Could I ask someone to have a look please

[Ladybird L]

Could I pm someone.
Was scrolling (not looking actively but yeah) knowing I’m going to get something at some point on a very low budget. Spotted this fella wondering if anyone would be able tell me if they think he’ll improve with age/work etc.

 

[Parrotperson]

No link.

 

[Ladybird L]

Rising 4 year old for sale in Co. Kerry for €800 on DoneDeal

Rising 4 year old gelding standing at 14:2/148 cm. Unbroken but very quiet and easy to handle. Straight and correct with no vices. Has a passport

www.donedeal.ie

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I have no idea on conformation but I don't like the neck, front feet or front legs below the knee. Neck may just be due to doing no work

Feet may just be bad maintenance

Why unbacked?

Don't know if it's just the angle but looks parrot mouthed (if that's the term for lower jaw being set back from the top?)

Will follow with interest to see what people who know what they're talking about say! Not sure if age and fact he's unbacked have a bearing

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Just zoomed in on the feet, is the lower part of the right tendon iffy? Looks a bit swollen/windgall like? Those feet though! Yet the backs look ok

 

[FlyingCircus]

Only if you have a huge amount of savings for vets bills and riding is a "nice to have" part of horses for you ..!!

 

[Gloi]

Do you know any more about him?
Breeding? Have you seen any video?

 

[Ladybird L]

Haven’t seen anything else. Wasn’t sure it’d be worth inquiring!!

 

[Apizz2019]

I'd be concerned about the front feet, given that the hinds look okay.

It's hard to tell as it may just be an 'in the moment' photo but he does look to be parrot mouthed. I had a horse with a parrot mouth and it was luckily mild, however, it can make it difficult for horses to bite and chew effectively, which can lead to dental and digestive problems.

He looks under muscled which is to be expected as I'd imagine he has been roughed off. I wouldn't be too concerned about this, given he's not in work.

On the plus side, he looks to have a kind eye and a lovely head, despite his mouth.

If me, I'd ask for videos and more pictures. One picture wouldn't be enough for me to walk away, unless it had the most horrific conformation.

 

[nutjob]

I have 2 horses which externally look to have parrot mouth similar on the exterior to this one. One the teeth are normal and in alignment, the other it's mild and just needs a routine float at 6 months not 12. You need to see inside the mouth to determine what's going on.

The front feet are worrying especially on a 3yo.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

My friend and I viewed a pony with front feet like that, a 3 yr old so we naively thought too young to have had laminitis. Friend bought her, lovely pony but farrier confirmed she had had laminitis and she went on to die from a severe case. Would not consider a horse with feet like that now, never mind the rest of it.

 

[ihatework]

He is £800, you aren’t going to get any more for the money.

Exceptionally weak. Will take time and skill to get him strong. That’s if there is nothing underlying wrong.

His confo isn’t ’too bad’ for the price.

The front feet are the biggest risk.

 

[Trouper]

I might be prepared to take a chance if I could accept that I might lose. I would like to know his breeding - his head looks as if there might be something like ID there, in which case he still has a lot of growing to do and it is hard to judge his final confirmation yet. I have seen fit and in work racehorses with necks worse than his!!
Not being able to run your hands down his legs is, I admit, a drawback. I would be asking my farrier to have a look at his feet for a definitive answer on whether there is something seriously amiss there or just bad husbandry.
I agree his expression is kind and, with a bit more information, I might take the gamble.

 

[IrishMilo]

I think it depends very much on what you're wanting to do and your experience? I bought an Irish import at the start of this year, he wasn't cheap but I spent an additional £950 in the first two months on wormer, lice treatment, transport, getting him jabbed from scratch, and having his teeth done. The £800 looks appealing but remember that's just the start!

That being said, if I were looking for a very cheap project to take a risk on I'd snap this one up. If you can envisage him in two years' time I think he would be really smart.

This was my one after he got off the boat in April:



This was him five months later:

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

He looks under weight and weak not keen on his front legs or the front hooves but for that money might be worth taking a chance.

