Buying a new horse is heartbreaking

[J_sarahd]

I have been looking for a new horse for a few months now and everything has either been unsound, unsuitable or sold quickly.

I found one I really liked - she was so lovely and laidback, sweet to ride, a generally lovely mare. Booked to have her vetted today and the vet rang me to say that she trotted up sound but was lame on a circle. She also said she had terrible feet - don’t get me wrong, she is a thoroughbred so I asked the vet if they were bad or bad for a thoroughbred and she said they were very bad. She said it is likely they could come right with a good farrier and rehabbing and she could stay sound for a bit but she says she will probably eventually go lame in her front feet.

I am gutted because I obviously walked away - I’m not going to buy a horse that the vet has said is likely to repeatedly go lame.

Searching for a new horse to even enquire about is stressful. I don’t know if I can be bothered to carry on looking for one and will probably end up horseless in a few weeks!

 

[Bernster]

Ahhh yes, been there. Lots of threads on here about the same issues too. You invest so much time energy and emotion into it so it’s very sad when it doesn’t work out. But you’ll get there, as other posters have on here too - this wasn’t your one. He/she is still out there!

 

[FlyingCircus]

I know the feeling! Went to see a very cute mare the other day but the owner is quite unrealistic as to price and how green the mare is. Also not convinced she is sound. Ridden in tack that didn't fit, etc, etc. Hard to see.

 

[Birker2020]

I have been looking for a new horse for a few months now and everything has either been unsound, unsuitable or sold quickly.

I found one I really liked - she was so lovely and laidback, sweet to ride, a generally lovely mare. Booked to have her vetted today and the vet rang me to say that she trotted up sound but was lame on a circle. She also said she had terrible feet - don’t get me wrong, she is a thoroughbred so I asked the vet if they were bad or bad for a thoroughbred and she said they were very bad. She said it is likely they could come right with a good farrier and rehabbing and she could stay sound for a bit but she says she will probably eventually go lame in her front feet.

I am gutted because I obviously walked away - I’m not going to buy a horse that the vet has said is likely to repeatedly go lame.

Searching for a new horse to even enquire about is stressful. I don’t know if I can be bothered to carry on looking for one and will probably end up horseless in a few weeks!

better to have walked away than be in a position like me where its all gone wrong. Or to be in possession of a horse that should have failed a vetting and hasn't.

I sympathise, its a stupid, stupid market at the moment with a lot of chancers out there asking for ridiculous money in return for something that's done absolutely nothing. And those that have done something that are under £8K are normally lame or have other defects. Its disheartening that's for sure. It will level out.

 

[J_sarahd]

I’ve kind of done myself in as well. By loaning out my current pony, I don’t have the biggest budget for another so the pool I am choosing from is already tiny. I would rather have no horse than a broken horse though

 

[Birker2020]

I’ve kind of done myself in as well. By loaning out my current pony, I don’t have the biggest budget for another so the pool I am choosing from is already tiny. I would rather have no horse than a broken horse though

This^^

The cost of having a broken horse is not just monetary.

 

[Wishfilly]

The right horse will be out there for you. I had a few disappointments when I was looking, but I think it was for the best, as I ended up with a pony who is great in a lot of ways!

It's probably the worst time of year to be looking as well- prices may not go down a lot, but the market has definitely slowed a bit the last two autumns, and although being horseless over the summer isn't great, you could save up a slightly healthier budget?

 

[snowcloud]

It is horrendous, I really feel for you! I had two failed vettings on 5 figure horses a few months ago. I stopped looking, brought a puppy and booked a riding holiday whilst having lots of lessons - I’ve been having a great time. I’ll probably start my search again when the winter rolls in. I’m hoping people will come to realise how expense horses are in winter alongside current rising prices.

So don’t fret, keep living life and your horse will find you!

 

[Red-1]

It took me years to get the one I have now. It was sooo difficult to find sane and sound. Someone recently offered silly-money for him. I turned them down as I have no idea where I could get another from. Besides, he is family now.

It made me realise how precious he is, not the £ but just how hard he was to find.

 

[Glitter's fun]

I feel for you but you are not alone. Loads of us are looking at the moment. It's hard walking away from the 'almost right' ones but having no horse is far better than the wrong horse. As Snowcloud says, he's out there & he will find you (& me!).

 

[Antw23uk]

My horse was sound on flexions and trot up but not right on a ten meter circle on hard ground and he had shocking feet when I got him. The vet and I laughed that if we'd seen the circles first we'd have put good money on him not passing the flexion tests!

