I am in my 60’s and actively hunting multiple horses. Aside from having debilitating diseases, I think the key is staying fit and active. I see a lot of seniors who just kind of give up and I think that starts a very downward cycle. So I work out a lot in addition to riding. I figure I will hunt the younger of my two foxhunters another 10-12 years, God willing, and then retire. At least that is what I think now. Maybe I’ll add another horse, who knows.
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So, I’m going to be 67 in December. 2 horses around 20 years old. Trail ride several days a week. Taking care of an 84 acre place on my own since Mr Jeano dies in June.
Severe osteoarthritis in hands and ankle. Two partial knee replacements, rotator cuff repair.
In good shape apart from orthopedic issues. I’m pretty sure I’ll end up getting another horse when my current horses die or can’t be ridden. I’ve started browsing horse ads.
None of us know how long we’ll stay competent or fit enough. I recall a couple examples of horsemen I’d like to emulate.
One gentleman rode at my local State Park in OH 25 years ago. Always accompanied by an entourage of grown grandsons. Old guy had obviously had a stroke and was noticeably impaired on one side. Grandsons would carefully boost him into the saddle, granddad would get the reins in his strong hand and leave in a cloud of dust while the young men scrambled to mount and catch up with him.
Other horseman was technically a muleskinner. Saw him at a rodeo in Eastern OR 20+years ago. 80 if he was a day and beat his own granddaughter barrel racing.
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I think I’m going to find myself in a situation to think about getting a new horse when I’m in my mid-60s. I’m currently 52 and my main horse is 12. I don’t think I’ll be ready to quit riding by then, so will have to do some serious thinking about my riding future and what is a suitable horse. Until now, I have always acquired my horses when unbroken or very green and trained them myself. Hopefully, I have my mother’s genes. If she was a rider, she would still be doing just fine at 75. She is healthy and does yoga, aerobics, and pickleball each week.
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Oddly, I never really contemplated the question when I was younger. Then, as I entered my 60s, my horse was retired and then died. I am a one-horse-at-a-time rider who has to board out. I thought I was done. I hadnt ridden really in 6 or 7 years. Then my old BO (from before retirement farm) called and bullied me into riding a horse at her place. It was humbling as things really dont come back to you quickly at that age! Anyway, a search for a new school horse for her led to me buying a green 6 year old when I was 63. He is likely my last but I plan to continue riding as long as we are both (serviceably) sound. helps to board and not have to do farm chores - tho the BO is in her 70s and still riding! :yes:
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A good friend of mine is approaching 78 and still rides (trails) several times a week. She has an LQ and camps with her horse, keeps them at home and does all the horse chores too. I’m 61 and still going strong although I could be in better shape physically, I take weekly lessons and event. My cousin thinks I should stop riding because I fell off and got a little banged up (just sore, nothing broken), I told him not on your life! They’ll have to pry the reins from my cold dead fingers before I quit riding.
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I am 61, in fairly good shape, own/run/work a small boarding barn and like to think of myself as an advanced rider when I was younger. However, I’ve realized that it takes a lot of work, time, energy and money to keep at the same level and I’m just not interested in that anymore.
I’ve ridden a lot of horses since I was a kid but only bought my first one in my late 30’s. I lost him when he was 22, five years ago and, looking back, I realize that I lost a lot of my passion in riding. When he died, I “borrowed” my friend’s horse who did not want to do her discipline (or any discipline for that matter) and decided I wanted a challenge to see if I could “change” his attitude. We now ride occasionally in the arena, trot a few fences and go on trail rides but my heart is just not into it anymore. I still find enjoyment in riding but the most enjoyment I get now is taking care of the horses.
I occasionally miss my abilities and watch other riders have issues and think, “I could have dealt with that”, or even want to try a problem horse but I realize my skills are not there anymore. So, sometimes it’s not physical limitations that stop us, but mental ones.
As others have said, change happens.
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I’m 68 and definitely slowing down. Things ache now, but I can usually power through it with the help of a couple of Advil. My horses are well trained and seasoned trail horses; I sold my show horse in the summer when I decided to move and would no longer be showing. That took a lot of pressure off of me to keep in training. And I won’t have access to my trainer’s indoor this winter, so will take the winter off for the first time in years.
I generally enjoy barn chores, and love being around to oversee the care of my horses. I hope to continue well into my 70’s. It would be great to keep riding until my 3 horses are ready to retire as well. They’re 14, 12 and 10. Then they’ll live out their days with me, and I’ll just write checks to someone I hire to maintain my property.
