Epileptic horse Magic needs a new home

I'm betting this will play out as follows...

Lovely lady with lots of land phones up and agrees to take epileptic horse to join her other invalids in her endless fields.

Owners/loaners are happy horse is to live out its days at lovely home.

"Lovely Lady" takes what looks like perfectly sound healthy horse to the sales and makes a few quid.

Dealer buys epileptic horse, has it a few days with no idea of condition.

Dealer sells epileptic horse to someone like me or you with lots of hopes for new horse and makes a few quid.

Horse has fit. Hurts itself and new rider.

Horse gets shot anyway/goes back to sales/spends next few years making "lovely ladies" lots of cash.

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Get real. PTS
 
Agree with KVS - we have seen and heard of these scenarios SO many times. The horse should only go out as a companion if it is to someone that the loaner or the owner know well and trust absolutely (and best if it goes out on permanent loan rather than being gifted). By advertising the horse like this, it is screaming out for unscrupulous dealers to get hold of the horse and sell on as a riding horse.
 
Thanks for all the comments. I hope that you don't mind but as these seem to be very important/helpful comments I've fed back by private email the details of this thread to the online journal to bring to the attention of the current keepers. Thanks again.
 
Good idea RS. I'm sure the loaner thinks she is doing the best thing for the horse, but it is scary how often these 'companion' horses end up going through the sales as riding horses.

It actually happened to one of the regular HHO users. Her horse had an injury that couldn't stand up to work so she sold it as a companion to a lady who promised it a home for life. The owner thought she had taken sensible precautions to stop the horse being sold on by having the passport endorsed with details of the injury. However, within a few days the horse had been sold at the sales as a riding animal, the new owner just pretended the horse had never had a passport and got a new passport issued at the sales.
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This is not an isolated example either - have heard of a lot of similar cases.
 
I'm afraid I agree with everyone else. As heartbreaking as it must be the only option for me would be PTS unless I could 100% guarantee it a home for life myself.
 
Just a thought from the article - people are not put down. No we are made to suffer to the bitter end!
Horses do not ask to live in a home, it is a decision of the owner. Before that decision is made thought should be given to what would happen if the horse was no longer able to do the job purchased for other than 'I will pass the problem on'. I think the owner needs to take responsibility of the horses future. A horendous accident waiting to happen.
How many people would honestly wish to have an epilectic horse as a companion and all it entails? Who would wish to put there own horse in danger should the companion have a bad fit? Who would put there own lives in danger?
If it were my own i would take responsibility and care for it for as long as possible but if it progressed to a stage of suffering/injury/dangerous i would pts at home.
I choose to own horses and take total responsibility for their lives whilst in health and retirenment - and to the end. I do re-home healthy horses but don't pass the buck when they are are an ornament.
I know i am lucky and everyones circumstances differ and re-homeing sometimes cannot be avoided for the best welfare of the horse but i wish some people would think before owning a horse.
 
I had a horse with epilepsy for 10yrs, 8 of them being with epilepsy. So I can tell you how hard it its to live with for both horse and owner. Willie was sold to us with epilepsy, sold to an 11yr old girl! that sort of tells you how easy it is to pass epilepsy on! willie was vetted before we bought him!

When a horse has a fit you can do nothing but stand back and let it happen. Seeing any horse have a fit once is horrific but seeing a horse you love have fits time and time again You can't put in to words.

After a fit a horse needs someone it trusts. As they don't aways have all their senses straight away. When willie had a fit he lost his sight for up to 4 hrs so I had to be his sight.

This horse has no one they all want to pass it on!!! IMO it would be safer and kinder to PTS if they thought anything of this horse.

My horse willie lived a very happy, healthy and loved live. You may be thinking way didn't I have willie PTS Because willie was one in million and fought his epilepsy, we manged to control his epilepsy. It wasn't easy at times, it was heartbreaking. I said from day one epilepsy wouldn't kill him and it didn't, old age did!
 
this happened to me. a mare I bought some years ago [in foal] was sold to me as an ex-hunter broodmare who could go back into work.[ she had caslicks and it was decided not to breed from her again]. after foal was weaned we sent her to be restarted/schooled /brought back into work. 3 days into stay with triner she "threw a wobbly" and put trainer in ITU with fractured skull and blood clots. I had horse destroyed.
the person who sold her to me should have done this but instead sold her on as a potential riding horse!. She had some problem with her back, kissing spines or tumour or some such and should never have been ridden.
 
Quote form the loaner ""I'm absolutely devastated by her diagnosis and would hate to see her have to be put down just because she can't work."

Sorry, that isn't right, not only can she not work she has an illness that threatens her safety and that of the people and horses around her. IMO the very kindest thing would be to have her put to sleep in a familiar place surrounded by people she trusts.
 
I knew a horse at an RS who was PTS because he had epilepsy. It was a shame, but he would have been a danger to others...even as a field ornament he'd have had to have been handled by the farrier etc, they just couldn't risk him having a fit at any point.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I had a horse with epilepsy for 10yrs, 8 of them being with epilepsy. So I can tell you how hard it its to live with for both horse and owner. Willie was sold to us with epilepsy, sold to an 11yr old girl! that sort of tells you how easy it is to pass epilepsy on! willie was vetted before we bought him!

When a horse has a fit you can do nothing but stand back and let it happen. Seeing any horse have a fit once is horrific but seeing a horse you love have fits time and time again You can't put in to words.

After a fit a horse needs someone it trusts. As they don't aways have all their senses straight away. When willie had a fit he lost his sight for up to 4 hrs so I had to be his sight.

This horse has no one they all want to pass it on!!! IMO it would be safer and kinder to PTS if they thought anything of this horse.

My horse willie lived a very happy, healthy and loved live. You may be thinking way didn't I have willie PTS Because willie was one in million and fought his epilepsy, we manged to control his epilepsy. It wasn't easy at times, it was heartbreaking. I said from day one epilepsy wouldn't kill him and it didn't, old age did!

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This made me cry. What a lucky horse to have found you.
Your story speaks volumes for what the future of the poor horse should be. Who would honestly want to take a horse on and go through that?
Well done you for all you did and getting him to an age of passing away of old age. I can only imagine how hard it was. To be honest i don't want to imagine. Haveing a dog with epilepsy is hard enough. Careing for an animal as huge and strong as a horse, that takes courage. Total respect to you.
I just hope the right decision is made for the poor horse in this case.
 
Sorry, but if the current owner cannot or will not look after this horse herself then it should, IMHO, be put to sleep.
I do not think you are doing any favours by posting the link either.
 
I agree that selling a horse with epilepsy on is wrong or even putting it into a "loan" home can create difficulties but as a rescue yard we have had many a horse who would have otherwise been PTS but are living out their lives happily with us. I'm sure that SF would agree that if you have the experience to offer such a horse a permanent home then destroying it ought to be out of the question
 
what annoys me in these situations, is that it is thought to be acceptable to pass this poor horse on to someone else......not that he/she (didnt take notice!) shouldnt be given a chance, but that after giving its time to the owners, they basically dont want to keep it cos it is now of no use.

People should think about the long term before buying horses IMHO. I think it is heart breaking that the 'fairest' solution would be to put this horse down.....not that I dont think it is in this situation, but if it was one of mine, I would try as best I could to manage the illness until their quality of life was hampered.....it wouldnt be a case of 'not being able to be ridden' anymore..........

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