His feet are now great, he's not had a days lameness since having him and I don't tend to trot on a ten metre circle on hard ground very often (i.e. I don't, who does?!)

Sometimes you have to go with your heart and take that leap of faith. There aren't many 100% sound horses out there, not even in the top level competition horses! Vets are there to give you a snippet, an insight into how that horse is on that day and to of course cover their ar&ses should you go back to them in a few weeks questioning why they said buy the horse when they shouldn't have (they are between a rock and a hard place, I don't envy them)

My horse ticked all the boxes and i saw past the shut down, shocking feet, lame on a ten meter circle. He's also the most expensive horse I've ever brought (he was 5k 18 months ago which I know is nothing compared to some budgets but it was a lot for me) I've recently turned down 10k for him!

OP I'm not saying you were wrong to walk away from this recent horse, so I suppose I'm saying don't rely on the vets advise alone as gospel! Good luck with your search

 

[canteron]

Just for my curiosity OP is that horse back on the market for the same price. I am always amazed at how deceitful some sellers can be, always looking for a mug to pass a knowingly ‘dud’ horse onto?

 

[Birker2020]

I am always amazed at how deceitful some sellers can be, always looking for a mug to pass a knowingly ‘dud’ horse onto?

Oh yes and so say all of us

 

[J_sarahd]

My horse was sound on flexions and trot up but not right on a ten meter circle on hard ground and he had shocking feet when I got him. The vet and I laughed that if we'd seen the circles first we'd have put good money on him not passing the flexion tests!

His feet are now great, he's not had a days lameness since having him and I don't tend to trot on a ten metre circle on hard ground very often (i.e. I don't, who does?!)

Sometimes you have to go with your heart and take that leap of faith. There aren't many 100% sound horses out there, not even in the top level competition horses! Vets are there to give you a snippet, an insight into how that horse is on that day and to of course cover their ar&ses should you go back to them in a few weeks questioning why they said buy the horse when they shouldn't have (they are between a rock and a hard place, I don't envy them)

My horse ticked all the boxes and i saw past the shut down, shocking feet, lame on a ten meter circle. He's also the most expensive horse I've ever brought (he was 5k 18 months ago which I know is nothing compared to some budgets but it was a lot for me) I've recently turned down 10k for him!

OP I'm not saying you were wrong to walk away from this recent horse, so I suppose I'm saying don't rely on the vets advise alone as gospel! Good luck with your search

Yes I still feel a bit conflicted about it and think if its just her feet then she may be absolutely fine with the right farrier. I did really, really like her. Its so difficult

 

[J_sarahd]

Just for my curiosity OP is that horse back on the market for the same price. I am always amazed at how deceitful some sellers can be, always looking for a mug to pass a knowingly ‘dud’ horse onto?

I have had a quick look today and she’s not back up yet

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Feeling for you OP, and everyone else in your position right now. It has never been easy buying the "right" horse, and especially so now.

Five years ago I was exactly in this position. I must have looked at nearly 100 horses over a couple of years. Three failed vettings (and broke my heart), and I was lied to consistently and led on a lot of false errands and drove many miles to see horses that within 30-seconds of setting eyes on them, knew that I'd made a 4-hours (or more) for nothing - which could have been so easily prevented had the seller been honest. I also viewed a horse which was loan-with-view-to buy - which was being loaned to a certain unscrupulous girl who obviously didn't want the loan to end and then told me up a whole story about the horse! Said it had bolted, was blind in one eye, was lame, had bolted - and then the day that I was due to view it then shut it in a yard with a tractor working around hoping that it would be fired-up and ready to jump out of its skin when I arrived! Naughty.......... but this is the sort of thing that happens.

My Alphabetical Guide to buying:- A,B,C,D,E. A: Accept nothing as true; B: Believe nothing you're told C: Check everything (yes absolutely everything - esp the passport); 'D' which is DO NOT ever get on it without seeing it ridden first. Whatever the excuse. Walk away if you can't. A friend's daughter had a very narrow escape when they went to see a pony years ago; and I've had the experience of getting up on something that I had been assured "would hack out alone from the yard, no prob's) only to have it start to rear up on me. Yes I know I shouldn't have got up on it, but I believed what I was told....... luckily a friend saw what was happening and quickly told me to get off and stay off. E: Expect the best but prepare for the worst - this might be your dream horse, it might not. Go with an open mind. Dream horses sometimes are located in the most inaccessible places on this planet i.e. up a rocky track on the side of a mountain, so be prepared for the unexpected! and finally 'F' for Friend: never go without a Friend or another set of eyes. Essential.

