I’m 58, my horse is 10. When I retire her I’ll probably retire from riding. I hope it’s not anytime soon.
There is a lady who I show against sometimes that I aspire to be when I am her age! She must be in her mid 80s and she has this rock star of a horse who is on the older side, too. They show against me in pleasure, and whenever they are in my class, I know I don’t have a chance! The horse is like the text book pleasure horse, and she rides him perfectly. Coming in second to her is an honor! I hope I can still be showing (and winning!) at her age and have such a super horse! You can just tell that she has owned him for ages when you watch them.
There is a trainer at my barn who rides six horses a day, rain or shine, cold or hot. He’s 91. I don’t know if I’ll make it that long, but I hope to.
I plan a gradual decline. Ride as long as I can, then switch to driving ponies, then to petting, grooming and feeding treats to my, by then, elderly pasture puffs.
[QUOTE=NoSuchPerson;7668795]
I plan a gradual decline. Ride as long as I can, then switch to driving ponies, then to petting, grooming and feeding treats to my, by then, elderly pasture puffs.[/QUOTE]
Me, too!
[QUOTE=Beentheredonethat;7668451]
PShaw. Riding keeps me going. If I have to get a pony to climb on, I will.
I have all six dressage medals, so I guess I should go for the century club. Let’s see, 50 now. Young ones are 4 and 6. Hmm. So, I have about 22 years to get that one. I should be able to sit a trot on a 26 year year old at 72 no problem! Hopefully it won’t be training level, but something higher![/QUOTE]
Heck, I’m almost 69 and still working on my bronze (got the 1st and 2nd level scores long ago, but old horse got too arthritic before we showed 3rd and I had to start over. Showing present horse 2nd level now.) Anyhoo…barring a health issue, I hope to keep going as long as possible, and - wow - only 11 years to the Century Club. ROFLOL I do agree that if you stop, it’s probably a lot harder to start again, so I don’t intend to ever stop. Now - if reality steps in in terms of finances, I would hope I could at least half-lease a horse to keep going…but for now, it’s me and my horse for the foreseeable future.
I also plan a general decline through driving/ponies/minis. I anticipate that at some point I will become too much of a weenie-rider to feel safe on the kind of fireballs I like. If it doesn’t give me a thrill once in awhile I’m not interested. And I’m thinking at age 80+ one should not be mounted on anything that could turn inside out and head home without me.
I plan on riding for a very, very long time - until I can’t anymore! I’m in my mid-forties and have been riding since I was a kid. I have my horses at home and my life revolves around them. I’m actually shopping for a young horse to bring along - in some ways I’ve gotten braver as I’ve gotten older. Maybe it is because I’ve hit the age where I don’t really give a shit what people think, so I’m willing to take more risks and go outside “the norm” of what I grew up with.
I used to say I wanted one of every breed . . . I’ve always had TBs and then got a mustang and now I’m looking at smaller breeds for my next horse. Hopefully I’ve got a lot of years left to train and play!
Until I can’t. A 70+ friend came in from hunting, stepped off his horse and promptly died. I think that’s how I want to go.
I have not ridden all of my life (4 years as a teenager, and for the past 6 years) so I have to make up for lost time. I’m 50 and plan to ride as long as I possibly can. My girl is 10- she’s great and I hope someday to breed her and have her baby as my next horse.
As long as I can.
I’m going to have my filly trained to drive, as a back-up plan.
Century ride - that is when the age of you and your horse equal 100? In what discipline? Hmmm - that means another ten years by doing the math - it’s doable.
Trouble is none of us can foresee the future and if we are blessed with the health and body to continue. And those of you in your fifties - you are still in the normal range of being able to compete, train and do anything you want…it is not remarkable at all!!! We can always tell the ‘younger’ posters here, when 50 is oldish.
My idol was our whip - whipping in at 72, through all weathers.
OK, I have to say it.
For those of you planning on “stepping down” to driving, reconsider.
It is as much work, if not MORE than riding - add in harness & cart to the Get Ready routine.
And in a clinic with Muffy Seaton - http://www.muffyseaton.com/ -
I once asked how you stop a runaway - being familiar with bailing off a runaway riding horse.
Her answer:
“Aim for something solid.”
Think about having only your voice & hands to control a horse - even a mini is still stronger than you will ever be.
I’ve had a total of 8 driving lessons & the one clinic & even though I had more fun than I imagined, I realize driving is by no means safer than riding.
And yes, I admit even at 64yo, I still intend seeing if my Hackney Pony can be re-introduced to the cart after a wreck that had the former owner giving him to Noob Driver me for a companion.
Well put, 2 dogs.
At 61, the thought of trying to control a horse with just reins and my voice scares the hell out of me. I’d much rather be astride.
If I reach a point when I can no longer ride, I’ll hang out at the barn. give scritches and carrots and tell lies. That’s my plan. :yes:
Until one or more of the following occurs:
A. Death
B. Major disability
C. I get smart/sane enough to realize that horses are a pain in the butt.
Pretty much what everyone else said. Ride until either physically unable or dead.
Possibly even then.
As long as I’m able to get off, I’ll be able to get on. At 66 I think I’m the oldest at my barn, but there are a couple of 64 year olds. Since I’m planning on working until 70 so I can get the max from social security, I’m figuring I should be able to keep riding that long. then of course, I’ll stick with my now 20-year-old Paint gelding, who looks to have many years left. So he may outlast me. Who knows, but I"m willing to find out.
When I got my first horse I planned to die owning horses.
Then my Multiple Sclerosis reared its head. It took my YEARS to finally realize that, because of my disabilities I would never again be able to take care of my horses adequately. My last horse died 7 years ago.
Now I ride other people’s horses (and pay for it.) I HAVE to ride if I am to have any hope of staying out of a nursing home or being an intolerable burden to my loved ones. So long as I can walk and do all the bathroom stuff I can live with just my husband and some help from a son. This year I had to go several months without much riding and I was losing my ability to get around safely and securely. I have to ride to keep walking, and I dread the day when there may not enough money for me to ride three times a week.
Is life really worth living without horses? I hope to ride horses until the day I die.
[QUOTE=Sandy M;7668839]
Heck, I’m almost 69 and still working on my bronze (got the 1st and 2nd level scores long ago, but old horse got too arthritic before we showed 3rd and I had to start over. Showing present horse 2nd level now.) Anyhoo…barring a health issue, I hope to keep going as long as possible, and - wow - only 11 years to the Century Club. ROFLOL I do agree that if you stop, it’s probably a lot harder to start again, so I don’t intend to ever stop. Now - if reality steps in in terms of finances, I would hope I could at least half-lease a horse to keep going…but for now, it’s me and my horse for the foreseeable future.[/QUOTE]
Well, Sandy, you rule. With handicapping, you’ve won the best rider in the universe award. 
I creak and groan a lot right now!
The Century Award in dressage is for when they rider and the horse’s age reach 100. My Appy was 30 and still doing I-1, so he would have been a great one to do that on before I lost him.
As long as I can crawl on and off.
I agree that the key is continuing to ride throughout life. I’ve ridden for 26 of my 40 years, and plan to keep on keeping on as long as I can.
Threads like this make me feel bad for taking a break over the past few weeks! I don’t want to lose my mojo!
