Finding a Hunt home for event horse

[loupearce]

Does anyone recommend any yards that produce horses for hunting. On my yard we have a nice tbx (mostly tb) that has evented to novice level but is not ideally suited to the job - although his record would suggest otherwise, he was ridden by a very good rider - he is not happy on the flat and we suspect that back problems, but he is uninsured and so it is too expensive to go down the route of investigation. He hacks out well and so we were trying to find a new job for him and felt hunting could be that but it is finding the right yard that could turn him into a hunt horse! Thanks

 

[Luci07]

Where are you? I know whom I would avoid if you are in Surrey having been royally shafted by someone supposedly producing my horse to hunt with potential buyers. No advertising and a £2k bill later (he would not take calls for updates..) horse came home and I sold him myself.

 

[spacefaer]

Wrong time of the year in the wettest season on record! A lot of packs are hunting on foot at the moment.

I would be concerned about sending a horse with potential back/soundness issues out hunting, jumping out of deep going.

There are plenty of people who would no doubt offer to take him hunting, but that is an entirely different matter to "making" a hunter. Properly done, a "made" hunter is an absolute delight, but takes at least a couple of seasons to do thoroughly, and should start with hound exercise in the summer, and then autumn hunting.

I have hunted my eventers and it is a very different experience to riding a proper mannered hunter.

 

[loupearce]

We are trying to do the right thing by the horse, and would rather see him doing a job he can manage rather than forced to do a job he clearly resents- he jumps beautiful but struggles with lifting his back and working in an outline on the flat. However I realise right now is a bad time! But basically she would give him to a hunt yard or person if they felt they could produce him, so he would be a project. He is already well mannered, evented a full season so well used to travelling and is a smart stamp of a horse. He is 8 so lots to offer but obviously it is a risk for someone that he wouldnt be good enough as a hunt horse, hence why really he would be given away if someone was interested. We are based in Hampshire.

 

[Rowreach]

Where are you? I know whom I would avoid if you are in Surrey having been royally shafted by someone supposedly producing my horse to hunt with potential buyers. No advertising and a £2k bill later (he would not take calls for updates..) horse came home and I sold him myself.

I wonder if it's the same person that took one of mine to sell, told me he wanted to buy him for himself to hunt (at a reduced price to reflect the couple of weeks he'd had him at the yard) and then sold him on straight away for another £11k on top.

OP there are several hunts in Hampshire that you could ring and see would they be interested or know of anyone.

 

[Charlie007]

I don't mean to sound horrible but a horse with back problems should not be expected to work, especially a days hunting, until the back problem has been resolved. How do you know he is up to hunting anyway?

 

[Goldenstar]

Hunting is not a suitable job for a horse with a weak back .
It's the hardest job you can imagine for the horses back hours of work getting hot and cold in a jumping saddle often in knee deep work we have to look after the backs carefully of our strong backed horses in seasons like this .
If the horse was an advanced horse finding work at that level hard and hunting can be seen as a step down in effort it might be worth a punt on a cheap or free horse but a struggling novice no way .

 

[Clodagh]

We are trying to do the right thing by the horse, and would rather see him doing a job he can manage rather than forced to do a job he clearly resents- he jumps beautiful but struggles with lifting his back and working in an outline on the flat. However I realise right now is a bad time! But basically she would give him to a hunt yard or person if they felt they could produce him, so he would be a project. He is already well mannered, evented a full season so well used to travelling and is a smart stamp of a horse. He is 8 so lots to offer but obviously it is a risk for someone that he wouldnt be good enough as a hunt horse, hence why really he would be given away if someone was interested. We are based in Hampshire.

I imagine it would be easier in the summer, as the new owner could get him out cubbing and do it gradually. I agree with Rowreach about ringing a couple of hunt sectretaries and explaining the situation. It will always be a risk though, could he not be put out on loan? I would hate him to end up on a downward spiral. If he is a nice, well mannered horse, a hacking loan home sounds more suitable.

 

[ester]

It seems a shame that no one thinks enough of this horse to apparently pay for even the most rudimentary of investigations which would clearly be the right thing to me, compared to finding him a hunting home.

