4yo with melanomas - would it stop you buying?

depends on the price, what you wish to do with him and the potential etc. but for me the price would have to be a reflection.

although you know you probably have problems in the future, this can happen with any horse as they are only healthy on that particular day


if it fits the bill in all other ways and is cheap and you are not going to require insurance then i would consider it
 
It would absolutely put me off. I wouldnt buy a horse with any existing medical condition. I know you never know what around the corner but why start out withh issues.
 
My grey has developed melanomas aged ten. There's nothing external, but there are some in his salivary glands. It means that working correctly is impossible as he's lost that flexion. And I worry that they're going to affect his breathing and swallowing soon. I adore greys, but I will not have another again, you feel utterly helpless as there's nothing you can do to help.

I'm afraid I wouldn't touch with a bargepole.
 
I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole, sorry. Plenty of other horses out there without buying possible trouble and heartbreak. :(
 
One of my grey mares has melanomas, including one on her eyelid that is growing onto her third eyelid. Not many options really, but she has a home for life until I will probably have to pts because of this melanoma or internal ones.

Makes me so sad that this poor horse has them so young. Don't buy - if you do, he'll probably break your heart.
 
I own quite a few grey horses and all of the older ones have at least one melanoma. None of the younger ones show signs of them yet but they will also get them at some point in their lives, of that we can be sure. I love greys, have always loved greys, but I know fine well that I have to expect melanomas to come at a certain age, and I do, so it's no shocker to me when the older ones develop them.

However in your case, 4 years old is very young for them to be developing. If the horse were in its teens then it wouldn't put me off but under 5 and already it has two, hmm no I would be passing on this horse.
 
OP of course it is up to you. I did buy a grey 4 YO with melanomas (2 or 3 under the dock) and he is now 13 and doing very well though he is in another home now for different reasons! He competes and there are no signs whatsoever that he has a problem. On the other hand, I bought a 6 YO bay with nothing whatsoever wrong with him, and a year later he had developed arthritis in both hocks and is now on danilon every day and we can't jump him.

Whereas I would not buy a horse that I knew had had laminitis, I would buy one with melanomas. But it is 100% your decision of course!
 
If he was free and I was the sort of person who could PTS if they got worse then yes I would take the gamble. I wouldn't hand over money though, and you would need to be cold eyed and clear headed about his future.
 
Poor thing :( I personally wouldn't, as I get so, so attached to horses and wouldn't want to knowingly buy one with such a serious condition, especially at such a young age. Very sad.
 
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