Most experts agree a horse can be considered geriatric when he reaches 18 to 20 years of age.
There is no set age for retiring your horse. Some horses have physical conditions or diseases that require an early retirement. Other horses can be ridden late into their life without issues. As a general rule, most horses should stop being ridden between 20 to 25 years old.
It is often said that a horse can live until it is somewhere between 20 and 35 years old. This depends of course on the breed, general health issues, living conditions, on how the horse has been used throughout his life and how robust he is genetically.
An older horse often has a lot to offer, despite its age. Even an 18 or 20-year-old horse can have many years of use proper care (and ponies even longer). For those just learning about keeping and riding a horse, an older horse may be the best choice.
Horses can be classified as “seniors” once they reach 15-20 years old. Some common signs of aging include5: A swaybacked appearance as the back dips. General loss of muscle / a bony appearance.
Seniors (22-28)
And although these horses may be slowing down, it is important that they remain engaged and active. As they get older, taking the time to recognize age-related challenges and metabolic diseases like Cushings is very important.
It used to be the case that horses were considered “aged” at 15 years. However, often horses and ponies of 15 years of age work normally and show no outward signs of old age until well into their twenties.
Ponies are considered “Seniors” between 15 and 20 years old.
In general, you know it's time for retirement when doing their job is reducing your horse's overall quality of life and/or they're no longer capable of it. That might be due to natural causes as your horse ages, or it might be forced due to other health or physical problems.
A horse that has spent years competing in shows may be in better condition than a less active younger horse. Generally, older horses benefit from exercising at least two to three times a week. Exercise should be in addition to turnout time.
A 17 year old won't have the athletic ability of a much younger horse and likely will have some joint issues. There's a much greater likelihood of injury to the horse. I wouldn't do it.
The average horse lives for 25 to 30 years. However, in rare cases, domestic horses have lived into their 50s or 60s. There are many factors that affect the lifespan of a horse including: Nutrition.
Older horses who have had positive prior experiences are the easiest ones to train, even if they haven't been ridden or worked with in years. Since they haven't been mishandled, there are no bad habits or associations to overcome.
Horses live to be 25 to 30 years of age, so the purchase of a 6 to 12 year old is wise for amateurs and novice. Older riders or those with more expertise and experience can buy, handle, and train yearlings or two year olds.
Horse Years to Human Years: Senior Horses. Once a horse reaches 20 years old, the equivalent of 60 human years, they are considered a senior. At this stage in their life, horses are nearing the average lifespan of their species; and with that comes certain changes.
Variations in Horse Longevity
The average lifespan of a domestic horse is 20 to 30 years. Many horses go well beyond this average. 1 Ponies tend to live longer, with many ponies still serving as schoolmasters well into their 30s. A few ponies and horses may even reach the age of 40 or over.
Ideally, you want to be walking your horse out on soft, flat surfaces or tracks 5-6 days a week for 20-30 mins at a time. Routes with lots of straight lines are ideal. Later on, in the phase start to introduce some hill work which will help slowly build on muscle strength and fitness levels.
Typically, your more endurance-trained horses can cover up to 100 miles per day. An average trail horse can cover upwards of 50 miles within a day. Mostly, either type of horse can not go more than a few consecutive days at this distance without a few days of rest and recovery in between.
You can expect a healthy horse to live for over 25 years. A horse living into its 30s is not uncommon any more.
The greatest age reliably recorded for a horse is 62 years for Old Billy (foaled 1760), bred by Edward Robinson of Woolston, Lancashire, UK. Old Billy died on 27 November 1822.