 

[Clodagh]

It seems a shame that no one thinks enough of this horse to apparently pay for even the most rudimentary of investigations which would clearly be the right thing to me, compared to finding him a hunting home.

There is that, surely a couple of hundred would make a start on finding the problem?

 

[Luci07]

I wonder if it's the same person that took one of mine to sell, told me he wanted to buy him for himself to hunt (at a reduced price to reflect the couple of weeks he'd had him at the yard) and then sold him on straight away for another £11k on top.

OP there are several hunts in Hampshire that you could ring and see would they be interested or know of anyone.

Well it sounds exactly the sort of thing this man would do. Why do people only tell me the various stories AFTER I had sent my horse there. He is an idiot though as word does finally spread and locally, no one will touch him with the proverbial bargepole. I am really sorry to hear how you were done though... £11K is a hell of a lot of money to lose and is a very sharp practise.

 

[madlady]

Sorry OP but poor horse.

Realistically nobody is going to take him on with potential un-diagnosed back issues - even for free he could end up being extremely expensive.

If no-one is prepared to stump some money up and find out what is wrong then I'd seriously PTS or he really could end up on a downward spiral - no horse deserves that.

 

[Rowreach]

I'm in two minds about this, if it were my horse I'd want to know what the problem was before making a decision about the horse's future, but on the other hand I have genuinely lost count (I was totting them up in my head this morning) of the number of cast off eventers, racehorses and one dressage horse that I've had through the years that have turned into the most amazing hunters, once their issues have been sorted out. If I was still in Hampshire I'd be taking a look

 

[loupearce]

We are exploring all options with him but a couple hundred doesn't go very far with investigative work unfortunately having gone down this road with other competition horses it can become very costly once you start nerve blocking and xray/scanning, quite often the most important factor in the end is that the horse is fit and has plenty of muscle strength to support the weaknesses, when this horse was eventing fit he still struggled with tight turns in an arena both for dressage and show jumping hence why his career as an eventer didnt continue he was much more comfortable cross country. You could investigate to prove exactly what is wrong but it wont change the outcome unless it is severe enough that the horse could not be worked, either way the horse would need to be fit and if he coped with that he would possibly be ok as a hunt horse - at this stage that is unknown, he could be a very low level hack but any one that wants a very low level hack would not feel safe on him as he is a tb with power. We think an awful lot of the horse as we do all the horses, alot of people would just send it off to a dealer, we are trying to find the best option for him and whoever rides him. And if the horse shouldnt be ridden at all then that is what would happen. If investigating was only going to be a couple of hundred then there is no question we would take him to the vets - he has had physio all winter, I have not gone into the details of everything as I didnt want to bore people with the whole history!

 

[Orca]

If he's struggling with dressage and show jumping but apparently comfortable in cross country, I'd be wondering whether the only reason he is comfortable in cross country is the effect of adrenaline. If so, would it be fair to aim for a hunting life for him? He might appear comfortable doing that (and will do if adrenaline is influencing his apparent wellbeing) but is that fair, when hunting is most definitely strenuous and you know there to be an underlying issue?

I wouldn't pass him on without knowing exactly what is wrong, because finding the right, secure future for him (if he has one) will be nearly impossible without understanding his problem fully and any implications that might have.

I appreciate that you are trying to do the right thing by him and you clearly do value your horses but there seems to be no easy answer to this.

 

[loupearce]

There is no easy answer I know, again there is a mountain more I could write about all the things we have noticed, the videos that have been anaylsed about the way he moves etc etc etc, and yes he may not have a future at all but I am trying to not close that door just yet as he is still young and such a smart stamp of a horse and I agree the adrenaline makes a difference and I could not answer whether he would stand up to being a hunt horse if he did he would probably be super. Everything that everyone is saying we have thought of I am not disagreeing with, but the owner is in no position to finance anything unfortunately, so whilst I am trying to protect him as much as possible, when someone is financially with their back against the wall it makes it very difficult and I guess that I am just trying to see what else maybe out there for him.

 

[ester]

You don't necessarily need to prove exactly what is wrong and no one is suggesting you go down the route of bone scans etc but I think you do at least need to have more of an idea of 'we think it is his back'. Sorry but I just think that is quite irresponsible for his future. TBH if they are that financially against the wall they should probably PTS.

