Our old man helped our neighbor’s little girl win the all around buckle when she was 9 and he was 25 and still sound and healthy and fat and was the same at 30, when he had a pasture mishap and injured his knee beyond repair.
Wish there were more like him around.
I would go by what you see in the horse, not the age itself.
If you can’t tell, have a vet tell you what they see, but still it will be up to you if to take a chance.
I was given an 18 year old pony who was a school and lease pony until he was 30, still showing and jumping, then he semi- retired to be my daughter’s first pony. He retired for real at 34, and I put him down at 35 when arthritis compromised his quality of life.
I would give anything to find another like him. I would consider anything healthy and sound with no ongoing issues up to early 20s.
When I went to check out our hony what sold me was how he was oblivious of what was going on around him. The lady brought her young son out with her to show us the horse. When she was riding in the indoor her kid was shuffling around the arena in the sand and was very distracting and noisy. The little horse didn’t miss a beat and just kept on going and it was obvious she was a novice rider too. I brought that to my husband’s attention. It wasn’t so much how he moved or carried himself but it was his disposition and demeanor. I don’t even think I got on to ride him. His personality sold himself.
[QUOTE=tangledweb;7813516]
If you are going to be paying $500pm to board a permanently lame horse then an old horse is riskier than a young one.[/QUOTE]
Actually, given the suicidal nature of horses and their ability to foist that nature upon us without notice, I don’t think older versus younger poses any more risk for lameness. First, in my experience, I’ve known far more horses to develop career ending lameness at ages 8 and under than 18 and older. Exception being things like pasture accidents which can happen regardless of age. Second, when they reach the ‘age of reason’ and have been there and done that and survived, they are less prone to silly horse reactions like imagining lions and tigers and bears in the woods.
A friend hunts a 29 year old TB every week. He chomps at the bit and is always ready to hunt. He does get shots of Legend and Purina Ultium, the only concession to his sound, senior citizen status.
[QUOTE=arlosmine;7813542]
Not all riding schools are “cold hearted”…feeling the need to defend:[/QUOTE]
If I thought they were I would have just said “riding school” and not needed the qualifier. You can put away your pitchforks.
[QUOTE=Manni01;7813357]
I got an 18 year old pony for my son and she is adorable. now she is 20 totally sound and my sone loves her to pieces… Our only problem is that he grew quite a bit :([/QUOTE]
Yeah, I was wondering about your statement that the horse would probably live out its life with you.
If it’s a good horse for a kid, why not make sure it passes on to another kid, once your child has outgrown it?
I mean, good on you to be thinking about possible retirement, etc., and thinking about what it may take to retire a horse within your ownership. I don’t mean to discourage that sensible thinking. Just pointing out that if you find a gem that’s good for one kid, it may have several other kids to teach before calling it quits.
In pony club, we handed these gems down, rather than hiding them in our back pastures (mostly because we didn’t have pastures, but partly because they were great first horses for many different children.)
[QUOTE=are[/QUOTE]
I do agree with you in a way, but on the other hand she is adorable and a darling 
[IMG]http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad152/Gretaundlucky/IMG_2355.jpg)
and she is although she is 20 still a agile pony. I talked to a family who were looking for a pony because there previous pony got tendonites 3 weeks after they got it, because they obviously turned it out in a huge pasture all by himself and it was running around like crazy… And they blamed the previous owner for it… I think this pony was euthanized not long after, because they did not care to wait for a long time for the tendons to heal… After I talked to this lady I decided I would rather keep our pony. I could not stand the thought that somebody without knowledge would kill her even without wanting it… I know thats the wrong thought and she would love a kid of her own… She loves kids and is so careful with them… So if the right kid and family shows up I would have no problems with giving her to a new family… But so far nobody has And I am quite happy to ride her… She is schooling 2nd level dressage so we have fun
One of the school horses at my barn is 31. He’s an Arabian, in great weight, gets regular body work, going strong. He packs the little ones with aplomb, and offers up flying changes and piaffe if you know what you’re doing. He works 5 days a week.
Well my daughter is 9 and currently rides a 14 year old packer of a pony and I am hoping if I can get her sound to transition my daughter to my 25 year old wonderful hunter. I feel like nobody could teach my kiddo better how to transition to a bigger horse and adjust to bigger strides etc.
As far as why she’s off she slipped and fell in her pasture a few weeks ago on some wet grass. Went down Bambi style and pulled a few pelvic muscles. If she comes back she most certainly has a date with a 9 year old. I just love her.
For a timid beginner, I would look at anything up to 25. I have a student who just bought a 22 year old who is perfect for her. She sounds exactly like your daughter, and after 2 months she’s already cantering little cross rails for fun.
