Wednesday, July 29, 2009

How old is "old" for a horse?

The horse i ride is around 8. I know that is fairly young, but about how old is that in human years? Also, what is considered old for a horse?
Answers:
To consider a horse old at a certain age depends on how hard they have been worked, if they have been taken care of well, etc.
Old is usually 20-25 depending on horse. Thats 44-55 in human years.
To calculate horse to human years you times the age of the horse by 2.2 so if a horse is 1 human years would be 2.2 at 2 years they would be 4.4 human years, etc. So your horse at 8 would be considered 17.6 human years.
Depends on the horse but around 20 is considered old.
I'm not sure how old that is in human years but horses can live a fairly long time. Any where from 25-40 can be old for a horse.
I do not know how old your horse is in human years but old for a horse is around 25 years but you are supposed to retire a horse at 20-23 years of age
I would consider 8 to be middle age. I believe that horses last maybe till 18. That is a guess on my part without looking it up. But 13 is the longest on average for a cat or dog.
you got a long time to go on that horse
i don't know how to count horse years (sorry)
a old horse is like 15 to 20
i actually had a old mare live to be 27 LONG TIME
she died in peace

Have fun
Sadie
For a horse, 8 years old is not too young, but not at all old. The horse still has many years ahead of it before it "gets old!" Old for a horse is anything from 20-35 years, more or less. Some horses are very long lived and can live as much as 35 or 40 years, while others live to a younger age.
Hope this helps!
Any horse is over 18. Horses can live to be 40 if taken care of.
My Arab is 27 and still going strong. A horse is old when it can't handle work anymore. It can be 12 years old if it was ridden improperly at a young age, or 30 if it was taken care of. Or longer.I suspect my Arab will go until he's 40. He's ridden lightly by a child in trail trials and out on trail and is otherwise retired. I was giving lessons with him and doing dressage on him well into his 20's without a problem. He still gives periodic lessons now.
It totally depends on the horse. Eight is still QUITE young, I don't consider a horse even 'middle-aged' until they are 12 or so. "Old" can be 18 or 28.
My horse didn't show even the smallest sign of old age until he was 23. I retired him at 31 and he died at 34 -- of a broken leg. Until then he still greeted me by cantering up to see me!
So it really depends on the horse -- but waiting until they are 3 years old before riding them will help tremendously in keeping them fit into old age.
Well my horse is 23yrs old and we've been together for 22 1/2yrs and he is "as healthy as a horse" I expect him to be around for another 10-15yrs god willing.He as always been in good health.So on average 32yrs is the life expectancy for a horse.
http://horses.about.com/library/calcs/bl...
^ A horse age to human age calculator!
As for what age is considered old-- unfortunately many people thinkg 17-18 is old, but some horses are still sound, fit and going strong. My TB is 19 and people ask me if hes 6 or 7 haha and i just say nope, hes 19. It just depends on how well the horse ages too, if they were ridden a lot they may develop arthritis etc... but i generally think that 22 or so is old for a horse.
In human years your horse would be in his 20's
It all depends on the horse, My first horse was an Appaloosa Mare and when she was 31 she had a foal She had no problem keeping her weight and feed the colt while eating just grass with no added grains. Arthritis did get the best of her and at 33 I had Robin put down. Toby became my distance horse when he was 11 years old and gave me many years of riding. I know of several Arab that are in their late teen and early twenties, that year after year, go down the endurance or competitive trail and come home with year end awards. I think horse are like people,the more active you or your horse are, the healthier you will be and the longer you will live. If you would like to find out more about endurance riding you can go to: www.aerc.org
if you live in the Midwestern U.S. you can go to: umecra.com There is also a group of distance riders in Minnesota, their organization has an awesome web site where you can ask question or just chat. their web site is:mndra.com
Your horse is equivalent to a 24 year old human. One horse year is equal to three human years. Hope that helps you to realize your guy is young and strong! As for old? Same as with us your as old as you feel! And it depends on what the horse has been subjected to, physical injuries in the past, his care and his individual conformation as to how long he'll be fit in his senior years. I've found that just as us when you quit exercising them as they age that is when they really get down. And this is also why people shouldn't be riding hard on two and three year old horses as they are equal to four and six year old children! Their minds and bodies still growing and maturing.
since horses live to be about 27, and humans live to be in their 80's, then he is probably about 24 in human years. Thats pretty young.
18 and 20 is when they start getting old
To calculate the age of a horse in human years, you just multiply the age of the horse by 2.2. So an 8 year old horse would be 17.6 in human years.
Although many horses live to be in their thirties and even forties, most only give to 20-25.
Arabians in particular live a long time, usually making it until thier late twenties.
My friends horse is 25 %26 she still rides it think hes a youngster depends on the horse.
well a horse is an adult when it eight, so i should say about 20
well each year a horse has is equal to three of our years. So your horse would be around twenty four but I"m not sure if this is correct but i think it is.
The "prime of life" for human athletes is around 25 years and is over by 50. For horses I say it goes 8 years to to 16 years.
Of course 8 year old kids play little league and horses are raced at 2 years. I am speaking about "performance horses" that require maturity and a high level of training.
soldeorohhm http://www/mcdon.com
your horse is fine for atleast 20 years. old is like 30. i still ride my horses hard and one is 25.
Depending on the opinion, with no true medical fact, but only judgment given on a horse's age in non-human years is multiply by 4 years. In my book that I had to buy for my Equine Reproduction class, it discussed in the chapter of age and nutrition. Written by UC Davis professors. So, it all depends on who you ask and their studies.
My gelding is 29 years old. That is considered old.
Roughly, a horse is considered old about 25+. At this age, the Quarter Horse Association considereds the horse deceased and have to do a yearly update on sending 1) A picture of the horse 2) written statement the horse is either deceased or alive etc.
The oldest recorded living horse is currently around 37 years old...I think that it is a Morgan. That is extreme, but most horses live well up into thier 20's if taken care of properly. I have a 27 year old Arabian mare who isn't ridden anymore but doesn't look a day over 20 years old.
If you are talking about "riding age", 20 is considered a senior horse. Though a few years back, the number one cash earning barrel racing mare in the US was 24 years old. It depends on the breed and the individual horse.
I agree, around 20, a horse is considered aged, but hardy American breeds, Quarterhorses, Appaloosas, Mustangs, etc. can live well into their 30's and 40's (I have two 35-year olds at a rescue I volunteer at and know of a 40-year old Appy). I also read in YR, that there was a girl who still show jumped with her over-the-hills 32 year old gelding--impressive!
We just pulled my 26 year old mare out of retirement to start running barrels again. It really depends on the horse but most go strong till 18 or 20 then you have to decide to slow down from there.
sry someone said the oldest living horse is 37 but i know a horse that is about 45 (now thats old) but an old horse is 20+ but some horses can keep going till there like 30
We have a 33 yo QH. He was a barrel racer in his prime He still runs them , just not as fast :) My STB is 16 but his sire (a very famous race horse in the 70's %26 80's) just turned 30 in January. They can live a long time.
8 is still young. I know of horses that are competing into their 20s in dressage. I would think anything over 25 would be considered "old," but that doesn't mean you have to retire them based on age.
8 is young for a horse
30 is old for a horse
but if your 30 year old horse is getting good exercise it may last longer than you would think
I rode a 46 year old horse at my stable and she still had a little "Hop" in her step
(P.S Sarah C- Equine help, that calculators cool!)

1 comment:

  1. Our part thoroughbred was still show-jumping at 32 years old and is now part retired, he still jumps in the field and my daughter has a job to hold him on a normal hack out, he still thinks he's a teenager.

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