Found a horse I really like - but she has melanomas

[Marilyn91]

Hi, I'm in the process of buying my first horse and I could use some advice.

I've found an amazing 9 year old grey mare with a lovely character. I've been to see her 6 times and have really bonded with her.

The owner has had her for a few months, says she rescued her from Holland and would like to re-home her as she already has too many horses of her own.

She is currently being ridden bitless. I was told that this was a training issue due to her mistreatment and was hoping to be able to ride her with a bit occasionally for competitions.

Today, the owner's young daughter let slip that the mare has melanoma under her tail and in her mouth.

The vet is supposed to be coming on Monday. I was expecting maybe a couple of issues but not this.

Just how serious are melanomas? I'm hoping to do trail rides, dressage, pop-up over some jumps and maybe compete at local shows.

Should I cancel the whole thing? Or wait til Monday and let the vet check her over? I'm guessing a malignancy check is going to be a lot more expensive than a normal vet check?

I'm gutted because I really, really like the horse. What should I do?

 

[SEL]

Walk away. My YO lost a kids pony when they developed in his gut. It's not worth the risk.

Sorry - but better now before you've parted with ££

 

[doodle]

Walk away. At that age that’s not good and if in her mouth you are only going to get problems.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Walk away - I think it’s completely unfair not to have told you up front. What else aren’t they telling you?

 

[Archangel]

Walk away. What a shame.

 

[ycbm]

Don't walk. Run.

 

[Snowfilly]

Run. Melanoma are often fatal eventually, they can be slow growing but reach the point where you can’t keep the horse comfortable. Normally they appear in older horses and they often die with them rather than from them.
In a horse this young and in multiple spots, the prognosis would be very bad.

 

[Kahlua]

Head over heart in this situation. Walk away, this should have been told to you on the first visit. They’ve let you fall in love with the horse before telling you and the horses I have known with melanoma have sadly met an early end. Very unfair.

 

[stormox]

It sounds an odd story to me - rescued from Holland. Most grey horses get melanomas eventually but 9 is rather young. Do you think she could be older than they say? I would carry on looking....

 

[DirectorFury]

Definitely walk away. You can see what’s going on on the outside but have no idea how bad they could be internally.

 

[Griffin]

Run. Melanoma are often fatal eventually, they can be slow growing but reach the point where you can’t keep the horse comfortable. Normally they appear in older horses and they often die with them rather than from them.
In a horse this young and in multiple spots, the prognosis would be very bad.

I agree, having cared for one with them (although theirs were relatively slow growing and this was an older horse) it's just heartbreaking because you know that there is no hope. I wouldn't want to put myself through that by choice.

 

[Marilyn91]

It sounds an odd story to me - rescued from Holland. Most grey horses get melanomas eventually but 9 is rather young. Do you think she could be older than they say? I would carry on looking....

Interesting you ask that! Even before the whole melanoma thing, I was actually wondering if she could be older than advertised. She has very sunken hollows above her eyes and looks older. But the owners told me she had been starved and mistreated, so I figured that was the reason.

 

[AmyMay]

Don’t even consider buying her.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I make it a rule to never knowingly buy trouble, so having lost 2, I now avoid greys altogether. I certainly wouldn't buy this one, or any horse, from these people, who have lied to you from the beginning.

 

[Wishfilly]

Interesting you ask that! Even before the whole melanoma thing, I was actually wondering if she could be older than advertised. She has very sunken hollows above her eyes and looks older. But the owners told me she had been starved and mistreated, so I figured that was the reason.

But now you know the owner is a liar, because they didn't tell the truth about why she can't use a bit. So you can't trust anything you have been told about the horse's history, in my opinion. Which is difficult when you are buying a horse who has previously been rescued.

I think they have deliberately let you get attached, knowing she has a fairly serious issue (I would class a melanoma in the mouth as a serious issue- even if slow growing, how long before it will start to cause issues with the horse's ability to eat? What's her condition like now?) in the hope that you won't be able to walk away. I bet they are not selling her for pennies, either.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Nope nope nope nope. 9 years and already in the mouth...nope. An older teens grey with one on their dock I would consider if it was the right horse for what I needed and the price reflected it. But younger than about 16 with them already in their mouth interfering with the bit...nope.

 

[ester]

If there are melanomas on the outside there will be melanomas on the inside.
And if they are melanomas on the outside they absolutely should have mentioned it, you can't be doing a rescue rehome with the horse's best interests in mind if you are 1) 'selling', 2) not mentioning serious medical issues.