 

[loupearce]

That is the most likely outcome

 

[Goldenstar]

That is the most likely outcome

Well it's better than passing on what is even a horse that has not even achieved the level of novice eventing without even trying to diagnose it's issue a horse struggling at 90 is really struggling .
I would have thought a horse that people ' thought a lot of ' deserved the dignity of a work up .

 

[ycbm]

I'm sorry, but in past lives I hunted and evented to BE novice, and there is no way that a horse which struggles with corners on a dressage arena and turns in a show jumping ring at that level should be going hunting without a diagnosis of his problems. Hunting does not have the manicured courses and prepared take offs and landings that eventing has. You're in the saddle for hours at a time, not in short bursts with breaks in between. You can be running fast for twenty minutes, not five.

If you really can't afford to have this horse diagnosed, the fairest thing to him and prospective future owners, who might be sold him without knowing he has issues, might be to put him down.

I'm trying desperately not to be judgmental, but heck, I'm failing. You can afford over a hundred pounds per day on entry fees and diesel and stuff that it costs to event your horse. And you can't afford even the basics of a performance workup? I feel very sorry for your horse.

 

[Alec Swan]

To your credit loupearce, you haven't placed your opening post, and then in the face of the usual mounting criticism, run away!

PTS may well be the end answer, but first I'd be totally open with those who may end up with him and simply have someone 'try' him, with the acceptance that if he isn't suited, then he can be sent on his way.

Where abouts in the Country are you? By PM if you'd prefer, but I have an equine vet in mind and who's just lost his horse through an accident, who 'could well' be interested.

Alec.

 

[Clodagh]

OP is in Hampshire, Alec.

 

[loupearce]

I'm sorry, but in past lives I hunted and evented to BE novice, and there is no way that a horse which struggles with corners on a dressage arena and turns in a show jumping ring at that level should be going hunting without a diagnosis of his problems. Hunting does not have the manicured courses and prepared take offs and landings that eventing has. You're in the saddle for hours at a time, not in short bursts with breaks in between. You can be running fast for twenty minutes, not five.

If you really can't afford to have this horse diagnosed, the fairest thing to him and prospective future owners, who might be sold him without knowing he has issues, might be to put him down.

I'm trying desperately not to be judgmental, but heck, I'm failing. You can afford over a hundred pounds per day on entry fees and diesel and stuff that it costs to event your horse. And you can't afford even the basics of a performance workup? I feel very sorry for your horse.

First of all this isn't my horse, I am trying to help out a livery. Secondly never would we have passed him to any home without fully going through everything we suspect etc etc even if that was a retirement home, thirdly the owner of this horse is not the person who evented him and had no aspirations to event him, so whilst you are trying not to be judgemental you are assuming things without asking whether this is the case! We have spoken to the vet this week, they advise that the only way to know what exactly maybe wrong would be to bring it in for a full investigation as the trot up, flexions tests and lunging showed bilateral lameness but to know the extent and where it is coming from would involve taking into the vets and fully investigating.

I did not post on this site anticipating quite such an attack, I posted because I thought that genuinely we were working towards what options maybe out there for the horse, knowing in my heart that it is likely to be the end for the horse naturally you still want to check the options. I cant make the poor girl stump up a shed load of money to support the horse nor am I going to judge her on this and none of us knows her exact financial circumstances. So maybe I was very naive in posting and maybe I should have put every small details and maybe I should have perhaps looked at other posts to realise that there is a lot of assumptions made and a lot of unnecessary judgements and criticism made and that in my haste to see what options where there I have found myself completely stressed out about what people assume and think we are trying to do with the horse. This will be the last time I post as this kind of way of dealing with things is not pleasant and not helpful. I have avoided social media and forums for a long time and I think I will be back to that. Thanks for the advice.

