Teaching "old horses" new tricks?

[Horse Love]

I bought a 17 year old pure falabella stallion earlier this year. I like my stallions to have a job. My other stallion is broke to drive, but my falabella has had no training. So is 17 too old to teach him to drive?

 

[chandab]

As long as he is in good health, he should be just fine to start in driving training.

 

[Horse Love]

He is in good health, but could use some muscle on him(which is another reason why I want to train him to drive). He is very fine boned, will this affect him at all?

 

[chandab]

With his age and lack of muscle you'll need to work him slower and take longer to get him in shape/condition.

 

[paintponylvr]

I don't see any reason there should be a problem w/ teaching him to drive. As you train him in ground driving, you will build him up so that by the time you have him ready to hitch - he's plenty strong enough to start going on conditioning drives.

I've spent the last two years training a pair of mares to drive - they are currenlty 20 & 21 years of age. They are awesome - at home, out at shows/presentations & trail driving as singles, pairs and as a 3 abreast w/ a younger mare. The one mare hadn't even been "properly" halter trained - could be caught and haltered but didn't know how to lead or stand or back up...