 

[scats]

I was gifted a pony with melanoma when she was 18. She was my pony of a lifetime and she was put to sleep aged 27 with liver disease. I was incredibly fortunate that her melanomas were all simply external (that we knew of) and never caused any problems. A friends mare was only early teens when the melanomas in her throat started to choke her and she had to be put to sleep.

I was one of the very lucky ones. I would not pay money for a horse with melanoma.

Such a shame OP, but may save you a lot of heartache further down the line.

 

[Snowfilly]

I make it a rule to never knowingly buy trouble, so having lost 2, I now avoid greys altogether. I certainly wouldn't buy this one, or any horse, from these people, who have lied to you from the beginning.

After losing her mare to an internal melanoma, my Mum has always said if she wanted another ‘grey’ she’d get a max white patterned horse. Pure white to look at and none of the health risks.

 

[AdorableAlice]

A old and long gone vet told me every bump/lump you can see on the outside will be multiplied several times over on the inside.

I had 2 dapple grey ID's. One was bought at 3 and lost at 28, he was snow white by age 12 and did have a couple of marble size lumps under his dock which didn't alter in size at all, but he did develop big lumps under the base of his ears in later life. The other grey was lost at 13 and didn't have a mark on him but I wouldn't buy another grey now unless it was an absolute super star competition horse.

OP, there are horses out there that will have various issues that a vet can help you with, but melanoma isn't an issue that can end well sadly. If you are looking for a horse to last you a good while and give you lots of pleasure rather than heart break, you need to walk away from the one you are looking at.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Frankly they are trying to scam you into buying a horse with known major health issues, very likely considerably older than they are stating and any number of other lies they have fed you. All the pointers are there under your nose. Just cancel the vetting and carry on the search.

 

[Laurac13]

So sorry you’ll need to walk away she’ll break your heart

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I’m getting RSI from clicking like on all the answers!

I think yes, they’ve deliberately allowed you to get attached, now they tell you about the melanomas, either deliberately or not, hoping you’ll still buy her. I bet she isn’t cheap either. Rescued from Holland? New one on me! Again, walk away, quickly.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Slightly off topic but the sellers daughter accidentally letting slip about the melanomas reminded me - a good few years back a friend who was a groom for a rather 'iffy' local dealer brought the dealer's young daughter over to mine to look at a rather unusual breed of horse I had just imported.

The young girl asked if she could ride another of my horses that was retired to grass. I explained politely she could not as he has to have a medicine called 'bute' just to feel comfortable in the field. 'Oh' she replied....bute.....thats what Daddy gives to all our horses - they have it every day' !!! Out of the mouths of babes

 

[Marilyn91]

Frankly they are trying to scam you into buying a horse with known major health issues, very likely considerably older than they are stating and any number of other lies they have fed you. All the pointers are there under your nose. Just cancel the vetting and carry on the search.

Yes, I think you're absolutely right. There were a lot of warning signs, I can't believe I didn't see it before. I guess I fell in love with the horse and didn't question their story enough, even the parts which logically I knew sounded weird. Which probably was their plan all along...

 

[Marilyn91]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. It's clear that there is no way I can proceed with the purchase. I feel quite stupid actually. I got way too emotionally attached and turned a blind eye to things which were obvious red flags.

 

[ycbm]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. It's clear that there is no way I can proceed with the purchase. I feel quite stupid actually. I got way too emotionally attached and turned a blind eye to things which were obvious red flags.

You are far from stupid! You asked for advice on here BEFORE you bought the horse, many people don't.

You were nearly scammed by some very clever people. Congratulations on escaping from that. Better luck with the next horse you find.
.

 

[Wishfilly]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. It's clear that there is no way I can proceed with the purchase. I feel quite stupid actually. I got way too emotionally attached and turned a blind eye to things which were obvious red flags.

I don't think you're stupid at all- it's easy for us to see red flags as we are not emotionally attached. I bet they are very clever manipulators and know exactly what they are doing. I bet you are not the first person to be taken in by them.

And you were going to get the horse vetted, which would have raised these issues, so that helps a lot!

 

[Marilyn91]

You are far from stupid! You asked for advice on here BEFORE you bought the horse, many people don't.

You were nearly scammed by some very clever people. Congratulations on escaping from that. Better luck with the next horse you find.
.

Thank you. It has definitely been very eye-opening and a great learning experience!

 

[Kahlua]

Definitely not stupid, in fact smarter than a lot of people who probably would have brought the horse already. It sucks, I hope you find your dream horse soon x