For most people, it is ideal to buy a horse that is fully trained and has experience under its belt. The best age to buy a horse is typically between 5-16 years old, as this is when a horse will be in its prime.
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. These young horses do not make predictable mounts for beginners.
Older kids and young adults can care for a horse, to a bigger or lesser degree depending on their age. Depending on maturity, I would say that around 8 or 10 they can start basic care. The main issue here is you need to make the commitment to go and take care of the horse every day, or at least most days.
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.
If your horse is happy, healthy, sound and willing, you can conceivably ride your “old” horse throughout his twenties. But if he begins showing any signs of discomfort or bodily deterioration, it's best to hang up his bridle and let him enjoy a life without riding.
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.
Longer answer: It's not age that matters most, it's your level of fitness and willingness to learn. Bottom line: You CAN learn to ride a horse at any age, provided you have the physical fitness and mental acuity to develop the necessary skills and do so safely.
So how old is old? Most experts agree a horse can be considered geriatric when he reaches 18 to 20 years of age.
Most horses seem to enjoy companionship and attention from their riders, but some may find being ridden uncomfortable and even scary. It is up to the individual horse to decide whether they like it. There are things you can do as a rider to help your horse feel more comfortable while being ridden.
A horse's overall health and fitness impacts just how much distance in a given day it can cover without an issue. 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.
Excessive sweating, trembling, or lethargy
These are all red flags that point towards the horse being drugged. Sellers drug horses for multiple reasons. They may be covering up a training problem, undesirable temperament, a health problem, or lameness.
The horse must be experienced
As a novice rider, learning how to ride is already difficult, buying a young horse will only make the challenge bigger and potentially more daunting. As a ball-park figure, for your first horse, stick to eight years old and up. Experience isn't just about age.
Traditional wisdom is that a horse should begin his or her ridden career at three years of age, for other riders it is to wait a few years more, whereas in areas such as the racing industry horses are commonly under saddle and on the track by two years of age.
The Morgan horse nearly always tops the list of recommended breeds for newer riders. Considered America's first breed in the 18th century, the Morgan is known for being kind and courageous. They are particularly eager to please and will work hard to try to figure out what their rider is asking of them.
Lifespan of Horses. The average horse lives for 25 to 30 years. However, in rare cases, domestic horses have lived into their 50s or 60s.
A study in 2010 concluded what equestrians already knew: yes, a horse does recognize “their” person and they can differentiate them from other humans. They do that based on olfactory as well as auditory and visual cues, which means by seeing and smelling us as well as by hearing our voice.
The great thing is, most horses actually love when humans pet them. They will stand quietly for hours as you run your fingers over their soft hair.
Horses are very social and affectionate animals. They cannot verbalize “I love you” but they can communicate those sentiments through their actions. Not all horses show affection in the same ways though. Here are some things to look for in your horse's behavior to know he loves you.
In full flight (in a gallop) a horse can cover up to just over 3km before it begin's feeling fatigued. However if gaits are varied with canters and trotting, a well-conditioned horse can cover 30 to 50km in a day (while giving the horse multiple breaks in between to regain strength).
Many people are only able to ride our horses on the weekends, but your senior horse would probably be better off ridden lightly a few times a week, rather than just one long, hard ride on Sunday afternoon. It may be time for a performance horse to become a kid's horse that carries a lighter load a few times a week.
Buying a horse in its late teens or early twenties can be a good choice for an inexperienced rider looking for a reliable mount. However, it is important to note that an older horse may be more prone to soundness and health issues. In addition, they may only have a few years left of riding before retirement.
It's never too late to pick up a new hobby!
One of the great things about horseback riding is it can be done at any age.
A horse rider needs to be physically fit to do their job well. A tired rider becomes an unbalanced rider. As you tire, your ability to maintain your posture and balance in the saddle is decreased, along with your reaction rates, which means your horse must constantly adjust his movement and balance to compensate.
While some trainers believe it is acceptable to work a two-year-old under saddle, many believe that riding is best put off until the horse is more mature. Many wait until a horse is up to four or five years old to begin training under saddle.