Would you buy a 17yr old horse

[MayAwayDay]

I’m 52 and looking for a new horse after selling my youngster as he was too much for me, and needed someone with more energy and time for him.

I’ve seen a few older horses that seem to fit what I’m looking for, particularly a 17yr old mare.

I’ll be retiring in about 5 years time and looking for a horse that will be my final forever horse. They will be with me until either they, or I die

Apart from the likelihood of more vet bills, what else should I be thinking about when buying an older horse?

Yes. Mine is 26.

Cushing a seems to be a bit of a risk as they age. We’ve had our boys for over a decade. The younger one (20) has cancer for the second time on his penis (from sarcoids) so sadly I think we will probably have to call time. Seeing the vet on Friday.

Yes, I would buy a 17 year old if they were sound and did the job I needed. However, I would not think that they would be my last ever horse purchase (if I were only 52).

Oh I’m so sorry to hear this Wallywobbles

Yes I definitely potentially would (although of course would expect purchase price to reflect horse's age). As well as the obvious being circumspect as to how long/extensive the horse's ridden career may be at this age (could be 10 years in full work, could be 10 weeks and then a field ornament), it's mainly management needs, which of course vary hugely horse to horse as well.

She may need more food and more rugging to stay well and warm particularly through winter. There are a bewildering array of supplements and special feeds available to support various needs of older horses e.g. joint supplements, you may wish to consult with a vet or feed expert on what would suit her best. Keep a good eye on the normal things like teeth and physio and saddle fit, she may need extra or more frequent visits. And with my last older mare one of the most difficult things was that increasingly the general yard herd and turnout arrangements which had worked perfectly for her for years started to not suit as well, she started hanging around the gate a lot more, wanting to come in which had never previously been the case and she had a lot more small cuts and scrapes, and lost some condition too - I think basically she was being mildly bullied by the others / had dropped down the pecking order and wanted to come in because she knew she could eat in peace in her stable - I ended up having to play around with her routine and companions and feeding to make sure she got enough food and having to have her in more in winter than I would ideally have liked - all of which can be a bit tricky on a livery yard where you have to negotiate yard politics and they aren't always super flexible, or alternatively if you're on a small private yard choice of field mate not always that easy either.

Yes, I would. I bought an 18 year old when I was 51, and I’ve now had him just over a year. He had a known history, and I did get him vetted. It’s taken a bit of work to sort out his teeth, which weren’t in great condition when I got him, and he loses weight easily, but I don’t regret getting an older chap. He’s done a bit of everything, which is what I wanted, and is a gentleman on the ground.

I’d just say go into it with your eyes open, expect to spend more on vet bills and for insurance options to be more limited. If you’re a believer in supplements, you may end up spending a small fortune each month too, like I do! Older horses still have lots to offer.

Although my husband imagines he might be my last horse purchase, I don’t think he will be!

We bought a 20 year old pony and had a wonderful 10 years riding her, then 2 years where she was fully retired as a field companion before being put to sleep at 32. She was ridden by my daughter then my mum and was an absolute saint, still greatly missed.

If the horse fits the bill and passes the vet check then go for it. My beautiful mare was 29 when she departed and was fit as a fiddle until the last month.

for a cobby type with no problems I’d be happy to buy him

Another thing - vetting. Definitely get the horse vetted beforehand, BUT 2 stage rather than 5 stage, and make sure the vet knows the horse's intended purpose. A 17 year old horse is roughly equivalent to your own age. Bound to have some stiffness. Probably won't pass a flexion test. But neither would I :D

Thank you all, I’ve decided to go and view her this weekend.

I’ve also seen a 10 year old Clydesdale who seems to fit the bill completely, I had a chat with the owner and she’s exactly what I’m looking for I. A horse. 16.2 so quite small for her breed - I think I might be a bit mad

I would pay out for a full vetting so you know what you are going into, but as long as nothing comes up that is going to mean the horse is expected to retire within the next five years or will be very expensive to maintain, I would go ahead.

One of my horses are was still completely acting as if she was at her peak and was awesome in all ways between the ages of 17 and 22.

We sold our 16-year-old pony last year and she's never had a day of lameness, super sound and robust and still going strong jumping with new owner at 17.

I absolutely would too. Would have a 5 stage vetting but be prepared for their to be some minor issues.
My last horse really only started becoming 'old' at about 28. Up until then he had no special requirements above those he'd had as a younger horse.

We bought a 15 yr old last year for £8k.

We'd bought a 6yr old prior and he was too much for my daughter so we needed something experience.

I was felt like we'd over paid as I knew we would never have any resale value.

She's a cob and has cpl in her legs but she has been the best £8k we could have spent.
She has rebuilt my daughter's confidence and we love her to bits. We'll keep her forever so don't even care about the resale value now.

1it really depends what you want to do with it. If you are a happy hacker, there is no reason not to buy an older horse, as with average luck, they could keep doing that well into their 20's. My old horse was still hacking at 29. If you want to be out competing/hunting, I would go for something younger as the majority of horses seem to need to slow down a bit as they enter their 20s.

Just a word of caution on the 5 stage vetting, if you're hoping to insure for vets fees, and some wear and tear/minor issues come up in the vetting (as they almost certainly will with a 17yo) , your insurance will make exclusions as pre-existing conditions even if it's not something serious/requiring treatment or that affects the horse currently in any way. And they may well exclude whole areas, e.g. if there's a bit of filling in one knee they may exclude that whole leg. Not saying that's necessarily an issue, and with a horse of that age I might seriously consider self-insuring anyway, as it would be borderline whether I'd put a horse of that age through the really expensive diagnostics and surgeries if something serious came up anyway, and certainly not once they're 20+, so may not be a big issue.

But some friends of mine that have been horse shopping recently have found themselves in tricky situations where the horse is functionally 100% sound for a light hacking and low level RC type activities home, but doesn't pass flexions on every leg, as many middle aged horses (and people 🤣) wouldn't, then find themselves with very significant insurance exclusions on a very expensive and relatively young horse that it seems insane to not insure at all (bearing in mind a 10-12yo bombproof 14.2 type sets you back £10k+ these days). Puts the seller in an awkward situation too if the buyer walks away as they then need to declare the previous vet findings to future buyers.

I'm not saying don't vet, forewarned is forearmed and all that but just have your eyes open as well.

Oooh @MayAwayDay ... A Clydesdale is also a possibility? My absolute favourite... You're gonna need a stronger stable. 😁

Im 51 and bought a 15 year old Fell last may after loosing my 27 year old warmblood. I'm glad I didn't go any younger. He's happy, healthy and full of the joys of spring but sensible with it. Highly recommend the breed. There's a lot to be said for a few miles on the clock .