I have been going out with a friend to her mothers house to shower a little love on a 20? year old mare named kayla. Her mother can't do a lot of the things she used to with kayla, like brush her, pick out her hooves, that sort of thing due to an injury. So i have been hanging out with kayla and learning the ropes of horse care on her, much to kaylas delight. What a rotten horse! She is such a sweetie. I was worried about riding her though. She hasent been ridden much in the last few years and she is kinda fat. Do you think i will end up hurting her by doing some light riding? I am hoping the workout would do her good. What do you guys think?

As long as she's sound, some light riding would be good for both of you! A 20 year old horse isn't at death's door age-wise, so I would go for it. I would just start out with short walks only, maybe 20 or 30 minutes. You can build up slowly from there.

What does 'sound' mean exactly? She doesn't limp or anything, well that my unexperienced eyes can see anyway. (I just learned this horse used to barrel race and has won ribbons:) i know she has no shoes either. Do any of these affect being sound?

I'm no expert - but sound should mean in good/reasonable health with no visible problems that would be hurting them and causing problems with movement - breathes easily, no gaping wounds, no obvious lameness or swollen places,good legs, feet reasonably taken care of etc - like we would say we are healthy even though we aren't perfect. If she hasn't been ridden in awhile you might want to proceed slowly - she may or may not need some refreshing as to acceptable behaviour under saddle. Meaning she might need lunged a few minutes to see how she is feeling or responding to a rider. Some horses do fine without daily riding and others build up energy. Shoes doen't necessarily have anything to do with whether she is sound or not - shoes are worn based on what the horse does, what terrain she lives on or how hardy her hooves are.

Have fun.

She'll likely be fine if there are no apparent physical problems. You'll want to start off slow; limiting the time and amount of work in your rides. This will allow her to slowly return to fitness and you (and your friend) to evaluate any problems. You'll especially want to watch her right after and the day after a ride. You may find her acting sore and such since it's not uncommon for horses that are getting up there in years to have joint issues and or arthritis. At that point you have some decisions to make, but I don't see anything wrong with trying a few light rides if to your knowledge she's healthy and capable of being ridden.

Be aware that if she's had a long time off she may be a bit rusty in riding behavior so you may have some work on your hands. On the other hand she could be an angel; hard to tell. You may want to start with some basic ground work with her first to get a feel for her and establish a respectful relationship that you are in charge of.

Was the owner riding reciently? If not, why is a very good question. If it's soley because of the owner's health then good, but if horse health had something to do with it you will want to be aware and discuss possible problems associated with riding with the owner and possibly a vet.

nope if anything it will do good for her. Heck fantacy is 27 and i ride him alot!.

If she hasn't been ridden in a while, just go slow with her. Watch her carefully while saddling, etc to see if she shows signs of discomfort. Stick to walking around for a while, keep it relaxed. She'll probably unbalanced, crooked, and not terribly responsive after that much time off, but you never know. But I'm sure she'll enjoy the attention and exercise!

Like everyone else has said, just start slow with her, and she should be fine. There's a 23 year old Haflinger gelding where I board my ponies, and he still gets ridden quite a bit.

Good luck with her.

Yup, my friend has a 26 year old Appendix who still foxhunts every year! 20's not old!

The only reason the owner doesnt ride her anymore is because she has a bunch of pins holding her neck together and can't physically handle horseback riding anymore. Kayla(the horse) does not make a fuss about being saddled, but she fights the lead rope a bit. I had to make her walk, and it took all of my weight to do it, but she finally walked for me. Is there a good way to get a horse that hasent been on a lead rope in a while to do what i want her too? Or is it just a 'who's the boss' kind of issue? She was also a little hard headed about being directed while being ridden. What do you suggest i do as a starting excersize(s) for her?

If you cannot lead the horse DO NOT get on her!!!!

IMO if there is a leading problem it is nothing more than a respect issue (I'm almost positive this horse has been taught to lead). You need a knowledgable horse person to a) work with this horse first to get her responding to ground commands and b) help teach you how to safely handle and gain the respect of said horse.

Frankly, I DO NOT recommend you work with this horse at all at this point. You need a horse that is going to respond to you and be safe to show you the ropes, and at this point in her life this one doesn't sound like she's it (rusty undersaddle is one thing; refusing to lead is entirely another). If she's safe to brush, etc. then by all means continue to enjoy her, but I would NOT be using her as your first riding experience AT ALL at this point.

Wait until you can find a trainer with beginner safe lesson horses for the riding if this one is that far removed from her training and manners.

Will do. Thanks!