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Talk to me about the older event horse

Eventing
#1

I was recently given the amazing opportunity to own a former advanced level eventer. My goals consist of staying mounted while doing beginner novice so even though he is older and has had an injury it’s a perfect match. I adore him and he’s given me back my confidence and enjoyment with riding (I could write an entire post about that but I digress …)

I was chatting with my trainer tonight about him in general and she mentioned keeping him in light consistent work to keep him sound and happy, especially with winter coming. Thankfully he’s in my backyard and I have a little riding ring with lights so I should be able to keep him going.

It did get me thinking that I’ve never managed an older horse in work. My 20 year old OTTB has been totally retire for close to a decade (back injury) and my other horses are younger.

I plan on starting Adaquan , but what else do I need to know about keeping my fine wine eventer happy and healthy for years to come ?

#2

This is us by the way, I don’t like to play favorites , but I adore him !

75202D86-E6C6-4EFE-939E-E0F937B31218.jpeg

14 Likes
#3

Lots of hacking - do you have any trails or fields that will be available for winter hacks? Or is he road safe? Even if your ring footing freezes (sorry not sure where you are but you say “winter” so I’m assuming it gets cold :smiley: ) you can usually safely walk them. I find it keeps them fit and limber, and also mentally refreshed.

If you’re doing ring work, a good walk warmup (at least 10 minutes) will help him loosen up cold muscles and get his joints moving more fluidly. I found with mine that poles also helped - he’s got mild hock arthritis, and articulating the joints more over poles seemed to help him get loose faster in the winter.

You might want to consider a Back on Track sheet too - it seems to help them from getting stiff muscles.

p.s. he’s very cute!

3 Likes
#4

Good nutrition is key. You may want to do Legend as well as Adaquan but I would discuss that with your vet. I also like KER’s supplement Contribute. http://kppusa.com/product/contribute/

He might like a Back on Track blanket. I use the mesh sheet and then use it as a bottom layer when I put on more blankets. And get a good quarter sheet.

Lots of walking and stretching work. Give him lots of time to warm up.

Good luck with him! Will be great to see you out eventing again!

1 Like
#5

Im in Maryland so it will definitely freeze for a while. I do have 65 acres around me I can hack and I’m about 5 miles (trailer) to Fair Hill. My neighbor also had an indoor I can use. He’s a bit silly with somethings , gets those warmblood bug eyes, but I think he’ll be ok to hack. I also have an old appy I can have someone ride along with me.

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#6

I have an older horse 25 almost 26. I evented him until he was 24 and it was more for me that I stopped jumping him. The best thing is to keep him moving. I try not to give him more than a couple of days off a week. I also vary the intensity of work. So hard day then an easy day.

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#7

I have 2 “fine wine” eventers. The older one is a retired 3* horse. He is 27 this year. The younger is 25 now and was an UL dressage horse before turning his hoof to eventing. Here are a few things I can tell you about what’s worked best for my guys…

  1. He knows much more than you. When you’re schooling or taking a lesson, keep this in mind. The practice you’re doing is for you, not for him. Keep repetitions to a minimum and don’t worry about always ending on a good note. End on some small success if you need to. This will help keep down wear and tear.

  2. Let him live out as much as possible. Mine are out 24/7 and it makes a big difference in their mobility and general comfort.

  3. He’s probably a bit quirky and that’s ok. My oldest is a grouch and NOT a let the pony kind of dude. He’s happiest if you leave him be unless it’s necessary. Learn to love the quirks and don’t tey to change him.

  4. Thank him every day for the gift of teaching you something. Even if it is to keep your heels down and eyes up or he will deposit you gracefully at the base of a fence.

  5. Be proactive with your maintenance. Don’t let him get uncomfortable before you address even something small.

  6. Learn all you can from him because those old dudes are priceless.

Enjoy the ride, it’s a very special thing to sit on a horse with an education like that.

15 Likes
#8

Yes!

I transitioned him to living out 24/7 with a stall he can go in when he chooses. He is a weaver and they were treating him for ulcers but he doesn’t seem girthy anymore now that he’s out and doesn’t weave. I thankfully have a mini donkey so she is his companion because he doesn’t like being alone, she never leaves the field so he’s happy as a clam!

He is VERY quirky, god forbid I ask him to walk over a ground pole… but he’ll jump anything :lol: It’s funny because I’m a pretty timid rider and I was worried his spookiness might bother me but he never actually spooks, just gives things bug eyes.

It’s been a huge change for me riding wise. I’ve been struggling for 3 years with a lovely OTTB that was just honestly too much for me, especially over fences. The flat work wasn’t enjoyable and I was just discouraged every ride. Even when we evented or went x country it was more like “I survived!” rather than “I had fun”. With Music I can sit back (and sit up) and just work on myself and ENJOY what I’m doing. I look forward to riding.

5 Likes
#9

Mine ended a long Show Jumping career to event with me from ages 20-24. She was on 24/7 turnout, pentosan, massages and MSM. I took conditioning very seriously at the Novice level because you want those older horses to be 100% prepared fitness wise for what you’re asking. She did 2 Novice 3 days (age 22 and 23) and after her 10 min vitals check she was released both times with no additional re-checks.

