He looks absolutely darling