Caring For An Older Horse | EMD Eventing

Lovely vlog. She seems very happy in her older years. Testament to your care. Love to see her loving life.

She looks amazing xx

Judging from this hack and your recent jump school vlog, I would say that Spritey loves being in work! Some of them really don't like retirement and as with people, fitness really helps keep aging at bay. As you mentioned, all horses are different and they will tell you what they need. You are an exemplary horse person, Emily and watching you ride and care for your beautiful girls is a real pleasure. Thanks so much for all the insight and super tips! Fantastic vlog.

I have two older older horses that I still ride. 22 and 23 and both don't act their age 😊 They both get strong and excited especially when hacking! Mine have their feeds soaked as they've both previously chocked, do you ever have that problem? The vet says its because the teeth are smoother and so they can't grind the feed like they used to. My 23 year old Irish sports horse lost a bit of weight last winter and we've been working on getting it back this whole year. She's not thin and has lovely round bum and belly underneath but she still shows her ribs slightly. Is there any type of feed you could suggest to help cover the ribs? It's kind of weird because she doesn't show them all the time so maybe it's just her age. Loved the video and Sprite looks amazing! ❤

Fantastic vlog! Loved it!
Interesting that some are judgey of older horses in work... for me it was a point of pride to have my older horse in work & not looking or feeling her age- I guess different strokes for different folks?
I totally agree that the best way to judge how to look after our golden oldie horses, comes down to listening to them & adjusting to what it is they tell us.
Spritey is a real credit to you, she looks amazing :)

awwww love her 🌈🦄🦄🦄❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ she's very pony to your very caring to her

Spritey is obviously very happy and healthy and you are both very lucky to still have each other and enjoy each other. Great vlog Emily. Thanks x

This is so lovely to see & you can tell Spritey is super happy with the life she lives & that’s down to you! Keep doing what you are doing and you’ll keep that smile on your face and she’ll keep doing what’s she’s doing for you ❤️ you’ll know when the time for retirement is x

My pony is 30 years old and she has just started her retirement from riding but still loves to go out on a walk. I love your videos I find them so interesting 🥰💗 x

Sprite still has enthusiasm for life.

spritey reminds me of Hazel - the horse I ride - in sooo many ways they even look extremely similar i think! Hazel knows where all the canters on hacks start but she hasn't yet learnt where they end 😂 or maybe she does but just doesn't want to stop😂😂

Loved this video. Sprite is very well cared for, and you can see just how much you love her. Like anyone who has animals. If you truly care and understand them they tell you how they are every time.

Loved watching this and getting to know Spritey in more detail. My old mare was still out Eventing in her early 20s and loving it. When they have had enough they will defo let you know - so nice when they still love their job at an older age 😍

Sprite is amazing for her age and is a credit to you and is most definitely not ready for the slower pace of life yeah, love her so much she's a legend 💛💛💛💛

You should stick on a pair of full length chaps, they would be cool .

My pony turns 20 next year! I've had him for 11 years. I also do the walk-canter thing in schooling, always start with a lap of really long and low canter before trotting. Thought it was just a weird me thing so good to hear that works for your oldie too!

Such a lovely, caring vlog,spritey looking amazing, how is Lola, is she still off xxx

Love this ♥️

Sprite looks wonderful. I think you are doing a great job caring for her and keeping her mind and body in good shape as she ages.

Both Spritey and Lola are amazing and a massive testament to what a loving and caring person you are. I found this vlog so interesting and love seeing Spritey enjoying life so much 💜💜💜

you care after sprite so well, i have a soon to b 19 yr still in full work and absolutely bonkers !! xx

I have a 20 year old and a 16 year old. Unfortunately, my 20 year old Prince sustained a tendon injury in the field this spring and is still on rest. I’m debating bringing him back into work. He’s sound, but is quite happy just relaxing and going out for hand walks. My 16 year old, Hershey acts like she’s 6 and definitely still wants to be in work! Spritey looks amazing Emily! You’re doing great by her!

Omg I’ve been waiting for thissss!!! AAAHHHHH I CANT WAIT TO WATCHHHH!!

Lovely to see someone else brushes their horses teeth! My boy is 15 but he has a dental disease that means he produces excessive amounts of plaque so I brush his teeth regularly. Sprites teeth look amazing! My first pony was 25 when I got him and he trotted over rainbow bridge 2 years ago at the age of 38. He was ridden up until he was 35.

I love this vlog lots of tips for the golden oldies

She’s amazing 😍 I know many veteran horses who are still going strong nearing 30+! Many happy years left yet 💪🥰

My horse is 18 I'm so pleased you said about listening to your horse I dont ride my horse very often at all she acts up if I try to ride her too often but people judge me so much saying I should ride more often. My horse gets so excited when I do ride and she is happy to jump anything and she loves fast work but I know if I ride her too much she just wont work well with me it's more like a fight to let me ride and it seems like people just dont understand that.

Such a great video! My mare will be 23 in January, and she reminds me a lot of Sprite! My Sassy doesn't act her age at all, and it makes me happy to see other older horses still thriving. You're doing an amazing job with Sprite!

