The Horse Age Factor

What is the best horse age range to consider when buying your first horse? In our experience, this is a question much overlooked when buying a horse.

Age is a central factor in determining a horse's physical and mental maturity. Some of the larger breeds (for example, the Cleveland Bay and most heavy horses do not reach physical maturity until age 6 and over).

Therefore, age has a fundamental effect on a horse's ability to cope with the tasks required of it and the expectations of the horse owner.

What would be an ideal horse age?

We would suggest a horse between 8-10 years old is a good bet. Horses at this age will generally display a more developed personality, having been accustomed to human handling and a variety of different environments.

They are more tolerant of occasional human error and hence often more confident in their own ability which reinforces confidence in the rider.

Why Young Horses Are
Not For The Inexperienced Owner

One of the biggest misunderstandings of a less experienced horse enthusiast is to presume that buying a young horse will mean you can "learn together".

This is often the mistake made when buying a pony for a child.

Think of it as giving one child full responsibility for another child - it just doesn't work and is frequently a recipe for disaster.

Buying a young horse and over-exposing him to unfamiliar or strenous work is asking for trouble.

It will result in the horse becoming stressed and looking for an outlet for his discomfort and apprehension.

A small child on the back of such an animal can be badly injured and it will not be the horse's fault.

This will almost certainly create a vicious circle of anti-social behaviour which will, if left neglected, require much time and professional intervention to resolve.

Therefore, it is advisable to give careful consideration to the age factor when buying a horse.

Click here to go to Step 2 of our 3 Step Guide To Buying A Horse This is where you get to draw up your "Wish List" of criteria for your ideal horse.

If you would like to review the 3 factors in Step 1 please click here

Alternatively, click here to return from The Horse Age Factor to our Home Page