Senior Arabs - Competitive Trail?

[RedTahoe]

I have the opportunity to own my friend's 20 year old Arabian. I have NOTHING against senior horses as my first horse I rode as a child was a 29 year old Arabian.

There is nothing physically wrong with this horse: no lameness issues, easy keeper, etc.

Just curious if there is anyone here that rides with a senior Arab?

I don't plan on doing any LONG rides - just here and there.

(P.S. I know each horse is different. I'd continue with her existing feed which is Seminole's Spiller Meadowherb blend).

[Auventera Two]

My friend's main riding horse is a 26 yr old Quarab. She's going strong and shows NO signs of slowing down anytime soon. If the horse is in good health, has good conformation, and doesn't have any arthritis issues, I'd say go for it. :)

[Arizona DQ]

I just read an article on a 37 year old Arab gelding who broke the record for competitive trail ride miles. He has been retired. The article was on an Arabian Horse magazine (I think the one from AHA). I do not think 20 is old at all.

[Diamond Jake]

I am confused then by your subject line- you say Competitive trail, but then your post says just here and there.

What are your plans? Are you looking to do a couple of CTR's with this horse every summer? Looking to complete or to place? Or are you just looking for a nice trail riding horse?

What is the expectation from your friend? A forever home for a future retiree?

Sorry for all the questions. But to offer my opinion I just needed a little more info.

[jlrcoats]

My last arab was 21 and still doing endurance. Was doing great on the trail till he coliced and had to put down. Totally unrelated to his trail and endurance career. I say go for it get him in good condition and then judge for yourself how far he can go...good luck:yes:

[RedTahoe]

Short Competitive Trail Rides / Trail Classes is what I meant by "here and there."

Looking at having her as a standard trail riding horse as well as minor short competitive trail rides (she is already accustomed to hard core mountain riding, etc.).

My friend is just looking for a place for her since she is ill and entering into an assisted living situation.

[arabhorse2]

At 20 y/o, that Arabian has plenty of years, life, and energy left. ;)

Ever heard of Elmer Bandit? He's in his 30s, and still going strong. :yes:

I plan to ride Casper well into his 20s and early 30s.

Arabians, if well cared for, are hardy little buggers who hold up for a very long time.

[Auventera Two]

Boy you said it arabhorse. We don't even know how old my first Arab mare was when I bought her, but holy cow, she had to be in her 30s. Her face was all gray, she had almost no teeth and the vet said all he knew was that she was OLD. She was one of these rescue type deals, she had been thrown out in the back 40 to just waste away. She was so thin and had a uterine infection. She was a mess. I thought she could just live out her last days or months at our place so I paid a ridiculous amount of money and brought her home. Well shoot she bounced back and I started trail riding her. She would prance and dance and just beg to run. If you let up on the reins just a tad, she'd take off cantering. :lol: After a couple years, I sold her to a little girl for $40 (what she'd saved from babysitting money) who had her another year or so. The only reason she died was a bad reaction to sedation for tooth inspection/floating. If it weren't for that, she would have kept going who knows how long.

[Icecapade]

I think my dad's once hugely competitive gelding is pushing 20 and could easily bang out a 50 if brought back smartly. He does random cav reenactments and pack trips now... but there is nothing wrong with him... he still gets hosed off turned lose and cuts a rug. same old same ole- you'd think he was 5.


I have never found competitive trail to be really all the stressful/straining for a reaasonably not fat horse personally.

[RedTahoe]

Well, looking at her bloodlines, she seems to be primarily CMK. Her great-grandsire (on her sire's side), however, is Amir Al Sahra. Everybody else is Raffles, Raffles, Hanad...you get the idea.

If memory serves me right, Raffles and Hanad are CMK, yes?

[prudence]

Sounds like riding that horse is a most sensible thing to do. I STARTED my big Hano gelding in endurance at the age of 20 - he did a total of 650 endurance miles and quite a few LDs. He got trippy at some point which is common in older horses. But the miles are good for both of you. Have fun ok?

[SharonA]

My girl is 19 and she gets mad at me when I hold her back on the trail. :)

She would be happier to just fly the whole way, as would I, but I think in some cases you might need to pay alittle attention to how the not-young ones are using their muscles (assuming topline muscle is something you want to invest in and maintain).

