Last weekend, I attended an auditor-oriented clinic on lateral work There were 3 demo riders showing various different things. One rider was the barn owner, a AA showing various AA issues, riding her 22 year old Dutch schoolmaster. That horse was initially shown as a jumper, then shown through I1 and sold as a schoolmaster. She is ridden 5 days/week by AA or the trainer giving the clinic and you’d never know she was 22. I asked what the age was and everyone gasped upon learning the answer. The trainer modifies the training to keep her sound and happy as a schoolmaster at 22. I’d say the rider is riding her to learn second and third level. The horse is very forward and energetic!
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I love this!
We have three currently.
19 yr old who showed thru I1 schools all the GP but hasn’t been in the show ring last few years due to owners situation. He gets stifle injections once a year. He’s a draft cross, registered Canadian WB. In our barn since he was 4
15 year old who showed GP two seasons ago with me and owner is set to hopefully show the GP this year. Lots of body work and just started hock injections in the last year. He’s KWPN by Sir Sinclair out of a Consul mare. (I could be misremembering the dam sire) in our barn since he was 3
16 year old OLD PSG horse bought as a schoolmaster and showed 3rd and 4th last year. Hopefully his owner set to show 4th and PSG to this year. He gets hocks and stifles injected 2x yearly. We bought him about a year and half ago after a 6 month lease.
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19 YO Danish Gelding currently doing 4th and eyeing a move back up to PSG this year. He needs some maintenance (especially in his neck) but he’s continued to add strength in his advancing years.
We have another 19 year old and a 20 year old in our program still going strong, plus a few more 15-17 year olds.
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I am so loving this thread. It’s really making me think twice about a 23 year old (coming 24) and sound GP horse I was offered. I passed due to his age. Hmm… 
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Do sound retired dressage horses count ? I have two - 27 and 29 yrs old.
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You will undoubtedly have the best few months or years of your life riding him. The question is are you able to handle (financially and emotionally) the inevitable retirement and / or health issues.
I got my FEI mare at when she was 22. 13 months later I lost her to a strangulating lipoma. It was a painful and terrifying way for her to spend her last day and the thought of it still makes me feel sick.
BUT I had more fun and learned more from her in one year than in all my years of riding combined, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
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I’m so sorry for your loss. No matter how much we know and accept that colic is a thing that can happen, it never makes the actual experience of it any less shocking or traumatic.
@Mondo, I think the point here is exactly right. We bought my beloved schoolmaster when he was coming 18, and have kept him going (though it’s been a process figuring out exactly what makes him feel his best, and it isn’t a cheap one), but even if he decided tomorrow that he was done, it would have been worth it. I have made more progress in my riding and learned more than I ever could have imagined in a year with him, and it has fundamentally changed the kinds of horses I can ride now and my outlook on the sport. But, you have to be able to live with that risk, and if you can’t, there’s no shame in it.
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Thanks. It was very traumatic, for me and her. She didn’t deserve to spend a minute terrified and in such pain. She was down when our barn owner came in for morning feed and it haunts me to wonder how long she suffered.
However it was also easy in a way to have such a clear and definitive outcome. There was no question in my mind of putting a 23-year-old horse through surgery, no agonizing over what decision to make. I hate that she had any amount of time in pain and alone, but that’s only a few hours out of 23 years where she was cherished and adored every single day of her life. The sudden shock and trauma was awful, but watching a slow decline and wondering when to let them go is gut wrenching too.
And I hate to say this but financially it was better this way too. Had she become unrideable I would have happily supported her through retirement as long as she was happy and comfortable; to me that’s part of the deal when acquiring an aged horse. But it would have meant giving up riding, as I can’t afford two horses.
All these things you have to consider when buying an older horse especially, but honestly any horse. Plenty of 5 year olds have career ending injuries and can eat your money for the rest of their lives too.
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i have a 20 yr GP mare that is still competing at GP. i have had her since birth. some maintenance required. she is hanoverian, feinerstern out of donnershlag/landael mare.
sorry fpr typing erors hurt wrist.
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FWIW Painted Black (Gribaldi/Ferro) was 18 when he competed at the World Cup in Las Vegas in 2015.
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Nintendo just did a fabulous GP test at a CDI in Wellington and he’s now 20. It was his last one and will be officially retired from competition - talk about going out on a high note.
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I agree. Harry Chamberlin of the US Cavalry school in his books recommended this. Two years of the campaign school, gradually introducing more complex stuff at the END of the 2 years. Then the horse is physically fit enough and has good enough endurance to be able to handle more collected work. I think he wrote that the horse was then READY to be trained for more advanced work in whatever field (higher jumping, dressage, endurance, etc.).
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If I recall, some of the SRS stallions do the exhibitions until they are in their 30’s. Here is a stallion that was retired to stud at 40
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Me (altho he is currently leased out to a friend). Bravo is 18, earned me my Bronze and SIlver, just earned my friend her Bronze.
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My guy is about to celebrate his 23rd birthday next week 
Still happily packing us around at 3rd / 4th. Previcox daily and Adequan twice a year. Never had a joint injected.
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That’s quite an accomplishment!
