How old is the oldest horse?
They all have an average lifespan of 30 to 35 years.
Wondering about the oldest horses in the world? The average lifespan of a horse is 25 to 30 years.
Several factors affect a horse's lifespan, including diet and breed. Different horse breeds may have slightly different lifespans.
American Saddlebred, American Standardbred, and Norwegian Fjord are known for their longevity.
They all have an average lifespan of 30 to 35 years.
Following closely is the Tennessee Walker, which has an average lifespan of 28 to 33 years. At the same time, the American Quarter Horse has an average lifespan of 25 to 35 years.
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The World's Oldest Horses
1- Old Billy
Old Billy was a Cob/Shire cross breed horse. According to the Guinness World Records, he is the oldest horse ever recorded.
He was born in 1760 in Woolston, Lancashire, England, and died on November 27, 1822, at 62. Old Billy’s skull is displayed at the Manchester Museum in Manchester, England.
He spent many years serving as a barge horse pulling barges up and down canals.
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2- Sugar Puff
Sugar Puff was a Shetland/Exmoor cross breed pony. He was the oldest living pony on record. He was in 1951 and died, on May 25, 2007, at the age of 56, from old age.
Born in West Essex, England, Sugar Puff stood at 10HH (short for Hands High) or 3.3 feet tall.
Throughout his horse career, from 1979 to 1982, he started 22 horse races with 2 wins, finishing second in 3 races and finishing third in 3 races.
3- Badger
Badger was an Arabian/Welsh cross breed horse. He was born in 1953 in Cardigan, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
He died in 2004, at the age of 51, after being rescued from a boarding stable, where he was found neglected and near starvation.
After his rescue, he was taken to the Veteran Horse Society in Cardigan, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Society is dedicated to the care and welfare of horses over the age of 15. He died at the horse sanctuary.
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4- Shayne
Shayne was an Irish Draught horse breed.
He was born in 1962 in Brentwood, Essex, England, and died on February 22, 2013, at the age of 51, at the Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary in Ingatestone, Essex, England.
Shayne had arthritis, and when his legs gave way, and he was unable to get up from a nap on that fateful February day, the staff at the sanctuary made the agonizing decision to put him down.
5- Scribbles
Scribbles was an unknown pony breed. He was born in 1958 in Cornwall, England. The last public news about Scribbles came out in 2009 when he was 51 years of age.
It is unknown when he died. From 1978 to 2002, Scribbles worked as a riding pony at the Strawberry Gardens Riding School in Camborne, England. He was retired in 2002 due to old age.
6- Magic
Magic is/was a Polish Arabian horse breed. Magic was the oldest registered Arabian horse in the United States for quite some time.
On June 15, 1969, she was born in Oregon and died in San Diego, California, on March 25, 2020, at 51.
Magic was a professional rodeo barrel racer and pole bender. Her last known competition was at the Valley Center Vaqueros Club in Valley Center, California, where she won 7 awards.
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7- Orchid
Orchid was a Thoroughbred/Arabian cross breed horse. She was born in 1965 and died in October of 2015, at the age of 50.
She died at the Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary in Ingatestone, Essex, England, after she could not overcome a bout of colic.
8- Prospect Point
Prospect Point was a Thoroughbred horse. He was one of the longest-lived Thoroughbreds on record.
He was born, in Kentucky, on March 4, 1978, and died on September 23, 2016, at the age of 38, after his health rapidly deteriorated and he had to be euthanized.
Prospect Point started 72 horse races with 7 wins, finishing second in 8 races and third in 10 races.
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9- Go for Gin
Go for Gin was a Thoroughbred horse. He was the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner until his death last month.
Go for Gin was born in Kentucky on April 18, 1991, and died on March 8, 2022, at the age of 31, from heart failure.
He died at the Kentucky Horse Park, a working horse farm, an international equestrian competition venue, and an educational theme park in Lexington, Kentucky.
10- Taff and Griff
Taff and Griff are Cremello horses. These horses feature a cream-colored coat with no markings, blue eyes, a white mane, and a whitetail.
According to the Guinness World Records, these male twin horses are the oldest horse twins , currently age 31.
Conceiving twins is very rare in horses, with about a 1 in 10,000 chance. Born in 1982, they measure 11.2HH (shorts for Hands High), or 3.7 feet tall.
Taff and Griff currently live at the Veteran Horse Society in Cardigan, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Previously, the twins resided at the London Zoo, the world’s oldest scientific zoo, in London, England.
Conclusion
So there you have it - the oldest horses in the world! It's incredible that these horses have been around for so long and have seen so many changes.
They are a testament to the strength and resilience of the horse species. We hope you've enjoyed learning about them as much as we have!
Who's your favorite oldest horse? Let us know below!
Resources
- Oldest horse ever. Guinness World Records. Accessed April 22, 2022. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/70449-oldest-horse-ever
- Ochonski P, Zimmer S, Jedrzejewski E, Staniar WB. Growth of Twin Quarter Horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2017;50:15-19. doi:10.1016/j.jevs.2016.10.016