Well done For this vlogg my horses have gone for walks in their late 20s early 30s as i tried to retire them and they bombed round the field and either hurt them selves or got depressed being left behind. I had them since they were foals.. A walk to get them moving is better and good for the lungs. Even if you dont ride them. If they are happy being left in the field thats fine, but you know your horse or pony and always do the best for them. They are not all the same as you pointed out . Its always sad when you have to say goodbye but to have that horse for all that time its like loosing part of the family... The vet stated they were very very lucky to be in a good home for all that time.. Even tho you are devasted by the event infact all the family cried. Well Done Em Big Thumbs Up !!!

It is so obvious in your vlog that you love her very dearly and you are a wonderful career for her ! I hope to have as many great years with my mare as you are having with Sprite !

Great content 😃💕

Last year I had the pleasure of riding a 29 year old OTTB until end of the year - she lived in a field 24/7 and every week or 2 I'd bring her in, give her a bit of TLC and we'd go on a gentle 10-12 mile lane hack (with a nice hot chocolate break mid way!) and sometimes a short canter on the way back. She'd let me know what we'd be doing and when, so I'd just listen to her and let her do what she wanted to do. She made it to 30 at the start of this year but didn't make it through the winter but I know she enjoyed what she did right to the end.

👍👍🇺🇸❤️

My mare is 27 and is not showing her age when I take her out on a trail ride she just wants to trot

My horse is 15 and I think people retire there horses to soon

Sprite looks great! I have an older guy, estimate 27 years, and he loves to go out on trail rides. I always listen to him and tailor the riding to how he is feeling. But he still loves to go, and like Sprite, I can always count on him to know the stopping point for our canters.

Such an informative video Emily, the bond you and Sprite have is amazing! I really enjoyed watching and can tell that it took you a lot of thought and effort to make this. 😍🐴

We rescued a 35+ year old mare (based on separate vet & dentist assessments, she came to us as a "15 y/o" with a body score of 2) who was a torpedo on hacks. As part of her rehab, we put her in light work, but once she was 'fit', it was a chore to keep her at a walk. It has been my experience that horses do better, remaining more healthy and happy, when they're riding fit (or are turned out with enough room to roam and maintain their own muscle, which is hardly ever the case.) Hacking out is especially enriching for those horses who would otherwise stand in the same field day in and day out. Don't let any comments about her age get to you. She looks amazing & you're taking great care of her. <3 Appreciate the tips, I hadn't considered brushing horse teeth before!

My horse was a fit older thoroughbred. He was 20 when we bought him (I was 13 I think) and we owned him for 4 years or so. I had actually ridden him for a year or two before that on a lease. I moved him to a new barn that I could walk to after school which suited us perfectly! He was a champion teacher and since I could take him out for a ride almost daily, he looked ten years younger! When I started to get busy with school and needed to focus on getting into university, we gave him back to his previous owner to retire on their property. But he was bored and not ready to retire! So they found him a new little girl to train!

There is nothing like a lovely older horse for a friend and teacher :)

Had an ex-endurance horse- I retired her at 33 - she hated it but it was for both of our safery! Sure spritey will continue for many years as you're keeping her so fit and healthy.

Do her legs ever fill up? And if so how do you manage it? My mare is 21 and has recently just started having filled legs for the first time 🙈 not sure whether bandaging would be best or not x

How old is LoLa

omg only just catching up on this ! I love my older horse and so many friends with older horses and like you say they all eventually say when they won't to stop but most would carry on till the end.

the veteran horse society is full of amazing older horses and is also a free helpline for owners of older horses :).

Sprite is classic example of older horses loving life, she's amazing well doe you

i love your answer/advise to the first question <3

My Horse Cosmo, is 19 and a Quarter Horse, he looks good and is in great health except he has been lame, Vet suspected Navicular though X-ray showed no bone loss, and a MRI which might show joint damage if any is $3000 Sadly I do not have that. So plan is to keep up with the shoeing and very light exercise lots of both of us walking and some trotting together. Honestly at this point I just want him happy which he is and comfortable (not in pain) and at the very least Maybe rideable at a walk and trot, i would settle for just a walk. Cosmo likes to be part of a team lol so even if just walking around the arena with me on foot he is okay with that. Sprite looks so young and so happy clearly you love her. And she loves her life. I like you said would ignore the haters lol you know your girl they do not. Also the countryside is beautiful and is on my bucket list, I have always wanted to visit Cornwall because it calls to me, but now I want to ride in Cornwall! Give your horses my love and thank you.

I've known several older lesson horses that they tried to retire but they became so depressed they put them back in the lesson string with a weight limit. I think Tuffy kept going all the way to 36 or later amd Cody went along till he was 40 ish. I started lessons at 11 and they were already old and when I was in Uni they were still going strong and happy. If they love their work they're better to stay in it, even if it's minimal, it keeps their joints moving, their muscles and brains exercised and healthy. (same with people, activity is healthy at all ages). Love your vlogs and love love love your relationship with Spritey.

Mine is 18 and is still competing but I do a lot of the same things.. Loved this video!!!

Lovely to watch well done! X

Hi Em it’s JANE again from America. I absolutely love your Sprite, she is a wonder, so healthy looking and very vibrant.
Just by looking at her you can tell how wonderfully she has been taken care of through her life. American Quarter Horses are still being ridden and shown on a regular basis at 25 years of age. They are a very versatile breed and work hard for the rider.
Just so long as you take good care of their veterinary and nutrition needs all will be well for a long time. Jane🧑🏻‍🦰😎👍

love an updated vid on this :):)