Finding a Hunt home for event horse

[Goldenstar]

You need to straight with owner she does not have an event horse she has a failed hack that failed previously as a low level event horse .
The horse has a undiagnosed issue which may or may not be able to be treated it's not a great place to be.
General question not aimed at you OP
Why do people go into horse ownership without planning for worse case scenarios ?
Needing a work up is not unusual thing to need to in the course of horse ownership .

 

[ycbm]

Well that changes things a bit! This isn't an event horse looking for a easier life, this is a horse who already has an easier life who isn't suited to it, but is physically incapable of a more energetic occupation.

Your first post asked for places the horse could be sent to turn him into a hunter. This will cost more than a basic performance workup, so if it is a choice between the two then imo the workup should be done.

If the horse genuinely cannot be turned into a quiet low level hack then the only sure way to protect him from being worked in pain in future, and to protect future owners from the pain of being sold a pup by an unscrupulous person is to have him put down.

There is, imo, no way in the world that he should be sent hunting without a diagnosis even if he appears to enjoy it. A horse who struggled to do a BE Novice dressage test is really in trouble somewhere, surely?

I feel sorry for the new owner, if she was deceived by the seller, but if she just bought a cheap horse without a vetting, then I think she has a duty either to investigate by maxing her credit card if she hasn't already, or secure the horse's future by putting it down. To offer simply to give him away is fraught with danger for the horse and for future buyers.

This forum is littered with stories of people sold crocks by unscrupulous dealers who sold them on knowing that they had issues, having picked them up cheap or free from people in the situation this horse's owner is in.

I sorry I have upset you, but it's a hard world for horses whose owners don't have enough money to sort out veterinary problems

 

[ycbm]

You need to straight with owner she does not have an event horse she has a failed hack that failed previously as a low level event horse .
The horse has a undiagnosed issue which may or may not be able to be treated it's not a great place to be.
General question not aimed at you OP
Why do people go into horse ownership without planning for worse case scenarios ?
Needing a work up is not unusual thing to need to in the course of horse ownership .

This.

 

[loupearce]

This.

And as I pointed out several times there is a lot more to the story than I had orginally put in my naivety, and I worded the first post badly and the chances are he will be put down and there is still so much more I could put but seriously misunderstood how much information you have to write and again you are assuming the horse was not vetted when in fact he was, and yes there could have been come back on the vetting but she thinks too much time has passed. Basically this is a no win situation. Also I don't know that a quieter life is what the horse needed, I don't think constant schooling would do him any favours but he does need to be kept fit which is not what is happening . I know it is a hard world and I know it happens all the time and we will do the right thing by this horse but unfortunately that is not going to be by maxing out her credit card as she cannot do this. He could well be retired this is still an option she is exploring, but that actually hasn't been mentioned by anyone in the forum! I think I am just shocked by how quick everyone judges, I think I have lived in a protective bubble where we tend to discuss, ask questions and make decisions the best way we can, it has come as a bit of a shock to have quite so much attack, but as I have said before, clearly I have been very naive.

 

[Alec Swan]

Loupearce, ……..

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

??

Alec.

 

[loupearce]

People go into horse ownership because they love horses, and some of them are lucky enough to enjoy it for the good bits, sadly most end up learning the hard way about how buying a horse is worse than entering the second hand car market. People learn by their mistakes, she will have learnt a mountain from this and of course she will learn to insure her horse, but do you kick someone while they are down and berate them for all their own costly mistakes or do you try to support them, I know which I choose, but many people seem to prefer to attack someone for their mistakes.

 

[EquiEquestrian556]

??

Alec.

The OP said earlier on that the gelding is 8, Alec.

 

[ester]

I am sorry that you feel attacked OP.
I think support in this instance might best take the form of advising the perils/uncertainty of passing this horse on as he stands.
He risk either being buted up by someone and sold for something he is not capable of or many other fates.
The person ycbm speaks off was originally called Ted's mum and had a reputation as a nice poster, until it became apparent that she had convinced several people to pass their horses on to her as she would offer the perfect companion home. She then sold most of them for slaughter so don't judge us too harshly about our concerns about passing such a horse on, once bitten and all that. (she also isn't the only person to be reported doing this). So if she does pass him on she needs to be very careful.

 

[loupearce]

??

Alec.

Sorry I missed that, he is 8

 

[Goldenstar]

A forum like this is about judgements
You asked a question you did not ask would you retire this horse .
You asked would a novice event horse who was struggling with that job make a hunter and how would you go about placing this horse .
You got answers no most think that not a good idea .
We then learn it's not a novice event horse it failed at 90 with a previous owner and has now failed as a hack .
I am desperately sad for horses in this situation and for the unprepared for the real world of horse ownership owner .
Yes I think it's a good idea to retire the horse as long as it's in no pain and has access to large enough fields to have a decent quality of life .
I am not sure what you judge as an attack people telling you what they think perhaps .
I have not told you what I really think of people who don't call the vet to work up horses struggling with work and plan to pass them on , which was what you asked at first.

 

[Alec Swan]

…….. ! I think I am just shocked by how quick everyone judges, …….. , clearly I have been very naive.

This forum will probably be as many, in that the further your explanations, so the greater the opportunities for others to misunderstand or misread or even misquote, and occasionally wilfully, and you'll end up wishing that you hadn't bothered! I do understand.

The trick is to make your point, or ask your question, select those answers which are worth bothering with and ignore the irrelevances. Easy peasy when we think about it!

