Pitfalls of an older green horse?

[cutter99]

I just want to say I have four cutting bred horses- two show horses and two using horses and have owned others. The bloodlines here are Doc Quixote, Smart Chic Olena, Holidoc, Quejanaisalena, etc. My show horses are NCHA money earners and will certainly react to a cow, but are the steadiest, most dependable horses you can ask for. I pulled one out of the pasture on Sunday and took him for a trail ride and he had not been ridden since mid-November. He was an absolute angel and could not have been better behaved. The only lunge line I own is in my horse trailer for emergency loading situations and I am too lazy to round pen. I just get on and ride!

Any horse, regardless of bloodlines, can be reactive or quiet depending on training. I, for one, would buy cutting horse bloodlines anytime! And for the record, I no longer show- I only trail ride!

[Two_Fishies]

Two of my four older mares are Doc Quixotes. The first had a chip on her shoulder, but was steady and unflappable. The second is much more reactive, but she’s quiet and calm if her handler is.

[atr]

Last fall, I was “given” (long story) a nice 10 year old appaloosa, very lightly started at 2 and then left to sit, really largely feral–never left his herd, never been in a trailer, never done any of the things a civilized horse should have done…

He’s pretty bright, and was quite easy to do the basic starting with, but really he’s most decidedly not inspired by the thought of actually having to work for a living at his age. He reached a “no!” point that has been challenging to work through, and he’s so easily distracted because he feels the need to be in charge of everything that it’s not funny.

We are working through it, but it is harder than I assumed it would be.

[Simbalism]

I got a horse in Nov because my older mare had been injured. ( she’s 20 this year wasn’t sure if she was going to come sound) Anyway mare was 6 when I bought her. She is an OTTB who had some good starting by her owner/trainer. She did a fair amount of ground work with her and then once backed, trail rode her. She raced (not very succesfully) about 9 times and then hung out in the pasture and pulled out for the occasional trail ride. From the time I got her, I have ridden her in the ring and on trails. She did have a few things that I had to deal with. Her go to “attitude” was to flip her head at you if she didn’t want to do something. With consistant handling this is pretty much gone. She has learned to stand stock still at the mounting block( yep, I’m older- 60 this year) and tie to the trailer. I am now having the trainer across the road help me fine tune her aids in the ring. She had her second training session yesterday and the trainer said she couldn’t believe how much she had improved since last week. I was a little nervous getting an OTTB, but I liked every thing about her, right size, sensible, and was already trail riding with no problem. I think you have to look at the horse in front of you and if your gut tells you it is right go with it.

[Foxtrot_s]

It depends - look at the horse in front of you, not the breed, not the age.

a) Two cobs were raised on the range, untouched. They always had that
“I’d better watch out in case the cougar jumps on me” attitude, and in fact smashed a carriage with their panic attacks.

b) I bought an almost 10 y.o. TB sight unseen. Did not get going on him until he was 10 because I had a child. He had been at the track and turned out because he bucked a shin. He was a hot horse at first, but soon learned to trust. He was a superb field hunter.

This horse bounded up the ranks in eventing, I sold him at 13 as a Young Rider horse ready for Intremediate and won his first Intermediate three months after meeting his new rider. Went Advanced and retired sound after many wins.

While I regretted getting him so late, it probably was for the best. He was mature enough mentally and it may have taken that long to get where he did in the end.

[Foxtrot_s]

Meant to add as a final comment above - trainers like younger horses so they can have a younger horse to sell…it is about money…but all in all, the older ones can be just as good.