In Praise of the Older Horse
By Vanessa Quartly

As a coach, trainer and horse breeder, over the last 35+ years I have had the opportunity to ride a lot of horses. I have also had the chance to work with a lot of people, from very green, or very young to older and more experienced riders. It is through these dealings that I have discovered a very interesting fact. A very useful part of the Equine population has been largely ignored. Many have been sold off, retired, and in some cases, neglected and even destroyed by people in the equine world. The senior horse is a member of the Equine community that I believe is very valuable and least considered by most new riders.

There are a number of reasons that this most useful of animals has been ignored by many prospective horse owners. These so-called reasons are not only misguided but extremely prejudiced and often altogether untrue. Here, I will attempt to undo some of the damage that has been done to the reputation of this element of our equine population and hopefully prove to you that purchasing one of these seniors could be one of the most important things that you could ever do, to get your life as an equestrian off on the right track.

There are many who would warn you against the purchase of an older horse. These people seem to always come up with so-called logical reasons. Letís explore some of these reasons and see how the logic really ads up. Although there maybe some truth to some of these concerns, I believe that if you take one of these animals on, you will find that what a senior horse can do for you will by far supersede any inconveniences incurred in the foreseeable future.

Letís start with the excuse "old horses are too unsound for steady work". In my personal experience, if an older horse is sound when you purchase him, he will most likely stay sound for the duration of your relationship. For example, if you are looking at a 16-year-old ex-athlete (be it jumper, or cow horse) you know that he has had a lot of work in the past and has come out of it sound. You also know that he has the knowledge to teach you new skills better than any youngster you could find (and would have to pay five times the price for). You know that he has already excelled in these areas and can put you in the ribbons almost immediately ‚ albeit in the lower divisions ‚ but that is where you would have to start anyway. Getting the picture yet?

I have seen how quickly these riders rise above the other newbies due to the patience and knowledge of these older school masters. Iíve seen how these horses create a confidence in their riders. If your still concerned, by all means get a vet check done. A good vet will probably explain to you that a horse really does not pass or fail an exam. The vet simply inspects the horse and tells you of any unsoundness, old injuries and potential problems that the horse may develop in the future. It is up to you to decide whether it is a manageable condition, one that you can live with and to what level it will affect the horseís performance.

I know of older cutting horses who have can no longer pull the top scores from the judges in the pro competitions, yet would do absolutely fine in youth or novice as the expectations are not so high for the horse or rider competing in these classes. He would also be a very good prospect for other forms of cattle work (for example, sorting, a sport he could easily transfer over to with little additional training).

Another concern regarding senior horses is how to feed them. People often think that because a horse is into his teens he has to have expensive, extruded senior feed. Again, this is only true in special cases. Most senior horses still have most or all of their teeth and can eat ordinary horse hay with little problem. However, it definitely pays to supplement their diet with any form of complete horse feed that is available, which most horses in training need regardless of age, so that argument, to me, holds little water.

Older horses will, however, need regular dental attention to make sure that they do not develop any kind of problems. But again, it is recommended that any horse (and especially performance horses) be checked regularly, so again, another non-issue. There are older horses with bad, missing or worn down teeth that would be very difficult to keep in condition. This is where the vet check and common sense comes in, probably ending with you deciding to look for another prospect to purchase.

The "neigh sayers" (pardon the pun) will no doubt present you with their final theory that usually goes something like this. "What are you going to do with him when you are finished with him and he is that much older? He will be worth less than what you purchased him for and you may even have to consider putting him down if he starts to fail." Assuming that you used him in the discipline that you had planned, the knowledge and experience that you have gained from him should more than cover the cost that you paid out, especially considering it was likely substantially less than you would have paid for a young horse in the same discipline and talent level. You will probably have little or no trouble selling him for the close to the same price that you paid. Even if you reduce the price for whatever reason, you will have come out ahead. You could probably even afford to give him to someone because of all of the valuable experience you gained from riding him. And if you had to eventually consider euthanasia, you would be doing him a kindness by ending his life with that last kind, responsible act (something you may have to deal with even with a young horse, should misfortune rear its ugly head).

Something else to consider: do you realize that in the equine athletic world, at the highest of national and international levels, horses are rarely thought of as seasoned athletes until they are well into their teens? In sports such as jumping, dressage, steer wrestling, roping and often even in endurance riding, a 15- to 20-year-old horse is often considered at the top of his game. Here are some examples that I have personally seen and or known of.

Willy is a 22-year-old bulldogging phenomenon who has won well over 1 million in earnings for his owners, who have owned him since he was a young horse. He was named "Bulldogging Horse of the Year" in 2008 and 2009 and is still going strong today.

Big Ben faithfully carried Ian Millar to so many winners circles up to the age of 18. I know of a team penning horse who has won $25,000 in Team Penning events this year at the age of 26.

Here are my personal examples, our own horses. My husbandís 18-year-old Arabian gelding, Ibn, just garnered us a Top 5 at the 2009 Canadian Team Penning Nationals in the #6 Shoot Out. Another example is my 27-year-old Arabian stallion, Sam. When I purchased him at age 17, he had not been ridden for many years. He has successfully mastered several new disciplines including dressage and team penning, which he continued until his retirement.

I canít tell you how much we would have missed had we not taken the chance on these 'older' horses. These animals are still valuable, contributing members of the equine community with a world of knowledge, experience, heart and life left in them if we just give them the chance. I hope that I have given you the incentive to at least consider giving a senior horse an opportunity to once again become a contributing member of the equine community and a wonderful teacher and companion to you, your children and your friends. I truly believe you will not be disappointed!

Sincerely,
Vanessa Quartly
R.P., E.B.W., E.C. Level 1 Western Coach.