Having said all this, all of my horses in my lifetime have "found" me; know it sounds trite, but it's happened. My first-ever pony arrived because I'd gone to see another one at the yard and he "happened" to be for sale. Another was put in one of my fields overnight and was there in the morning looking over the gate at me (livery's OH did a bit of dealing on the side and had picked him up from a riding school - it was late at night and he was popped into the field, they were gonna tell me in the morning!! - and he "happened to be for sale"). Current pony was when I'd gone to see another: she was on my "don't want" list i.e. youngster, piebald, hairy legs, mare, pony...... you name it. But somehow I ended up bringing her home!

Yours will find you. You have to believe it. Good luck!

 

[Birker2020]

Feeling for you OP, and everyone else in your position right now. It has never been easy buying the "right" horse, and especially so now.

Five years ago I was exactly in this position. I must have looked at nearly 100 horses over a couple of years. Three failed vettings (and broke my heart), and I was lied to consistently and led on a lot of false errands and drove many miles to see horses that within 30-seconds of setting eyes on them, knew that I'd made a 4-hours (or more) for nothing - which could have been so easily prevented had the seller been honest. I also viewed a horse which was loan-with-view-to buy - which was being loaned to a certain unscrupulous girl who obviously didn't want the loan to end and then told me up a whole story about the horse! Said it had bolted, was blind in one eye, was lame, had bolted - and then the day that I was due to view it then shut it in a yard with a tractor working around hoping that it would be fired-up and ready to jump out of its skin when I arrived! Naughty.......... but this is the sort of thing that happens.

My Alphabetical Guide to buying:- A,B,C,D,E. A: Accept nothing as true; B: Believe nothing you're told C: Check everything (yes absolutely everything - esp the passport); 'D' which is DO NOT ever get on it without seeing it ridden first. Whatever the excuse. Walk away if you can't. A friend's daughter had a very narrow escape when they went to see a pony years ago; and I've had the experience of getting up on something that I had been assured "would hack out alone from the yard, no prob's) only to have it start to rear up on me. Yes I know I shouldn't have got up on it, but I believed what I was told....... luckily a friend saw what was happening and quickly told me to get off and stay off. E: Expect the best but prepare for the worst - this might be your dream horse, it might not. Go with an open mind. Dream horses sometimes are located in the most inaccessible places on this planet i.e. up a rocky track on the side of a mountain, so be prepared for the unexpected! and finally 'F' for Friend: never go without a Friend or another set of eyes. Essential.

Having said all this, all of my horses in my lifetime have "found" me; know it sounds trite, but it's happened. My first-ever pony arrived because I'd gone to see another one at the yard and he "happened" to be for sale. Another was put in one of my fields overnight and was there in the morning looking over the gate at me (livery's OH did a bit of dealing on the side and had picked him up from a riding school - it was late at night and he was popped into the field, they were gonna tell me in the morning!! - and he "happened to be for sale"). Current pony was when I'd gone to see another: she was on my "don't want" list i.e. youngster, piebald, hairy legs, mare, pony...... you name it. But somehow I ended up bringing her home!

Yours will find you. You have to believe it. Good luck!

Some good advice.

Still can't understand how a vet history supplied to me from a previous owners vet not only had horses name misspelt, but his breed and DOB too if you compare to passport.

Like others have said, your horse will find you.

 

[Fieldlife]

Some good advice.

Still can't understand how a vet history supplied to me from a previous owners vet not only had horses name misspelt, but his breed and DOB too if you compare to passport.

Like others have said, your horse will find you.

I’ve often had similar mistakes on lab work / referral reports on my own horses.

 

[Pegasus5531]

I bought my last horse from someone I had known for 25 years and always trusted. She was lame intermittently, turned out to be coffin joint arthritis that vet said she had for a long time and would have definitely shown before. I then found out from other people at the yard that she was from that she had been lame there. I felt cheated by people I thought were friends and stupid for not getting a vetting. I put my trust in people but won't do that again. Would always vet now. I've since lost the mare which was heartbreaking after spending months with her on box rest for another injury. I thought about looking for another but similar to you I couldn't face being confronted with liking a horse then having issues again. I've been riding a friends horse for a few months so think I will just keep going with that for now. It is soul destroying sometimes and often wonder why we bother!

