Need opinions... horse starting eventing later in life.

[Yance]

My friend has a lovely horse, he is 7. He wants to event him through the levels (I beleive 2* max). What is your opinion on starting a horse into eventing later in life? Please respond with any opinions. No past injuries or anything. Thanks.

[Thomas_1]

7????? I've never started a horse eventing younger than that!!!

[WWGeorgeMorrisD]

7 is just a baby and ready to start work, that should be no problem!

[yellowbritches]

7 is NOT old. My old horse was 7 when I broke him (of course, I thought he was FOUR when I bought him:lol:). My retired guy was 14 or so the first time he evented.

[Brandy76]

I got my guy off the track in the fall of 07 as an 8 year old - with ulcers and shoe issues. All much better now, and hopefully he will do his first "barbie size jumps" ht this spring, and he is 10 now!
I had my self in a self induced tizzy yesterday because "he's 10 and I've only done an elementary ct - oh my! I am a loser!"

I am calmer now. Must have been too much chocolate. Wait. No such thing.

[rabicon]

My guy is 14 and this is his second year doing c/t's. We don't go to 3 days but we do run xcountry and he is just fine and does well.

[snoopy]

My friend has a lovely horse, he is 7. He wants to event him through the levels (I beleive 2* max). What is your opinion on starting a horse into eventing later in life? Please respond with any opinions. No past injuries or anything. Thanks.



OUCH!!!

[Yance]

OUCH!!!

Meaning?

[Blugal]

I did just that. Family bought skinny green OTTB, who'd been sitting in a field for a couple years, at 7 in the summer. They did trail rides, introduced jumping and did the local show in the fall. He was able to do a full work load right away (once conditioned) as he was physically mature (and mostly mentally mature, we weren't dealing with baby antics and short attention span). However his work ethic may also have been a product of his previous life at the track, as is so often the case with TBs.

He did a long-format CCI* at 11, long-format CCI** at 13. Unfortunately had a minor soft-tissue injury at 14, and after re-hab, at 15 the vets said physically he could have gone back to at least Int. HT (although I was uncomfortable asking him to do another long-format with the previous injury).

Pros: mature horse with limited mileage/wear & tear - probably faster to teach the basics to.

Cons: once they've reached the upper levels, they may be hitting the golden years of their body's abilities (depending on the horse). Even if not, it's a really hard sell, age-wise, if you are looking to (just) break even. People want horses under 13.

[What It Takes]

My horse started eventing when he was 8, I find that the later you start them, the sounder they stay!:)

[LSM1212]

My horse just turned 10. We came from Hunterland (and will still do some Hunters) but we just started training in Eventing last year.

Figured some cross training couldn't hurt and I was in a bit of a slump. :)

He's taken to it well. The dressage has been a little difficult, but we are getting there.

Now I don't plan on doing anything big in the future... so not as much of worry for me on his age.

[jenm]

My horse is 9 and I just moved her to an eventing trainer this month. I started her under saddle when I got her (7), so she is behind on a lot of things, but I plan on having lots of fun with her! :)

[asterix]

My horse was 9 when he finally convinced everyone he didn't want to be a dressage horse. Learned to jump, foxhunt, and event, sorta kinda. I bought him before he turned 10 and he has really grown into the job.

[Wee Dee Trrr]

My horse was 11 when I bought him and had done basically nothing. He started eventing at novice the same year. It was actually really nice to have horse that was a bit more mature. He was SO EASY to braid, clip, take places, etc. He's 14 now, and AMAZING at training level. :D

[QHEventr]

Diamond was 7 when I bought him. He had only run one BN event. In three years he was running advanced...In total he ran one CCI* long format, several CIC*'s, two CCI** long formats, and multiple CIC**'s, he also was qualified for a ***, but a pasture injury forced retirement. He ran advanced for 2 years.

I just got my new guy last august. He was 14, and had just retired from racing. His last race was June 2008. He ran Octoberfest at starter level in October at the KHP. He finished on his dressage score, and was amazing XC and SJ. He's now 15 and I hope to finish the season at Novice at team challenge. I hope that by fall of his 16 yr old year that he'll be ready for a 1/2*

I say its never too late as long as they are sound and like their job.

By the way....7....not so old by any standards.

Johanna

[mythical84]

Lissell didn't start eventing until she was 11. Prior to that she did the Level V jumpers.

[JER]

My horse started eventing at 12 after hunting for 5 or 6 seasons. While he pretended the dressage phase didn't exist, he was an excellent eventer and was doing Prelim at 19. He's 26 and still jumps for fun.

[quietann]

Mine took her first jump at age 8, did her first baby event at 8 1/2 and Novice at 10. She did 4 baby events and the 1 Novice and was 1st or 2nd in all of them. I've since stopped jumping her for various reasons, but she certainly was not a youngster when she started.

[Sebastian]

My first Eventer was 12 when I got him. A "failed" Dressage horse. He was a XC MACHINE after I taught him to jump. We competed to Training level and had schooled some Prelim before an injury curtailed his promising career... It's NEVER too late.

Seb :)