if a horse is 21 ......?

Question

ok i want to show my horse ...he doesnt rack for anyone except me everyone doubts him do you think it would be to much stress to show him ?

Answer 1

that really depends on your horse and his mentality and physical ability. if he has experience showing then it will prob not be stressful to him mentaly and if he is in good shape then it wont be stressful to him physicaly either. Age really doesnt mean much anymore when it comes to show horses... alott of your good grand prix jumpers dont even really figure it out till they are anywhere from 10-18 and have sucessful careers long after and in the quarterhorse world there are plenty of trail and western riding (as in the class) horses out there. On the flip side there are also lots of weanling and yearling show horses out there to and weather one agrees with the horse being shown so young or not it is the same thing.... a overly young horse can get just as stressed as one who is to old.... again that happens cuz of the horses mentality and physicality and those are questions only you can answer.

Should you decide to show him make sure you start small.. if he was shown before go down a class.. for instence my horses have always been shown AQHA at a world show caliber level but to warm them up as 3 yr olds and just to get them used to being at horse shows we would take them to open shows. On my 1985 gelding however when i decide to show him we will go to the open shows first then back to AQHA and not do as many classes, mine was also an all around horse though going in as many as 12 classes a day which meant I was on his back from before sun ride to long after dark.... showing like that would be wayyyyy to much on him now.. but that doesn't mean I have to stop showing him all together.. now its just maybe 3 riding classes and a halter or showmanship (ground classes). The point is just decrease what it is your horse is used to .. if he has never been shown take him to an open show and just practice with him the first 2 or 3 times before entering him.. let him get used to it first. he will be fine!!

Answer 2

It depends on your individual horse. I have a friend whos horse was actively showing (4-H and lower level dressage) at 32. I have also seen horses that were retired (with good reason) in their early teens. I would have a vet give him a good general exam. If after that your vet thinks he's physically capable of it, it still is up to the individual horse. If he's been shown before and you think that it won't be too much stress, I'd say go for it. If he's never been shown, I would start with some low-key trips to see how he does and based on those, determine how to proceed.

Answer 3

This is really going to depend on your horse. To see if he'll be okay to show first have your vet look at him to see if he is physically in shape to do what you want him to. If the vet checks him out okay then find a local schooling show that you can haul him to. See how he acts. Ask yourself these questions:?

Is he calm and attentive when you take him off the trailer?

When you warm him up does he act just as good if not better than when at home?

When you're in the class is he calm and listening to you?

Does he appear to be enjoying himself?

If you can answer yes to all of these questions then your horse is fine to show. If you answer no and he's nervous and ansty then showing him will probably be too stressful and you'll run the risk of him getting ulcers, or hurting himself. If you answered no to more than two of these questions than showing isn't a possibilty for this horse.
To prevent ulcers for any show, even if he is calm, give your horse ulcer guard.

Answer 4

I think if the horse, trailers good with little stress, he may even like to be around different horses. Go somewhere and do a trail ride before going to a show. Then go to a show and only participate in two events to see how he will do before showing for a whole day.

Answer 5

Go for it, but try a smaller open show to begin, and see where he goes from there. Sometimes the biggest thing is just preparing a horse corectly, make sure he's used to being ridden in an area with other horses, have people stand around the arena, make sure he's used to loud noises, and be sure that he is used to things flapping around and flying around! Good luck and have fun!

Answer 6

Age isn't going to affect your horse's ability to handle stress.
If he has a level head and enjoys working then there is not reason to worry about him being able to handle being showed.

Many times, the older horses are BETTER for showing as they are seasoned to change and have more experience in handling real life situations than younger, greener horses.
If you were wanting to use a new, unexperienced horse then there would be more need to watch out for his stress level.

Don't shelter your horse just because he's a senior; horses are like hard working old men:
They just want to die with their boots...err...horse-shoes on.

Have fun!

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Nah, I've seen horses close to 30 still in the show ring. Depends on the individual horse and its health. Consult with your vet and/or your trainer.

Answer 9

well if the horse really loves to rack and you don't push him to hard then i guess it is ok for you to show him.
if he has any problems with showing and you are nervous about showing him then don't because you might injure him!

Answer 10

Showing is very stressful. At 21 yrs. of age, your horse is very old. If he is in good shape, showing him would be okay, but if he is the least bit under the weather, I wouldn't do it.