IMO, if you find the right fit for a timid beginner in a 16 year old horse, you’re still going to have to replace him in a couple years. So if you have a retirement plan for a 30 year old horse, you’ll probably get the same amount of use out of him.
As others said, if they have made it to 20 sound and happy, they’re likely to maintain that through their golden years.
Why not have her eye removed? It doesn’t cost much and can often be done on the farm. End of problem, end of pain.
You might want to discuss this option with the barn managers but don’t be surprised if they blow you off. Most large lesson barns I’m familiar with don’t want to spend any more on their schoolies than the bare minimum (feed/trimming). It’s business first to most of these people. If the horse/pony can no longer do the job or a medical problem that will cut into their profits to fix - off it goes.
A friend just put her 42 year old down this year.
She started him under saddle at 2 went on to win many all around saddles with him, was her daughter’s high school horse that she won much with and is older than her daughter.
He was still being ridden by kids up to 35 years old, when they retired him and didn’t look old until the last few years.
If you find the right horse, age alone should not be a concern for what you want, but first that he be suitable, at whatever age he may be.
My first pony was 17 when I got her, sound as a dollar and would run off with me regularly :lol: But she was the safest thing I’ve ever sat on and would pack me around any course I pointed her at. She certainly taught me to have a quiet seat and how to ride a sensitive horse! She was sound until 19 when she tore her ACL in a pasture accident. However she came back sound and I showed her for several more years until I outgrew her. I put her down at 26 due to some chronic dental complications that were unresolvable and finally reached a point where they were impacting her quality of life.
[QUOTE=Beverley;7813684]
Second, when they reach the ‘age of reason’ and have been there and done that and survived, they are less prone to silly horse reactions like imagining lions and tigers and bears in the woods.[/QUOTE]
Please tell this to my 19 yr old TB who put his legs through the pasture fence last week because he doesn’t like his neighbor. Ive had him for a decade and every birthday I think “This is the year he’ll grow some sense”. It’s never the year. :lol:
Last weekend I went to visit a pony I leased for a few years in elementary school, when I was 9 and he was in his teens. I’m now 23 and he’s somewhere around 30, retired from lessons, keeping a TB company and teaching walk-trot to two little kids. I hopped on him bareback and he was more than happy to canter around the arena with me and even throw a few sassy pony bucks. Then I got off and he politely trotted around with a 5 year old on his back.
(Required photo of pony kisses.)
He’s never been unsound a day in his life and miraculously pulled through a bout of pneumonia a few years ago. I think he’ll outlive us all. I also rode a wonderful 20 yr old QH mare for a time, who had mellowed out of her chestnut mare silliness but was still smart, sweet, sound and athletic. And I rode an upper-teens Connemara mare in high school who could have woken up any morning and jumped around a Novice event course. I love the older ones.
[QUOTE=CaitlinandTheBay;7814129]
Please tell this to my 19 yr old TB who put his legs through the pasture fence last week because he doesn’t like his neighbor. Ive had him for a decade and every birthday I think “This is the year he’ll grow some sense”. It’s never the year. :lol:[/QUOTE]
Oh, well, yes, I had one that I retired from foxhunting at 26. I hoped through his teens that by the time he was 21 or so he’d be a gentleman, but I was wrong. Not that he was evil, just didn’t particularly think he needed any human guidance on how to stay with hounds.
Here is some advice: Keep child in lessons.
[QUOTE=Beverley;7814315]
Oh, well, yes, I had one that I retired from foxhunting at 26. I hoped through his teens that by the time he was 21 or so he’d be a gentleman, but I was wrong. Not that he was evil, just didn’t particularly think he needed any human guidance on how to stay with hounds.[/QUOTE]
Sigh. So there is no hope? I figured as much. Well, if he’s going to be an asshat, at least he’s a sound and loveable asshat.
Another vote for the older horse/pony. As long as the kid is respectful and not looking to ride beyond the condition of the horse. I have known many wise horsey folks who have chosen the older, wiser, well trained horses. I forgot which of the seen on DVD$ and on tour cowboy trainers who bought his 4year old a 28 yo been there done that ranch horse.
I knew a woman who used a 52 yo POA in a few lessons a week for her beginners. And A friend who took in a skinny POA rescue and then spent lots of money taking out his diseased eye…well into his late 20’s if not 30…why? because he was a great sitter who would shift himself to stay under her unsteady daughter and tolerate bow and braids in exchange for a treat.
I talked someone into providing temporary place for an ancient skinny auction find…months later the new owner called to thank me for a gem of a horse.
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