[Bank of Dad]

I have just been blessed with a sixteen year old arab gelding, previously owned by well known persons, he has been in Old Dominion 100 several times with good completions. This past April he completed a no frills 55 miler with good times. His body is in much better shape than mine, he's sane and sound. I have hopes for lots of years, and maybe a competition or two.

[paint hunter]

Sounds like a wonderful horse. Give him a great home and give your friend some comfort as she enters a new stage in her life.

[arabhorse2]

My last arab was 21 and still doing endurance. Was doing great on the trail till he coliced and had to put down. Totally unrelated to his trail and endurance career.

I rode Conny until he was 25, and would have ridden him longer had he not had to be put down due to neurological issues. :sadsmile:

I tried to retire him at one point, but he adamantly refused and threw a humongous hissy fit when he saw me ride out on someone else! :lol:

Casper's 11 y/o. I fully expect, barring any physical ailment/condition, to be riding him until either he or I drop dead of old age. It'll probably be me...... ;)

[rcloisonne]

If memory serves me right, Raffles and Hanad are CMK, yes?
You might say that, yes. ;)

Amir Al Sahra would also be considered CMK although there are a few old Egyptian lines in there too.

[ponygrl25]

I used to ride an arab that was at least 25 and he was always miles a head of everybody on the trail, we always ended up doubling back to make sure the other horses were still back there. he had this amazing slow steady trot that just left the ''joggers'' in the dust. His ex. trot was faster than the other horses canters and he came back from each ride ready to go out again. I don't know what happened to him but I would take another ''seasoned'' arab (especially for free) any day. Take the horse and hit the trails and see how much spark the horse still has. You will know if it's going to work.:cool:

[ponygrl25]

P.S. My girls, though not arabs are still going pretty strong at 27 and 23. One is a Quarter pony cross(? of some sort?) and the other is TW pony and she gets ?#!&$? pissed when I ride another horse. I think we should start a club just for the older horses/ponies:D we could have boss mare contests and grumpy old man races!:lol::lol:

[Sarah612]

My 24 year old Arab also always wants to go faster on the trail than I want him to go. I have yet to tire him out (I've ridden him for almost 3 years, owned him for a little over 2 and a half). He wasn't ridden for a quite a bit of the last year because he had EPM, but he was so excited when I finally got back on him, and even more excited when I let him trot again!

[prudence]

It's wonderful to hear of people using their seniors - the best thing for them! I was at a ride and tie this weekend and the three horses I caught the ages of were 18, 24, and 26. They all looked fit and happy - ride and tie must be great for the horse's mind!

[Festivity]

I have a 28 year old Arab gelding that my family has owed since he was 2. He is still completely sound, barefoot and ready to go. He still loves going out for long trail rides, especially if he gets to get up and go. He also still loves to jump any chance he gets. He hates it when I put newbies on him to babysit and get seriously pissed when I ride the younger gelding instead of him.
My first pony, purebred mutt as far as we can tell lasted at least into his late 30s. No one knew exactly what or how old he was when we got him. He lasted from when I was 4 until my 2nd year in college. He was full of piss and vinegar right up until the end.
Old horses rule!

[RedTahoe]

Well we had truck problems last weekend so this weekend, we are headed to pick up our senior girl (or rather our finely-aged girl).

I'll post some photos of her when we get her, but keep in mind, she IS underweight due to a hard patch my friend was having (I hadn't been to her farm in a couple of months so didn't know she was having a "hard patch" until she contacted me).

The veterinarian I called out there to do vaccinations and pull a coggins said that she thinks the only issue is lack of quality hay and wasn't being dewormed.

[yellow-horse]

I could not retire my arab cross. She had been retired from several disciplines more than once but didn't take to retirement, her last discipline was a few endruance rides and then ctr's for a number of years, she was well into her late 20's when I retired her eventually to do just pleasure riding and hunter paces, she was put down in her mid 30's and I rode her until 6 months before she died.
I suggest tho to not do occasional riding with an older horse, even if not competing keep them walking at least several times week even if just for a few miles.

[midwestrocket]

I have a 25 y/o Arab Quarter cross :) he is every bit as young as he was when I bought him ten years ago. He was still running 2d barrels up until last year when I retired him to a career of giving kids lessons :) They're such good horses. Huge hearts. Take care of them and the will take care of you!