buying horse with tail to the side??

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vetmedbabe

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trying to buy a horse at the mo but its holding it tail to the side while being ridden and in stable - any ideas?? worried its the spine and as i dont know much about the horses history im worried. also has problems with wolf tooth- i know that holding tail to side indicates pain- could theses be related? im buying it throug a third party so not much is know- a big worry but a nice very smart horse.although hes 9 and hasnt done anything but is VERY well schooled. HEs 4000??!! i want him for showjumping only hopefully up to 1.20, higher would be fab! also pigeoned toed on one front leg. He seems to hold the tail to the left on the left rein and when going from right to left looks only slightly unbalanced maybe even lame in trot, canter ok. Any ideas anyone on should i investigate further or run a mile? my instinct is to run but i want to learn something from this experience as i still need to buy a horse lol! thanks all
 
With a name like vetmedbabe I had assumed that you were a vet med student.

I wouldnt buy a horse that held its tail to the side and was lame in trot. It sounds as though it probably has something like a sacroiliac ligament strain (common amongst showsjumpers) in which case I would be surprised if you could jumpt more than 3 ft if at all with the horse.

Aside from the potential lameness issues, £4k for a 9 yr old who hasnt done anything? no chance. buying "through a third party" also sounds a bit dodgy.

Not meaning to be rude, but sounds like you need to learn quite a lot before buying a horse - perhaps take someone who is more experienced, like an instructor, and get a 5 stage vetting. It wont guarantee your horse wont go lame, but at least you may avoid a very expensive lesson.
 
Blimey he sounds like he's got some problems! Wolf teeth, pigeon toes, slight lamesness, odd tail holding and no experience? He is massively overpriced at £4k!! Also, because you'd be buying him with these problems, your insurance wont cover the cost of getting him fixed!! I wouldn't run the risk, there are too many good horses out there for that kind of money to be gambling with a horse with that many problems!
 
I think sometimes if they switch which side they hold the tail on, it is just a way of them going, rather than an indicator of pain. Might be worth getting a physio/chiro to have a look over to see what they think, could be nothing
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If you really like the horse, then faults can be overcome, and pigeon toed horses can live quite healthily and compete well, just depends on the extent.

Prices can always be knocked down
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When you read how you have put it I would say, run a mile!!!
too many issues...
We'll find you something nice....will get that website off Lu 2nite.....
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Well I wouldn't buy it! There are plenty of nice horses out there for sale for 4K for you not to need to buy one that is lame, might have a bad back, is pigeon toed and has problems with its wolf teeth
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FWIW, my boy held his tail slightly to one side...was diasnosed with spavin. He now holds his tail straight, having had a fortune spent on medicating his hocks and getting osteopath treatments to mend his sore back...
 
Well I wouldn't pay that much for that horse! Or buy it at all. I used to have a vet that wouldn't pass anything with pigeon toes - not for compettitions/hunting, etc.

My horse carries his tail slightly to one side but doesn't have any lameness problems at all.

He used to have a weaker hind leg, but is over that now, so whether it is a legacy of that I don't know.
 
My horse has a bend in his tail! Think he must have injured it at some point, kinks about 3/4s of the way down!

Based on what you have said above, I would agree with the 'run a mile' view. It is a buyers market at the moment - £4k should get something quite reasonable if you shop around a bit.
 
Without being rude are you mad?
This sounds like a meat money horse not a four grand one...
If his tail is to the side it indicates an injury, the pidgeon toe wouldn't worry me but the tail and looking lame would!
Walk away, there are better buys..
 
tail doesn't always indicate an injury. my young welsh holds his tail to the left consistently. i noticed it when i tried him, his back was checked in the vetting and he has seen numerous physios and chiropractors since, none of which appear to be able to find anything significantly wrong with him or fix it. there was an article in H&H recently about tails to one side and it can become a habit. it does need looking into though.

however, with all the other probs noted i'd not be touching this horse with a long bargepole.
 
I agree with star. Holding a tail to one side does not always necessarily indicate a problem. My mare does it and I knew it before I bought her. Had a 5 star vetting and checked by physio and she has no problems. Vet also said that in his experience, most of the time it does not indicate an underlying problem. She has not had any lameness issues since I have had her. She show jumps much bigger than 3ft too!!

However agree with the others that wouldn't touch it, if it shows slight lameness.
 
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????????????troll

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Who me?? Or the OP?!

[/ QUOTE ]not you lol just sounds like another troll user
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I too have horse which holds his tail to right slightly but have had no problems with him and it was noted and examined by vet at his vetting. I've had no problems since. He's also pigeon toed when standing but moves straight when going (have had this looked at by vet too). But if the horse you're looking at is possibly showing lameness as you describe above...step away! Particularly as a lot of the things you mention about him just don't add up like age and history, etc. Get a horse that is fit for the purpose you want, not one that's expensive yet not done anything and just 'nice and smart'. And get a more experienced person to help you with your purchase.
 
Lol! so glad i didnt buy this one! glad i waited to find the perfect one even though that was posted back in june, I didnt find my perfect horse until November! and that was after trying and vetting so many horses including visiting the 8 day horse sale at goresbridge in ireland! but ive have learned so much during that time and that will help me in the future buying any more horses and having confidence in my own opinion as I realised that even so called friends dont have your best interests at heart ! my horse now has a huge jump, perfect confirmation in every way possible, beautiful balanced paces and perfect manners to boot and he loves being around people. buying horses was difficult- just glad i have my boy now, he was def worth the wait!
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