 

[Ladybird L]

I think I’m going to ask for a bit more info. If he has laminitis it’s a hard no - already have one of those, don’t want another and the plan for him would be to give him a year in a big grassy field which wouldn’t work then.
The plan for him would be to do a little bit of everything and sell on at some point.

IrishMilo wow! He’s gorgeous!
A cheap project is exactly what I’m looking for…

They say he’s not backed but does this look like a mark from a saddle?

 

[Tiddlypom]

Loads of warning signals on that one, especially the front feet.

My money is additionally on that they have tried and failed to back him, hence selling him as ‘unbroken’.

 

[Gloi]

Check too that he isn't a little standardbred pacer, unless that is what you want, of course.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

I wouldn't imagine there is breeding recorded on that at all, I'd say its a LHI passport at best.

Has a passport is a bit too wishy washy for my liking. Is it his own passport? €800 is suspiciciously cheap. It looks small and I'd be surprised if it was a 148.

The other horse they have for sale is a much stronger model, similar age and looking in much better condition. unbroken again. they are looking for significantly more money for it.

If it was worth feeding up and selling for more next year, then why aren't they doing it themselves?

I'd say that mark could be a bit of rainscald on its back. Those feet are awful, I'd worry about them tbh!

I'n my experience and a word of warning, buy cheap, means sell cheap. no matter what is done with it.

 

[dorsetladette]

Wouldn't hurt to ask for a video of him moving and a few more photo's.

 

[HopOnTrot]

If you have space, time and cash it would be worth a punt. Not much out there for 800 euro so you are likely to get some issues and if you are happy to throw a few grand at it and potentially lose it.

Then again, my daughter's pony arrived with front feet like that and we've had no issues in 4 years but she was a tried and tested mature 12.2

 

[HopOnTrot]

(Just to add, her front feet no longer look like that! Farrier sorted them in a couple of visits)

 

[blitznbobs]

He hocks are almost completely straight … if this is sound by 8 I will be shocked

 

[dorsetladette]

Does the off hind fetlock look low?

 

[nutjob]

Does the off hind fetlock look low?

To me yes, but it could be just the angle of this picture and how the horse is standing. IME you need to see the horse walking and look at how far the fetlock drops in the walk, especially if it drops a little more as the leg is weighted when the horse pushes off from that leg. Having had a horse with dsld/espa I wouldn't like the long pasterns and straight hocks nowadays but before that I had a cob with very straight hocks who was sound into his 20's, short pasterns on that one though.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I think his hocks aren't great, but look straighter than they actually are for a few reasons.

Lots of things "not to like" about this one, but if you're willing to take a big risk and are comfortable with that, then whatever. A video might be interesting to see if you can get more of a feel for his movement and demeanor.

Generally, with buying horses you need to be willing to throw away all of your money and more than likely endure some level of heartbreak. It's best to minimize your odds when it comes to potential disaster, but I get it when some want to give a "fugly" horse a chance. So I'm not saying yay or nay, but just be well prepared.

I've no idea what they mean by "straight and correct" because it is not matching up with my definition. He does look like "when breeding goes wrong" so I imagine he doesn't have the best bloodlines. Granted, I've seen some wellbred TB's really go wrong too.

 

[shortstuff99]

What is it you are wanting the horse for? Just pootling and hacking? Competing (high, low)? Re-selling? That would inform my opinion.

 

[Ladybird L]

Re-selling would be the plan.

 

[shortstuff99]

Re-selling would be the plan.

Then I'm not sure I would take the risk, as high chance you will be put of pocket and/or stuck with an unsellable horse.

 

[millitiger]

If you're planning to buy unseen and ship to the UK (without vetting?) then I would spend the £££ elsewhere.

By the time you have transport added and a budget for extra food to get him up to scratch and probably some front foot x-rays, you'll have closer to £1800 committed.

I would rather take that £1800 to an auction over here, where you can see the horses yourself, run your hands over them etc.