 

[milliepops]

I’ve often had similar mistakes on lab work / referral reports on my own horses.

yep some of mine are not quite right namewise on the vets records. i know who they refer to and so do they, so i haven't ever corrected it. it's usually happened where i've registered the horse over the phone. I got one horse that they already had on record as his racing trainer uses the same practice and it was wrong from them.

 

[Birker2020]

yep some of mine are not quite right namewise on the vets records. i know who they refer to and so do they, so i haven't ever corrected it. it's usually happened where i've registered the horse over the phone. I got one horse that they already had on record as his racing trainer uses the same practice and it was wrong from them.

Its poor practice though, particuarly when date of birth comes into play. Two things and you'd think it were suspicious but three things were wrong, which is why I got in writing from that practice that the record produced did actually belong to them.

And my horse also goes by three heights depending on what competitions records you look at. I still don't really know he's height, he was sold as 16.2hh but I would suspect he's at least 17hh.

 

[Fieldlife]

Its poor practice though, particuarly when date of birth comes into play. Two things and you'd think it were suspicious but three things were wrong, which is why I got in writing from that practice that the record produced did actually belong to them.

And my horse also goes by three heights depending on what competitions records you look at. I still don't really know he's height, he was sold as 16.2hh but I would suspect he's at least 17hh.

Yes my current horse was advertised as 16.2 and 12. He is 16.3 and 11.

 

[ester]

yep some of mine are not quite right namewise on the vets records. i know who they refer to and so do they, so i haven't ever corrected it. it's usually happened where i've registered the horse over the phone. I got one horse that they already had on record as his racing trainer uses the same practice and it was wrong from them.

frank’s vetting had him down as spanky….

 

[J_sarahd]

A mare I have already enquired about is back up for sale. She was taken off the market as apparently she had an abscess and was footsore when they took her shoes off. I am tempted to go and see her but

1. she is 2.5 hours away
2. I am a bit skeptical about feet now

Is it worth it? She’s a good price and looks lovely.

 

[milliepops]

it sounds like a legitimate reason to withdraw a horse from the market to me. No point having buyers turn up to try a horse that is uncomfortable, but how long was she off the market for? If you have a good farrier you can improve the feet a lot, most of mine have arrived with rubbish feet and improved with a bit of tlc and effort.

 

[J_sarahd]

it sounds like a legitimate reason to withdraw a horse from the market to me. No point having buyers turn up to try a horse that is uncomfortable, but how long was she off the market for? If you have a good farrier you can improve the feet a lot, most of mine have arrived with rubbish feet and improved with a bit of tlc and effort.

Oh yeah for sure I am actually happy she was withdrawn rather than trying to flog a broken horse. About a month?

 

[milliepops]

not too suspicious then? i think if it's a horse you like (and i don't think 2.5 hours is too far for the right horse tbf, i've driven further to collect a saddle ) then it's worth a look and just have a close look at the feet.

 

[J_sarahd]

not too suspicious then? i think if it's a horse you like (and i don't think 2.5 hours is too far for the right horse tbf, i've driven further to collect a saddle ) then it's worth a look and just have a close look at the feet.

Okay great thanks. I think I am just a bit wary of anything to do with feet and seeing a horse who was footsore. But then again I suppose horses go footsore if they have their shoes off all the time

 

[honetpot]

Just for my curiosity OP is that horse back on the market for the same price. I am always amazed at how deceitful some sellers can be, always looking for a mug to pass a knowingly ‘dud’ horse onto?

The vetting is only the vets opinion on the day, and the horse may have a niggle that day, or another vets opinion may be different.
I have had two fail the vet when selling, one I expected to fail, it failed on flexion it was a large older horse and really I was not surprised and the people still bought it. I would have readvertised had they not bought it, I told the buyers before they had it vetted that I doubted it would pass a five stage vetting.
The other was a pony that the children had outgrown, the vet said it was slightly lame, and had been to PC etc and never shown any sign of lameness, and again they buyers still bought it, and it was not a cheap pony several years ago. Last time I found it on its results it was still competing at PC. several years after I sold it, and when it was eventually sold again from the same family, they were asking twice the price they paid for it.

 

[milliepops]

yes there doesn't have to be a sinister reason for "failing". it can be something fleeting on the day. the issue with that is really if the buyer wants insurance and that would be affected by whatever the vet has brought up.