Advice please!! Problems with new, first horse.Help!!

m3gan

m3gan

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My lovely new boy arrived safely and he has come with a 'full wardrobe' which consists of two rugs which don't fit him. They have rubbed him very badly on his shoulders and I have had to buy him a new one.I have then discovered that the saddle that he came with also does not fit him, so wil have to buy a new saddle. I had him shod on Monday and found that he has got a sore back. I am having him vetted on monday ,as I have him on a two week trial . I originally thought that I might not bother with vetting but now with the back problem I have decided I must have it done. I have also booked an appointment with the chiropractor for him. I am wondereing if the pressure of the illfitting rugs may have caused the back problem? I don't think it is the saddle because he has not been ridden for six months as he has had no rider. His owner says she has not had any problems with him at all and never has called out the vet to him. I am feeling very apprehensive about him and worried about the outcome. I also feel rather angry that the owner has neglected to ensure that he has properly fitting rugs and saddle Any advice please?
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yes the ill fitting rugs could have caused a problem, especially around the withers - and the sensitivity that this can cause can lead on to other problems in ridden work - over a long enough period the horse will change it's entire way of going in order to minimise the pain in the wither - so yes, you definitely need a vet check.
 
STOP!!!!!!!!!!! Don't spend any more money until he has been vetted. If the owner is dishonest enough to send him off with badly fitting rugs and saddle (though some people may not realise re the saddle)
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then she is not going to reinburse you the cost of the chiropracter or his new shoes if he fails the vetting. The last thing you want is to spend all this money on a horse you will not be keeping if he fails the vet. The rugs and saddle you may have purchased will not necessarily fit the horse you end up with. It is heartbreaking if you have set your heart on him but better to know the score and avoid a very expensive mistake
 
Did the owner tell you he hadn't been ridden for 6 months or do you know this first hand?

Were his shoulders rubbed when you viewed/purchased him or become rubbed since? They could have thrown in a couple of rugs and a saddle that wasn't even his just to make the sale.

I would disregard everything the owner says, have the checks and make your decision based purely on the horse before you and results back from the specialists...

Did you ride him when you viewed him or is that the plan for the 2 week trial?
 
Call a halt to the trial, send him back before you get too attached and spend so much money that you feel you must keep going. It costs enough to keep a horse that you feel is ok., never mind buying trouble.
 
Ye, call a halt, You could end up spedning hundreds of pounds on shoeing, vetting, ( and a pracitioner cannot work on a pony prior to a vet's approval) tack and rugs, and then find he is not right.

Call a halt, and go pony shopping with a good reliable instuctor with you.

Even if you get him sorted, he will be unfit and two weeks wonlt get him fit enought to try out properly
 
oh blimey,
I bought a horse that was apparantly a saint, he most certainly WAS NOT
then i bought a perfect gent, good in every way... again NOT

were you told this horse had had several months off before sale? did you ride him in the tack he came with? It could be the saddle, when i bought Max, he came with a saddle which fitted him. As he got some decent feed and some work, it became a bad fit, he protested loudly!!

Horses cost far too much money to get it wrong. Did this horse come from a private seller or a dealer??

good luck in what ever you decide to do with him
keep us posted
 
Thanks very much for all your good advice, i was told that he hadnt been ridden for six months because he had been out on loan to someone who defrauded the people who owned him, this loaner also sold his tack and rugs, apparently. so the owners got him back. when I tried him out he had the same saddle on him at the time but I didn't realise that it didn't fit him. and he did have some rub marks on his shoulders but I didn,t think it was as bad as it is now. I am having the vetting done on Monday, he really is so lovely I do really want to keep him if there is nothing really bad showing up in the vetting. Thanks again for your helpful words.
 
Be very wary. I've bought a horse 8 weeks ago, who is very lovely but after this time her back has got increasingly worse - although I didnt realise this as she was well behaved.

My chiro was very suspiscous of her reactions and I had her xrayed yesterday and she has KS. She also had been laid off for a few months & she also passed the vet 8 weeks ago as she hadn't been ridden for quite a while and was of course feeling better.

I wish you luck but you have a chance to send him back if need be .
 
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