She really did best on what I termed an ebb and flow. I would give 2 weeks off after Pony Club champs and 2 weeks off when I was gone for Christmas, then otherwise keep her working though often quite lightly. After the Christmas break she’d be in light flatwork with no jumping for another month before I got remotely serious. I think long breaks are harder on the old ones to return from. After every event she’d get 2 days off. No jump schooling the week of an event. Once a week jumping, This all kept her sound that whole time then a hoof problem caught up to her in the same leg with some ringbone and she had to retire.

Enjoy him! Mine was a SJ genius with no clue how to dressage (and no desire) or go XC, but she was endlessly game and so easy to take places. I miss that immensely now that I have a 7 year old bone head.

1 Like
#10

I would make sure to do a few things.
-24/7 turnout, or if you can’t do that, do night turnout
-looking into equioxx
-do not give him long periods of time off, but do give him a break over winter (I would think less than 6 weeks, at least that’s what I do with my 20 yo)
-keep his BCS on the low end of average. This may go against every bone in your body that wants to see so meat on his ribs, but you will do more damage keeping him heavy than keeping him trim
-I do twice yearly lameness work ups to make sure I can identify issues before they blow up
-embrace the quirks :wink:

Good luck. How luck you are to have the opportunity to ride a horse that can show you the ropes!!

#11

I’m also riding a former prelim horse and just dinking around the lower levels. He’s a 19 year old quarter horse and, unfortunately, where I board 24/7 turnout is not an option. He’s on daily equioxx and getting PEMF treatments when possible. I plan to set him up for a chiro appointment in the next couple of weeks. He doesn’t really have many quirks other than being a klutz over some bounce cavallettis ha ha. He’s definitely making me a stronger rider because he is not a point and shoot kind of guy. You have to ride every fence and keep leg on. Hopefully I can keep him going for another year or two and should barring anything unforeseen happening.

#12

Congratulations, he sounds lovely! I have a 20 year old who (knock on wood) feels and looks great with minimum maintenance. Doing lower level (BN/N) eventing. Everyone has given you great advice. Keeping them moving is very important, especially in the cold. Mine is (again, knock on wood) in overall good health and seems to benefit most from steady work, regular chiropractic, and regular massages. Pricey but he’s worth it. Though I would like a massage myself sometime. . .

#13

Just had to retire my former eventer who’s in his early twenties, and I agree with so much of the advice here! For me, one of the most important things that probably took me longer to learn than it should have was that more frequent but shorter rides are the way to go, especially with older horses. I would also recommend walking at least twenty minutes before doing work in the winter. I went from my older horse to a horse in his early teens that can start out cold-backed and is on the tense side for dressage, and walking makes such a big difference. I usually do 10-15 minutes of hacking then 5-10 minutes of “work” (leg yields, serpentines, free walk, shorter walk, spiral in, etc.) at the walk before trotting.

I’d also second the advice of keeping him fit and being mindful of time off. I really had to stay on top of fitness with my old horse even when we were just doing BN/N. Before he retired, he also had to get a month off for a minor injury, and he never came back the same. If you have to give time off, be patient and go slow when getting back into work, as well.

Enjoy him! I only had four years with my horse before I had to retire him since I got him at twenty, but he took me from barely knowing how to jump a course to showing novice and schooling training xc and stadium questions and 2nd level dressage.

The one regret I have with him is not scaling back his work sooner. Now he is loving his retirement as a trail horse, but he was happily schooling training cross country five months before he retired. Sometimes their heart is still in it when their body isn’t, which is a really hard thing to recognize. Definitely be careful of even small issues and don’t be afraid to overthink it since it’s best to take care of things early on!

#14

This is totally my type of post! You’ve got a lot of great advice here, but I’ll chime in with my personal experience.

My guy is 24 - he’s a former CCI3* eventer (old classification system) and 1.30 jumper. I’ve had him for ~15 years and his needs have changed dramatically. In his older years, these three things that have kept him the most healthy & comfortable are: (1) consistent work; (2) good nutrition; and (3) joint supplements/injections.

My guy never gets a “true” day off. He’s out of his stall every single day moving around. I let him set the pace. If he’s feeling good, maybe we pop over a few jumps or do some lateral work. If not, maybe we do a short hack and a trail ride. If your horse is in your yard and has more space to walk around, that’s even better. Also when we were competing, I was pretty conservative with how often I ran him, which I think helped him in the later years. People think it’s silly that my (very well behaved and well trained) 24 year old horse is in full training, but honestly, since there aren’t any good pasture board options in my area, it’s my best way to ensure he’s getting at least a good hour of moving his body correctly each day.

My horse started losing muscle pretty fast in his early 20s and nutrition was the key to shaping his body up again. Really good quality hay and supplements helped a lot. His muscle tone was better, topline improved, and he had more energy and enthusiasm when being ridden. IMO he needed more protein than he used to. Adding a probiotic to his feed also helped with some digestive issues he started to develop in the last year. I also had to get my saddles refitted (and had to buy a new dressage saddle) because his back had changed so much. It’s something to be cognizant of - you want to give them every chance to be their best self.

