Many people buy a horse which is too young for their requirements, and consequently pay more than they should, as well as getting a horse which lacks the required maturity and training. Less often, the opposite mistake is made, of buying a horse which is too old to provide the desired years of future riding. This article considers these issues in terms of the advantages and disadvantages of various horse ages.
4-Year Old Horse. This is a popular age, as horses usually start training at age 3, to be ready for basic riding by age 4. Consequently, you can start riding and enjoying it immediately. It is also young enough that you can do advanced training if you wish. The disadvantage is that it will tend to be somewhat more expensive to buy than a younger untrained horse.
5 to 7 Years Old. A trained horse of this age has all the advantages of a 4-year old. However, it will be more emotionally mature and calmer, and may be trained to a higher level as well. All of these factors make it easier to manage and more reliable than a younger horse, so it is more suitable for new riders and for children. However, as a horse gets older it becomes more difficult and consequently more expensive to train so one should ensure that the horse is fully trained before the end of this period.
Older than 7 years. Horses get progressively calmer and quieter as they age, so horses older than 7 years are often the best choice for children, new riders and nervous riders. If the horse has been well treated, is not too old and is in good health, it can still provide many years of riding. Well kept horses, used only for light riding, can often be ridden into their 20s and sometimes even older. In addition, the older horse is often less expensive to buy.
3-Year Old. A three year old horse (depending on breed) is ready to start its training and you can enjoy this experience. However, it is usually less expensive to buy a trained 4 year old that is ready to ride than to buy a 3 year old and pay for a year’s stabling and training.
Less than 3 years old. Watching a horse grow up can give immeasurable pleasure, something like watching young children mature. However, like young children, it can be difficult to predict how they will turn out physically and otherwise, so a foal is more of a gamble than a mature horse. Although foals are less expensive to buy than mature horses of the same quality, once one adds in the cost of stabling and training before it is ready to ride, they are usually more expensive in the end.
The preceding is a general summary and not applicable in all circumstances. For example, if you will be using the horse for racing or other competitions, the associated age restrictions need to be taken into account. Furthermore, breeds and individual horses age at different rates, as well as owners having different policies as to when and to what extent horses are trained prior to sale.
Duber Stewart writes for Horses for Sale on horse care and ownership.
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