Following on from the lameness thread

scheherazade

scheherazade

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Following on from the lameness thread where it was suggested (I forget by whom) that there are loads of people out there who would be happy to take on a horse that can no longer do a competitive job, and that a horse should not be PTS just because it is no longer able to do the job for which it was intended, this got me thinking. What about in cases where a horse is insured for competition and a loss of use claim is made on that horse? Would people still consider that horse despite the LOU freezemark, or would it put them off? Even if the horse was fit and sound for the new job, but just wouldn't stand up to, say, jumping bigger tracks or GP dressage or 1* eventing for instance?

Just a pondering really, what are your thoughts? Would any of you consider buying a horse with a LOU freezemark? Or loaning one? Or do the words Barge and Pole spring to mind?
 
Depends on a few things, why the injury happened, if its was a conformation issue then barge pole. I did take on an insurance right off who was de-nerved and on 2 bute a day. Got him home, got my vet out. De-nerving had not worked took him off the bute and he was never lame again.
 
Yes, so long as I wasn't wanting to compete it then it wouldn't bother me. I took on an ex racer that had broken down three times. He had terribly bowed tendons, but he had been hunting and in full work for a year before I got him. He stayed sound the entire time I had him.
 
Passing on a competition horse with soundness problems to a "quiet life/easier job" is fraught with risk too. these are the horses that are easy money to dealers who can get hold of them and sell them back on as competition horses.

If it looks like a £££££s horse, its very trusting to let it go to be somebody's all-rounder, money talks.

ETA Regarding LOU, assuming the horse was covered (they often aren't) and its branded then that's better for the horse as at least its true value is made reasonably clear by its appearance and people have a better idea what they're taking a chance with for a more realistic amount of money.
 
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That's great Wagtail, hope you had lots of fun times together :) Did you know his full history before you took him on, did you get him vetted / vets opinion before you took him on?
 
Flame_ said:
Passing on a competition horse with soundness problems to a "quiet life/easier job" is fraught with risk too. these are the horses that are easy money to dealers who can get hold of them and sell them back on as competition horses.

If it looks like a £££££s horse, its very trusting to let it go to be somebody's all-rounder, money talks.
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That would be my concern too, although surely a freezemark would be some guard against at least some of the unscrupulous dealers (or am I being terribly naive?) Do you think therefore that it would be better / kinder for the horse to PTS rather than run the risk of ending up in the wrong hands - doing a job that it can no longer do?
 
my daughters horse is branded LOU, but she was not sold after being branded its long winded but;

a friend had her backed her and brought her on, she was eventing 3'6'' + tracks(she is only 14.3hh), hunting, jumping, dressage and pony club, she was sold as an eventing school master. she had a fall hunting and did both hind suspensories, box rest etc for 6month then daily turn out for an hr-you cannot do that with this mare as she leaps and spins and hoolies about on such a small amount of turn out, the owners did not discuss this with the vet, she had sports massage, hydrotherapy and anything else that could be tried, they perservered for another yr and eventually she was paid out as a lose of use.

the owners contacted my friend and asked if she would take her back so she did she turned her away for 18 months and has now been back in work for 3.5 yrs, she has competed low level eventing and jumped 3''6' tracks show jumping and loads of 4+ rs fast hacking and she has stayed sound, she does get stiff and does live out but my daughter was given her and when she can no longer work she will go back to previous owner to live her days out.

so in the above circumstances yes i would take a lose of use branded horse on but would i buy one? no i dont think i shall ever buy another horse
 
That's really interesting Jools, how old is the horse now? It's great that you also have a retirement option for her. Out of interest, if you didn't, would that have influenced your decision in taking the horse on in the first place?
 
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