My son rides a friends welsh pony, the pony is 29yrs old and looks half his age, he scrubs up really well for shows and is so handsome(yeah I know we are biased!)
Does anyone else have an elderly pony, my 10 %26 6 yrs olds worry about him getting older and dying, how much longer could he go on for?
Answers:
I got my first horse was 26 years old, I was 10.
My trainer gave her to me, but before she made the decision, she contemplated it a lot.
Fearing that I would love her and then something could happen.
She finally decided to give her to me, figuring its better to have been given the chance to love and enjoyed this horse (if even for a short time), than never haven been given the chance.
Before this my favorite lesson horse had passed and it was hard, but I was just happy that I got a chance to ride her and enjoy her, after a few days of tears.
I love the horse she gave me, it has taught me everything.
She is now 34 and still going. She gives lessons to small children who just love her.
They find a connection with her and truly enjoy even just grooming her.
My horse is an Arab, a breed that ages slowly and lives long. (mine doesn't look at all her age and has only a touch of arthritis)
Welsh ponies, along with most ponies live a long time. With proper care and love, as I am sure your pony gets, he can live until he is 40.
Not to say that bad things dont happen.
Your their parent so your the only one that can prepare them for his death, but no one can really be prepared.
I am 17 and still not ready.
Help them enjoy their time and be proud of his age and how well he does, instead of worried.
That's what I did and do, I just know that no matter what my girl leads a great life.
Good Luck and I hope this helped
love will keep it alive.
True ponies, Welsh and Shetland, being popular breeds have been know to live to an average age of 20 or more years. I would say that this animal is very elderly but if he still has good teeth and moves well then he could live a good while longer. In all honestly I would figure in months rather than years. Be mindful of his teeth and eyes, they are usually the first to go.
While I don't own a horse or pony,I really like them,and know a little about them.if your pony is in good health,then he could live for several more years,as the oldest pony on record lived to be 54 years old! It doesn't say what kind of pony,but still,that's really something.Maybe your pony will beat that!
http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/pony/record...
WELL THE OLDEST HORSE LIVED UNTIL 62 HAVE FAITH 29 ISNT OLD AT ALL
I KNO A RIDING SCHOOL AND THERE PRIME HORSE AGE IS 25
I knew and rode a horse of 36. He eventually passed away aged approx 40. And I have known 3 ponies still in work in their 30's. He can go on for as long as he is healthy and enjoying it... I hope it's may more years - you obviously look after him well!!
Welsh's tend to have a long life span. i would say, barring illness/accident, there could well be a fair few yrs left in him. just be aware he may well need more specialist care i.e. teeth, feet, feed, rugs?, n may well go 'downhill' if he isnt in work/busy environment especially if he loves it.
my mum learnt to ride on a 42yr old welsh D, n it did the pony the world of good. her arthritis was so much better for a bit of riding and she loved hacking out. my mum also came in the paddock quite alot on this horse when i was on a youngster to give mine confidence etc. she died at 44 of natural causes, but i think if she was still bein ridden then, she may well ave gone on longer (due to personal reasons she had to be laid off work)
I have a 26 year old Morgan horse! I enter him in some of the 4-H shows %26 he can outrun some of the younger ones! I wouldn't worry to much. Just as long as he isn't showing signs of artheritis or anything else.
He sounds like he's doing pretty good so I'm guessing that he could probably go to 35-40.
Well the pony seems pretty fit and healthy. horses live to 30 normaly if they live a good life. Ponies can live to 40. So I'd say the pony has about 2-3 yrs left. but i could be wrong!
My mare is 19, but wow ! 29 and still going strong well done !
You must be caring for him beautifully.
I do know of a 28 yr hunter still going out for 3 hours at a time.
My first pony was 32 when we had to put him to sleep and it was only because his teeth had gone and we could'nt keep any condition on him, so rather than watch him waste away, we decided the kindest thing to do would be to put him to sleep. He was still strong in heart and lung though.
Welshes are SO tough, I'm sure your boy will go for a few years yet.
Enjoy him while you can and treasure every day he is with you.. xxx
If he's a welsh mountain he could go on for year's they are very hardy, your chap is quiet old, but having said that he could live to 35!
My friends pony was slightly taller than your one but he was 44 years old when a vet had to put him down, but he was still going strong at 43 yrs old!! My friend stopped riding him when he started getting tired quickly and didn't particulary want to work as much, by the sound of your one he could go on for at least another few years
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I own a 23 year old appendix quarter horse and she looks like she is 9... im not exaggerating. she is in great health and she is still eventing and doing great! I say that if its healthy... and it has a lot of care it should live for a lot longer :)
I had a New Forest pony back home and he died last year at the age of 35. I showed and hunted him as a kid and he's lived out on the hillside for the past 20 years. He did good except that his back was really swayed. We also had a Dartmoor pony and he lived until 32 and his main problem was that he lost his teeth, couldn't eat properly and lost so much weight. Native breeds like Welsh, New Forest, Shetlands etc always live longer. My old TB hunter that was turned out with my pony only lived to about 26 and that was pushing it. He should have a few more years in him yet.