 

[ycbm]

Does anyone recommend any yards that produce horses for hunting. On my yard we have a nice tbx (mostly tb) that has evented to novice level but is not ideally suited to the job - although his record would suggest otherwise, he was ridden by a very good rider - he is not happy on the flat and we suspect that back problems, but he is uninsured and so it is too expensive to go down the route of investigation. He hacks out well and so we were trying to find a new job for him and felt hunting could be that but it is finding the right yard that could turn him into a hunt horse! Thanks

We can only go by the information we are given. This was your first post. I'm one of many who reacted the same way to it, but the only one who pointed out that someone (OK it wasn't you, sorry I didn't guess that) has been paying at least £100 a day to BE event this horse, and yet has no money to do a performance workup with. Unless the person who is now responsible for the vet bills is not the same person who paid to event it, or they have had a drastic change in circumstances, then I stand by my comments. I'm sorry you didn't like it.

On the plus side, at least no-one has reported you for advertising the horse by using the forum.

I suspect you may have had several offers of homes for him by PM by now. You should be aware that a user called Buddys Mum, not Buddy's Mummy, has history of buying horses like him promising a home for life and selling them on immediately to unsuspecting new owners.

 

[ycbm]

Wrong way round! Buddy's mum is the good guy, Buddy's mummy has history of selling horses she has promised a home for life as a companion or light hack.

Someone please correct me if I've still got this wrong, the user names are so similar.

 

[Alec Swan]

Loupearce, your PM system has now shut down because new posters are restricted.

Thanks for your message and I'll speak with the guy concerned tomorrow. If there's even a flicker of interest, I'll have to put my e/mail address on here for you and following on from that, you'll be able to speak to him direct. We'll see what happens! Don't hold your breath, but it would be a result if it worked, wouldn't it?

Alec.

ETS and ps, How old is the horse? a.

 

[Ditchjumper2]

A lot of hunters end up being so because they are no longer suitable for their day job. When my RC allroundert started hopping on sharp turns sidebone was diagnosed. My vet said stop competing and jumping him and hunt him instead. We did until his 20s. He was fine.

 

[ycbm]

A lot of hunters end up being so because they are no longer suitable for their day job. When my RC allroundert started hopping on sharp turns sidebone was diagnosed. My vet said stop competing and jumping him and hunt him instead. We did until his 20s. He was fine.

Not many because they have weak backs, though, surely? Sidebone is a completely different matter (and you did have a diagnosis and vet advice based on the diagnosis), as is buting up for a bit of hock arthritis. I know a lot of those hunting but I can't say I've ever come across a horse with a weak back hunting week after week.

 

[Goldenstar]

A lot of hunters end up being so because they are no longer suitable for their day job. When my RC allroundert started hopping on sharp turns sidebone was diagnosed. My vet said stop competing and jumping him and hunt him instead. We did until his 20s. He was fine.

And I have several with issues that we managed and hunted but that's the difference they where our horses we did not try to palm them off to others without investigating what was wrong with the horse .
Incidentally I am well aware OP does not own the horse not having to deal with situations and owners like this so one of the things I don't miss .
It's a sad thing poor horse with no one to look out for it .
There's a world of difference between a horse not managing a 90 and a advanced horse or a grade A that's finding the day job a bit to much .

 

[loupearce]

As I have tried to point out with my post above, I am very new to posting, and have no intention of posting again. Therefore I did not put enough detail down, but it is not as though questions where then asked, assumptions where just made. I would have answered any questions. The girl that owns the horse never paid for him to be evented he did that before she owned him. How far do you go with what you can afford to spend to investigate a problem, that is for every individual to decide. The girl bought the horse to do low level hacking and maybe a few hunter trials but he is too powerful for her - she was sold a horse unsuitable for her but that is a whole different story. So no she doesnt have a lot of money, she bought what she hoped would be a horse of a lifetime and has unfortunately learnt an awful lesson in the process, I was not involved in the purchase and have only become involved as I feel sorry for her and the horse and am trying to help her. I was not advertising the horse but again I was naive to quite how you should word things and the rules, but if I was wrong to put the post on then it would have been much nicer if someone had said that at the beginning, in a did you realise this post isnt strictly allowed manner, I would have removed the post and none of this would have been an issue. She is in a terrible state with the worry about what to do and is most definately looking out for it or as I said early on she would have just sent him to a dealer which she would never do. Perhaps before making more comments read all the comments I have subsequently added as you would see that we have no intention of palming him off and certainly would never not be truthful about everything to do with the horse.