Sniff… Sniff… [Stands up self-righteously :)] My new-to-me jaded veteran improves every time I ride him and is rewarding beyond my expectations, because he is so delighted to be back in interesting work and not being ridden by a different camp kid every day for six weeks then thrown back in a field for 10 months. (Well, he kind of misses the 24/7 pasture aspects of his former life).
Of course, I don’t think he is what the OP is looking for, but I can never help myself when it comes to geting on a soapbox about the oldies.