How old is your oldest driving horse?

[Marsha Cassada]

You may know I recently acquired a retired brood mare. She is 20 this year. (Thank you Teacup Stables for taking such good care of her!)

I've had her since April and she is driving really well now. She is building muscle nicely. I've only had her in the light sulky until I can see she is conditioned enough for the cart. She is doing fantastic for such a short time!

I'm wondering how many other drivers have an older horse? 20 year old horses are ridden all the time, so I'm thinking driving should be easier on their bodies and my mare should be good for a few more years.

My other driving horse is 16.

 

[targetsmom]

Well, the oldest mini we have is only 13, but she is the one we just trained to drive and is doing well. It seemed to take her less time to be "cart ready" than the 3 year olds we were training at the same time.

 

[paintponylvr]

Bit - 22 - single, pair, 3 & 4 abreast

Bell - 21 - single, pair, 3 & 4 abreast

Stuffy - 17 - single & ground driving as a pair

Koalah - 15 - single, pair, 3 & 4 abreast

Iggy - 15 - Pulling logs and a drag single and as a pair. Not hitchd to a wheeled vehicle.

Cassie - 8 - has always been hitched as a pair or 3 or 4 abreast.

Flower - 4

KoKo - 4

GG - 3 - single & pair

Cupid - 3 - ground driving single and pair

Ami - 3 - starting now - ground driving with a single tree and pulled tree branches for the first time this weekend.

Yes, most of the young ones lack something that the older ones have - but it really depends on the pony. Stuffy was started in ground driving at 18 months age, by 2 was pulling a sulky with me and our then 4 yr old daughter. Then she was leased out to 3 different families as a riding pony and didn't drive again until 2009 - when she was 13 yrs old. She had some issues she developed and still need to work thru, but she's very quiet and laid back like Bell. Bit was much more upset and nervous. Cassie is also a nervous pony - constantly throwing her head and chomping on the bit and jumping around some (I've not been comfortable with her so always have hooked her as a pair. Funny thouh - the mare I prefer to hook her with was similar to her in the beginning). Like her dam, GG is so laid back and easy to work with it's hard not to push forward too fast.

Ami - it's like she was born knowing what the harness was for - but if we had started her last year, she'd have been terrible. She was like a toddler - wobbling in between throwing tantrums and running to "pout", and being a pocket pony.

Iggy still has some learning to do, but he's coming along quietly. He's not a spooky pony - just doesn't like to stand still - prefers to back up every time he's told to "whoa". His and Stuffy's son, Cupid, however loves to rear and dance and has since the day he was born. It hasn't changed - and we've done A LOT of work with him. While I can ground drive him and work him from the ground, I'm not ready to hook either Iggy or Cupid to a wheeled vehicle. I've been jokingly told ... "maybe you should just hook them up, get in the wagon and "yeehaw"...". Sure - got a wagon and harness I can borrow? I'm not using mine for that "rodeo"... I am thinking I may haul the to my mentor's place & hook them to his drag (the one that Bell and Bit pulled for some time).

I have 4 - 2 yr olds to start ground driving this fall. Two are wearing open headstalls with bits, the two aren't yet... Plus have several other ponies that really need to be worked with - started in ground driving...

 

[Performancemini]

We had to retire our one mare at 20 due to arthritis in her neck/shoulder area. Her team-mate and my first driving mini is 21, but had to be retired at 17 due to old stifle problem that became too much an issue added with hip and back too.

We have friends who retired driving ponies (well, they were Shetlands, not minis, but whatever) at 24 (fine harness) and 26 (roadster) and both ponies looked wonderful. Never would have guessed their ages!

 

[happy appy]

My oldest is only 11 this year but he is also my oldest mini!

Prince - 11, single and double

Diamond - 9, single, double

Sugar - 8, single

Ellie - 6, single, double (green though, she has only been double with her sister Diamond)

 

[Jill]

Our oldest driving horse is "Lou", who was born in 1994. She is ALWAYS ready to go and could turn a 360 cartwheel all the way to China <3 And has shown halter and has raised foals. She's worth her weight in gold

 

[Peggy Porter]

Sundance Kid turned 20 this year. I have owned him since hevwas a yearling, and am proud to say he is a product of my training. He is still going strong. Saturday I hitched him in the new hyperbike and clocked him at almost 13kph! He drives single and pair with Butch Cassidy, who is approximately 10 this year ( rescue so no papers )