My last horse was 33yrs old when he died and i had had him from the age of a yearling,the horse i have now is 22years old and i have had her for ten years, she will be stopping with me until she dies
i personally don't own a elderly horse, but I have one on the farm. She's a 32 year old Thoroughbred. You can tell she's old by looking at her body (looks sore), but she has the personality of a young filly.
One thing to bear in mind is that ponies usually outlive horses by 100 fold. As a very very gross average horses live to 20, while some breeds of pony can live to 40 or more. Modern medicine has extended these numbers, allowing horses to not only live well into their 30's, but also be useful to an extent into their 20's.
I have known many ponies, from cross-bred mutts to shetland ponies and others that have lived until 30-40 years, and had been a lesson pony until the days they died. At 29, if the pony you ride has no health issues, there is no reason he can't be a good working pony for a few more years easily.
I have a 23-24ish horse that unfortunately cannot be ridden anymore, and while he is heatlhy in all other respects, he has a very severe affliction of navicular in his feet that needs daily maintenence and careful monitoring along wiht regular vet visits and xrays. He has been seen by 8 vets over the course of the last 2 years, and every one of them has said his Xrays belong in a college study, they are amongst the worst these vets have seen. If his feet were out of the issue, I would expect him to live at least to 28-30, but when his ability to stay comfortable and walking in a pasture ceases, I will be put into a position to have to make a decision on him.
well ponies generally live longer than horses, but if hes in good health and stuff you son could probably ride him till he gets too big or the pony dies a natural death, considering the health he is in now (which sounds pretty good!) he could probably go on for about 5 more years!!
Don't worry we have a 35 year old horse on my yard.
The oldest horse we had was 38 when she died, and she would have lived longer if she hadn't slipped in the pasture and injured her back. My Arab/Saddlebred gelding is 21, and looks/acts like he's 8. I've never had experience with ponies, but they do tend to live longer than horses. I'd say that since the pony is healthy, he's got a fair few good years left.
My pony died at 25, which was a pretty long life, your lucky yours is even older, and still in good health.
You didn't mention if this is your only equine. but if it is I might suggets a 10 year old or so pasture pal. this would be there as a buddy and hopefully help the transition( for the kids) when it is that time for the Senior.
most horses only live till there about 30 years old so about one more year and i have a horse that is about 19 years old
i have a 30 yr. old quarter/ arab cross. she is not ridden any longer, so she is a little overweight ;) but once in a while she is able to get through our fence somehow, and she forgets how to get back! we have a 45 acre lot next door, and she ran as fast as she could along our fenceline trying to get back! she has a lot of energy still left in her. sometimes i chase her around in her field, and she starts galloping and bucking! its hilarious! i heard that a horse's average life span is 20- 25 yrs. but i know of a lot of older horses that are doing perfectly well. that pony sounds as if he could keel over any second from old age or live as long as father time from his health!
the horse i ride is 14.6 and she is an arab/standard bred. she is 26. another horse i ride is 15.7 and she is pure quarter and she is 29 and retired
My beautiful Star died last month age 29 and had been with me 20 years. She was still healthy and in work 3 times a week until March then started to go off her food and get thinner and thinner. She had liver failure, and I had to have her shot in the end before she started to suffer. My point is that horses that are healthy with no problems such as lameness go on and on being great and you think they will live for ever, but in the end their systems fail and they go quickly. So there is no way of knowing, he may be dead in 3 months or he may live another 10 years. Certainly keep riding him if he is fit and happy, and be thankful to have such an experienced pony for your children.
My Quarter Horse Mare died at age 45 she was the poster girl for Purina Equine Senior. She passed 2 years ago.
My Appy Mare died last Feb at age 32.
I have two right now 22 and 24 sound and still showing a little.
I rode the Quarter Horse well into her 30's without any problems. You have take it easier and be more patient. I didn't show her anymore she was a gaming horse.
I rode the Appy a year after she was totally blind. My mare did really well but I had so many other horses to ride.
my daughters welsh mountain pony is 27yrs and she has pleanty of go still in her she loves jumping too,we have two old horses one 32yrs and other 36yrs who just eat grass all day resting i hope they still have a few years left..
Ponies routinely live longer than most horses and ponies into their mid to late 30's are not all that uncommon. Your's sounds like it's doing well so far, but reality is, he's getting older. The children will have to face the fact that he may get too old to ride in the near future. I've seen horses and ponies do very well all the way up to a year or so before they have to be put down. I have a 27 yr. old Arab who is doing just fine. He does trail trials, and gives a few lessons with children but for all intents and purposes is retired. With his relaxed life in the turnout with his horse friends, light riding and proper care, my horse, and your pony should keep going strong for years to come.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food many horses live beyond the age of 30 with good care. The average age is 28 + 5 years. Ponies tend to live longer with many ponies still serving as schoolmasters well into their 30's.
The oldest horse on record lived in Woolston, England %26 lived to be 62. Another lady in Ky. has one that's 52. So you never know.
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