Should I buy a 21 year old horse?

Question

I have been leasing a 21 year old Tennesee Walker and he is amazing. He neck reins, stops, no bad habbits, maintains weight and is not on any senior diets or supplements. His feet are great and I have no complaints. I am a new rider and this horse has tons of energy and has helped me build up confidence. Should I buy a horse this old? Also, I have been told that high withers are a sign of old age, is that true?

Answer 1

Like everyone said, high withers is not a sign of old age. As for if you should buy him or not, I would call out a good, reputable vet in your area and have them do a pre-purchase exam. That can tell you if the horse has any problems w/ arthritis or internal issues, etc. I had a 27 year old Arabian gelding given to me about 5 years ago and I had a vet do the pre-purchase exam before I agreed to take him. If the exam comes out good I would definitely go ahead w/ the purchase. That arab I took in ended up being the BEST horse I have EVER known my whole life. He was my best friend and the bond between us was incredible! And I was able to ride him up until 2 days before he died. He died at age 30. I think older horses are great! If you love him and he's healthy, I say go for it!

Answer 2

The withers don't get higher with old age.....its usually the back that gets lower, making the withers more prominent. There is no reason not to buy this horse. It sounds like the two of you get along great and he is in such great shape now that he will have many years ahead of him. Please do the horse a favor though....don't sell him when he gets older and is no longer able to perform for you. He's worked his entire life for people....it would be best to let him live out his years in peace, in a forever home with some herd mates when he gets to that point. Good luck with your horse.

Just a little extra note....below someone mentioned that once your horse becomes older and requires special care (which can be expensive) that you are paying to get nothing in return. I beg to differ....horses whether rideable or not can still give us years of companionship and definitely some comic relief too! The bond created with a horse lasts a lifetime and even extends beyond the death of the animal. I still cherish the 24 year old horse who taught me to ride as a kid, even though he passed away years ago. To think of horses as only being useful when they have a job to do is just silly. I enjoy taking care of them and being around them much more than riding and I know most horse lovers feel the same way.

Answer 3

A healthy 21 year old horse can have many good years of ridding left in them. Just be-careful in choosing the right one for yourself. Having a trainer look with you is never a bad idea. Also a horse in that age group should have a vet check done before purchasing. Just so your sure of what your getting. No having high withers is not a sign of old age, I have several young horse with high withers, in some breeds this is a characteristic. Good luck to you in you horse adventures.

Answer 4

It would all depend on how long you would like to ride him, what type of riding you are going to do and if you would like to re-sell him. Chances are he can't do heavy work at in a few years from now. I have a 25 yr old show mare I retired last year from any riding and she is starting to look pretty old. She still enjoys the odd trail ride, but that is all she can handle. If you are wanting to move up in your riding, I would go for something a bit younger, but if you feel 100% comfortable with this guy, keep him and let him retire with you. It's worth it if you will ride better with him.
As for the withers. Horses can have high withers when they are 2 yrs and older. That doesn't matter with age. The withers will look higher in older horses as the back muscle deteriorates.
Good luck, he sounds like a great horse.

Answer 5

I believe you should go ahead and buy him. He seems like the perfect horse to have! The older the horse the more experienced and well mannered it is. The horse you've described sounds perfect for the unexperienced and experienced rider. Also, High withers are a sign of old age. See the horses back starts to droop meaning that he's getting to be old. My quarter horse also has a dropping back and high withers mostly bcz he's bcoming older. I believe when you buy this tennesse walker you'll have the time of your life. I wish you the best of luck! Have funand ride safe.

Answer 6

You tell the age of the horse by his teeth and other factors. Or even better by the birthdate on his papers (if he is a registered horse). If you really like the horse I see no reason not to buy it. Older horses can make a great first horse.

However, before buying anything I would have vet come out and take a look at the horse to check out his overall health and confirm his age. Also, it wouldn't hurt to have an experienced horse friend check him out too (if you have one).

Good Luck!

Answer 7

My horse has high withers and he is young. It is just the way he is built. I have a thoroughbred and they tend to be high in the withers.
With older horses sometimes their backs drop some making them look higher in that area. Look for his back drooping.
It sounds like you are great match and his ability is good and he can do what type of riding you are looking to do. I would say go for it. If you like hte horse and your ability and his tempermant match. That is always the thing I look for when buying a horse.
Can the horse do the event I wnat him for and do we mesh well together.
I have friends who have had horses up into their 30s and rode lightly with them.

Answer 8

High withers does not have anything to do with age. It appears that this horse is good for you. I would recommend buying it providing the owner isn't charging an arm and a leg for it. Older horses are great for beginning riders.

Answer 9

Yes definately! It seems as if this horse and you are perfect together, and as long as you keep caring for him and put him on a senior feed when you notice he begins to loose body mass you should be able to ride him into his 30's! I have a 27 year old horse, who is still the 'dream man' so to say. My horse and 'your' horse seem to be about the same in the the withers department. His withers do not 'raise' up they only become more prominate because the back begins to sway or lower with old age. My horses back and withers are becoming the same way, and as your horse gets older you might invest in a "wider-wither" to help balance the saddle so it doesn't pinch his withers
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.horse.com/cat_img/WIP06.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.horse.com/depts/maindept-16__dept-276.html&h=100&w=100&sz=3&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=NcjRwt8dD7s3rM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=82&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522wider%2Bwither%2522%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Dstrict%26rls%3DRNWE,RNWE:2006-38,RNWE:en
So in a way yes, high withers/low back is a sign of old age, but in young horses if this happens it means they dealt with too much weight at a young age

Answer 10

If you love this horse then the two of you should stay together. 21 is old though, if possible you should just continue to lease him or the owner should just give him to you. Usually people with old horses have a hard time finding homes for them, you sound perfect for the horse so he should stay with you. I hope he is not expensive though, I would not pay more than 900.00 for a horse that old. Although you love him, he is older, and he may be healthy now but he could (and I stress the word could, b/c it is not a guarantee) go down hill and become harder to care for as well as expensive. It will be hard for you to watch him grow old. As part of my own experience with old horses I can tell you that watching your old friend grow old and die, may be far more painful than you will ever think. I had a morgan gelding naned Christopher Robyn that I bought when he was 19 becuase he was going to be shot (his owner abandoned him at the house she was renting and left him to die so the land lord was going to do away with him) I paid 200.00 for him because that was his slaughter value and he was skin and bones. At first it was great and he was my best friend and I had so much fun with that old horse, but he got old quick and his age caught up with him, he developed heaves and kidney stones and arthritis. It was harder and harder to keep weight on him and my weekly feed bill was up over 200 dollars. When he went blind and lost his last tooth I had to come to the realization that he was suffering and as his friend it was my job to put him to sleep so that he could maintain his dignity. I kept him until he was 42 and at that point it was the hardest decision that I ever had to make and it was so painful.... So if this horse is your favorite then getting to keep him will be wonderful but don't pay too much and be prepared to take on the responsibility of keeping and old horse and being faced with difficult decisions.