Lastly, my horse gets yearly hock injections and monthly Legend. He also gets daily Equioxx and Platinum Performance CJ. This maintenance is expensive, but it makes a huge difference. The day my horse starts to feel uncomfortable in his body despite all this maintenance, I’ll know it’s time for him to phase down. But as long as he seems happy to work, I’ll try my best to support him. As you are well aware, the old guys have a lot to give and teach us :slight_smile:

Regular chiropractic work also helps, but results can vary. I’ve had some chiros I thought were miracle workers, and others who I didn’t think did a damn thing. Back on Track products are also great. I’ve got the mesh blanket and it’s perfect for the wintertime.

Hope this is helpful!

1 Like
#15

I retired my older horse from eventing at age 17/18 (Preliminary level), but I continued to ride him daily, lots of trail riding, hunter-jumper shows (but not dressage - he hated it! LOL). He was still doing 3’6"- 4’ classes at 20, and could have continued, but I thought for his sake, that was enough and gave him to a friend as a trail horse. He lived to be almost 28. He could easily have continued doing low level eventing well into his 20s. Myf friend took him to schooling shows for fun when he was around 24-25. He found the low fences boring, but won his classes! Keeping them active is paramount. I was fortunate with this horse - as was my friend - that his hocks fused early and he never needed injections. He did get regular chiro, but his needs were otherwise minimal. Great horse. An Appy.

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#16

My old intermediate horse is 23, he completely retired last September despite being completely sound because I was essentially gone for 3 months and had no one to keep him in work. I accepted that before I went away that he was officially retired. Use it or loose it really applies to the older guys when it comes to their condition and muscle. During his semi retirement my sister was competing him at BN/N. They maybe did 20 minutes of dressage in a lesson once a week, and jumped very occasionally. Other than that they hacked and hacked and hacked. Once you start to figure out the dressage and jumping buttons, as someone else above said, the practice being done is for you. They know all the stuff. My sister said her biggest problem xc schooling or competing was reminding him that the log on the ground was their jump, not the big tables :lol:. Mine was and still is very quirky, to handle and ride. He used to get mad if someone insisted he go the BN/N speed. He liked to set off at a very brisk canter/slow gallop and you’d better not tell him otherwise. My sister became the master of big sweeping turns.

Lots of turnout, good diet, not getting fat, being proactive with maintenance. Back on Tack products are wonderful. If you ask my guy he’s also say treats are key to longevity.

1 Like
#17

Congratulations, what a great start at your first show together! Isn’t it nice to ride a horse that gives you such confidence? Enjoy him.

#18

@Meredith Clark As someone who lives in Maryland with no indoor, I am also concerned about keeping my old guy going. This year has been so wet, and I am worried this winter will be tougher than last winter. I brought a long winter coat designed for riding, and I am going to try and get my but out there doing something at least 3 days a week.

Looking at the video, I see your guy has a long back, and it is so hard to regain topline in a n older horse, nevermind adding a long back to the mix. So as @North Dakota said, you gotta use it, or he’s going to lose it. Hill work and transitions on the flat are very helpful. Last winter I did lots of “candy ribbon serpentines” to get my horse supple in both directions, while working through his back and steering off my seat and leg, rather than my hand. Despite being 20 y/o, in the winter he gets super spicy and likes to run away with me, so the constant change of direction made him use his brain and slow his feet. With the big, long warmbloods it can be tough to keep their whole body connected and I find that using the shape of the figure that you are riding is much more effective at keeping their bodies together than trying to nag the horse into using his whole body.

#19

Can we please have photos of him and the minions?
He can do a lot for you but you are doing a lot for him. I think these older guys do so much better and are so much happier keeping a job than just going out on pasture.
As far as the hay net, check out COTH thread on the evil burrito and his bag shenanigans.

4 Likes
#20

Just chiming in to say Congratulations to OP! What a treat, to get such an experienced horse, and he sounds lovely to boot!
I love reading about all these “older” horses that are in great shape and still doing what they like :slight_smile:

My Ottb mare was never a top level eventer but at 20 yo she looks (and sometimes rides!) like a 6 year old. I bought her at the track when he was 4 and she’s been with me ever since, and I know her inside out :slight_smile:

I give her as much turnout as I can in winter, and she lives outside April-November with a couple pals. Even after 4 months off this past summer (nothing wrong with her, just personal stuff I needed to deal with), she came back quickly and easily.
We don’t compete anymore and we mostly do what she likes to do.
She actually likes dressage and learning new stuff, and it keeps her supple and sound. We don’t jump much anymore, even though she LOVES it, as I worry about her soundness. She is on a complete joint supplement for senior horses, and on U-gard. I’ve never had to inject her joints but I have given her Adequan or Pentosan IM when I felt she needed it.

Knocking on wood and all fingers and toes crossed that she will keep going like this for a good while! In any case, she is with me til she dies.

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