How Old is Old for a Horse?
Similar to dogs, the size of a horse influences its life expectancy. A smaller horse like a miniature horse or pony generally lives longer than an average size horse. Large draft horses generally have a shorter life expectancy. Wild horses have the shortest lifespan, which is around 15 years.
When a horse is born, it is able to walk within one hour. Foals can even gallop, which is the fastest speed a horse can go, within 24 hours. Even at a young age, horses can start learning beneficial life skills like haltering, leading, feet handling, etc. Most horses learn how to be ridden around 2 years old, which is when most of them are skeletally mature. Draft horses develop slower than lighter riding breeds.
Foal Photo — Replace with your imageTo determine whether a horse is considered “old”, one must consider not only the physical qualities of that horse but the industry it is in and the demands of the task. A horse’s career can be very different in duration. In Thoroughbred racing, which is generally the youngest industry for horses, most horses have a career from the ages of 2 – 5 years old. In rodeo bucking horses, which are generally draft crosses, start their career around 5 – 6 years old and can work until their twenties. Dressage horses usually enter training at 3 – 4yrs old and peak around 10 – 15 yrs old. Eventing competitions have age minimums of 4 and 5 yrs old for the youngest classes. Most higher level competitions are horses 13 – 19. For roping horses, the most common age for higher competition is 10 -18 years old. Trail riding can be done by horses of any age.
Horse Racing Photo — Replace with your imageHorses generally all share the same birthday, Jan 1, for record keeping and competition purposes. Since none of our horses are registered, we don’t have records of all their birthdates and have to estimate their ages. By looking at the horse’s teeth, we make our best estimate as to its age. At SFR we estimate we have horses starting at 8 years old and as old as in their twenties. Age is one of several factors we use to determine the best activities and riders for each horse.
Young Horse Teeth PhotoThe younger horse will show a shorter tooth visible below the gum line.
Middle-Aged Horse Teeth PhotoA horse from 9 years to mid-teens will have a more rounded grinding surface
Older Horse Teeth PhotoAn older horse will have more of an angle with a more protruded appearance
If you’re interested in learning more about how to determine a horse’s age by its teeth, the following references provide additional information and illustrations. Click either publication to learn more.
References
1. Evans, P. A., & Jack, N. (2020, revised by K. Hoopes). Aging Horses by Their Teeth. Utah State University Extension.
2. American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). Guide for Determining the Age of the Horse. Available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