Alec.

 

[Alec Swan]

The OP said earlier on that the gelding is 8, Alec.

Sorry, missed that! :redface3::drunk:

Sorry I missed that, he is 8

……. and thanks. That's no age at all.

Alec.

 

[loupearce]

I am sorry that you feel attacked OP.
I think support in this instance might best take the form of advising the perils/uncertainty of passing this horse on as he stands.
He risk either being buted up by someone and sold for something he is not capable of or many other fates.
The person ycbm speaks off was originally called Ted's mum and had a reputation as a nice poster, until it became apparent that she had convinced several people to pass their horses on to her as she would offer the perfect companion home. She then sold most of them for slaughter so don't judge us too harshly about our concerns about passing such a horse on, once bitten and all that. (she also isn't the only person to be reported doing this). So if she does pass him on she needs to be very careful.

Thanks, I do understand all of this, and really when I first put the post up it was a last minute thing just to explore other options, very aware of all the facts of passing a horse on but very occasionally this can happen, I ended up with my own horse this way and he is owners had put an advert in HandH, they had hundreds of replys to which they went through everyone with a fine tooth comb, he was an event horse but not destined for a professional life as he was inconsistant. They would have pts rather than send him to the wrong home he was not a hack, 10 years later and having achieved 2* level with him, he now is retired with me and will never leave my side, they are so thrilled it worked out. He had problems that the vet could not get to the bottom of and I spent my whole time working to help him with all the weaknesses you could see he had, so sometimes out there is someone with not a lot of money but a lot of dedication and understanding of how to help a horse. I know this is very very rare but it shouldnt stop you from trying and if that person comes along then they will be very vetted before he would be allowed to go.

 

[ycbm]

[

People go into horse ownership because they love horses, and some of them are lucky enough to enjoy it for the good bits, sadly most end up learning the hard way about how buying a horse is worse than entering the second hand car market. People learn by their mistakes, she will have learnt a mountain from this and of course she will learn to insure her horse, but do you kick someone while they are down and berate them for all their own costly mistakes or do you try to support them, I know which I choose, but many people seem to prefoer to attack someone for their mistakes.

I do not understand who you think has been attacked. I said 'if the horse had not been vetted'. It has, so the owner has been let down by the vet if the horse is not right, and if the vet was right then the owner is overhorsed or the horse has gone wrong since it was bought. You asked for advice. You got advice based on the information you chose to divulge at the time. Nobody has been attacked.

My advice remains, if the owner was naive enough to buy a horse not realising that it could at any time present her with a bill of thousands of pounds in vet fees, and if she has not got the money to have it investigated (even though it appears she may have sufficient to send the horse to a hunt schooling livery) and if you have become convinced by looking at video, which you now let us know is from the previous ownership, that this is a long standing problem, then the horse is better off being put down than passed on 'free to a good home'.

 

[ycbm]

Thanks, I do understand all of this, and really when I first put the post up it was a last minute thing just to explore other options, very aware of all the facts of passing a horse on but very occasionally this can happen, I ended up with my own horse this way and he is owners had put an advert in HandH, they had hundreds of replys to which they went through everyone with a fine tooth comb, he was an event horse but not destined for a professional life as he was inconsistant. They would have pts rather than send him to the wrong home he was not a hack, 10 years later and having achieved 2* level with him, he now is retired with me and will never leave my side, they are so thrilled it worked out. He had problems that the vet could not get to the bottom of and I spent my whole time working to help him with all the weaknesses you could see he had, so sometimes out there is someone with not a lot of money but a lot of dedication and understanding of how to help a horse. I know this is very very rare but it shouldnt stop you from trying and if that person comes along then they will be very vetted before he would be allowed to go.

I have the opposite experience. I sold a much loved horse very cheaply to a thoroughly vetted home where I took references, only to have to organise an expensive rescue of a severely abused horse six months later. He never fully recovered either physically or mentally. He'd have been better off if I'd shot him myself

 

[loupearce]

I have the opposite experience. I sold a much loved horse very cheaply to a thoroughly vetted home where I took references, only to have to organise an expensive rescue of a severely abused horse six months later. He never fully recovered either physically or mentally. He'd have been better off if I'd shot him myself

Thats very sad, I have no doubt for every one good story there are hundreds of bad ones.

 

[Luci07]

Firstly, my apologies that you feel so got at when you were only trying to help another party. Those of us who are regular posters are aware that you will be leapt on from a great height so know how to word our posts accordingly!

So.. for my money, best advice to follow is from Alec. Read through, ignore any of the sniping and take out the helpful ideas. There is a wealth of good knowledge on this forum.

So, a summary would be TB (?) at 8. Bought for low level hacking, had previously evented at 90 (so no big deal in terms of stretching a horse). Horse is uninsured, has proven too much for low level hacking and owner does not have the funds to do a proper vets search.

So going back a little. Firstly, how much work was he doing as a hack? could any of his behaviours come down to a marked decrease in work? how capable is his rider?

What the owner could do is have a frank conversation with the vet with regards to not being insured, and what they would suggest would be the best option. That way she could perhaps get a budget set, costs don't spiral and the vet might say that while doing a b and c is preferable, under the circumstances, then doing x is the best option. Perhaps she could work out a payment plan with the vets.

No one will take on a horse that thought to have an undisclosed issue. The one exception could perhaps be the blood bank?

Just trying to think outside the box. Tough lesson for your livery to learn and I will assume she didn't have the horse vetted either.