I believe that if you keep a slight bit of fitness on an older horse they will last a lot longer - I know Showjumpers that have being going well into their 20's - of course, the way you look after them and how you handle their feeding/supplement scheme is a lot different to a 5 year old in work, but you see where I'm coming from.
If your boy is sound, and you can't see too much arthritis and degrading of his joints, then start by lightly lunging him and slowly but surely building up his fitness and muscles - remember, an older horse will take a lot longer to build up fitness than a young horse as well. Then you start by gently going on small rides etc etc. Make sure you give him ample time to warm up and cool down, and really take care of him.
A joint supplement would be perfect for him, and feed him accordingly to what work he is doing and all that jazz and he should be fine. It's a matter of day by day with them really, watch for any signs of lameless and yeah, don't do anything stupid with him and he should be fine and I'm sure he'll appreciate the occasional nice ride!
|