Current condition
Monitoring the condition – and conditioning – of an older horse is vital in achieving and maintaining optimal health. An older horse is good condition, is in a state of physical fitness or readiness for work.
A basic assessment of your older horse's condition
If you answered no to at least five of the above, your older horse is doing pretty well and provided your vet gives your horse a clean bill of health, there will be very little you cannot ask your horse to do, provided you build up the exercise level and duration slowly enough.
If you answered no to three, four or five questions, then it is likely that you can still do many things with your older horse, but should avoid doing the most strenuous ones.
If you only answered no to one or two questions then it is likely that your horse will need his health issues addressing before you can begin any kind of conditioning work.
Of course, if goes without saying, that this scale is very basic and you should absolutely contact your veterinarian for a formal assessment.
Keeping the older horse in condition
Provided your older horse is well enough to be kept in some work, then it is worth continuing to work with your older horse. Older horses that retain their sense of purpose and keep working, even at a low level, tend to live longer and have improved health compared to those that are retired and left to pasture. Keeping a horse is good physical condition is also better for their quality of life, and tends to reduce their aches and pains rather than add to them.
NOTE: Older horses need much more time to be brought back into work or to have their work regime ramped up. You must never rush your senior, as this will certainly do more harm than good!