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I am 57 and acquired a just turned 2 year old, who I think ( hope) will last me as long as I can ride. My mare is 16 now so I knew I needed one more probably.
I think as long as the horse is a safe type ride and my body holds out, I plan on riding till I am physically unable.
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My father rode until he was 78. Honestly, he could’ve gone a bit longer if he would’ve just cooled his jets. He was jumping 3’ on a big WB until his last day in the saddle. He just didn’t want to ride if he couldn’t jump. He never could find the pleasure in a lovely trail ride or flatwork. For me, it’s totally different. I’m hoping I’ve inherited the Forever Young gene, but I’ll be perfectly happy shuffling down the trail on a nice, old quarter pony.
That said, his horse was in a full care situation. He never had to groom, tack, untack, bathe, or do any farm work. That probably would’ve been too much for him.
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You are too old to ride when issues of age stop you from riding.
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My friend is a bit past half into the seventies, still cares for his own farm and livestock.
He trains 2-3 roping horses in the arena in the evenings, after working all day.
Last month he has been shipping cattle and helping everyone else ship theirs.
Some day he may slow down, just has not yet.
Aging is determined by more than a number on the calendar of our lives.
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Jeano I am so sorry to read about your husband. Good to see you posting. I’m browsing horse ads too!
You know maybe we could share some ideas on how to keep going in our horse endeavors as we age. One thing I do is use my riding lawn mower to chop up and spread manure rather than use a wheel barrow to pick it up. I can leave the truck and trailer hooked up most of the time. I can leave the horses in one area and put hay down in another so I don’t get pushed over. And my hay in the summer is on pallets close to where I feed so no long walk to the barn with hay. I am very fortunate to have a daughter who lives nearby and has started unloading my hay just this spring. Helps so much.
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I am 65. I have had a myriad of physical issues over the last 6 years (surgery on both feet, total hip, laminectomy for bulging disc, tailbone removal…). I have finally been able to ride this entire year:D. My horse is a very low mileage 18yo. My plan is to quit when she is gone. Hopefully we have at least another 10 years of riding left. For me, more than the riding aspect is the horse keeping aspect. Boise has become a very popular place to live. Decent boarding is disappearing at an alarming rate. If at the point she is gone, I still have the desire to ride, I will look for a half lease situation.
It it will be a major change. I have owned at least one horse since I was in 9th grade but I very much realize that the change to being horseless is going to happen sometime and I hope I have been planning for it.
Susan
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Don’t want to edit it wanted to add that physically, for me, riding keeps me fitter and less achy than other forms of exercise. As long as I have a horse and can throw a leg over, I plan to keep riding.
Susan
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I watched three classes of Show Hunters - light, middleweight and heavyweight - at the Horse of the Year Show a couple of years ago. There were between 30 and 40 horses in each class. In the UK, one of the two judges rides every animal as a part of the assessment before they confer about places. For some weird reason I enjoyed more than 6 hours of Show Hunters, not least seeing how the Ride Judge got a song out of every horse as he repeated the same manoeuvres on each, including a gallop. At the end of the classes the announcer thanked the Ride Judge, who had ridden and assessed a total of 97 animals, and then congratulated him on having his 70th birthday that very day.
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I am 74, my horse 22. We are both still reasonably sound for our ages and enjoy trail riding. I hope he is with me for some time but do think he will be the last horse I own. That doesn’t preclude half leasing if I want to continue to ride when he is no longer able.
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I am 68 and the youngest of the four older riders in our barn. The others are 69, 70, and mid 70s, I think. Three of us are still competing - me in dressage, one in saddle seat, and one western. We are all riding purebred Arabs or Arab crosses. I’ve been a re-rider now for 11 years and only rarely think about how old I guess I really am. I am fortunate to have good health and have tried to do some things lately like lose a lot of weight to improve my fitness. Yoga was a great support to my riding too, in pre-COVID days.
While I board my two, I still do lots of physical labor on the family farm. It contributes to fitness and got me lots of great vegetables this year which also helped with the weight loss.
I guess my best strategy is denial - I don’t think about what other people my age are doing and don’t think about my age too much. As long as I feel good and am having a good time, I’m keeping on. Being around horses, riding, and horse tourism are major contributors to my mental health and I ain’t quittin’ any of it any time soon!!!
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I’m 62 and my main riding horse is 18 (how did THAT happen??) I hope we have another ten years at least. I want to join the Century Club with her. My new big pony is 13, and I expect I’ll be riding her until I can’t throw a leg over any more. 90?
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