Free to good home? Why so many unwanted horses??

Montyforever

Montyforever

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In the past month ive seen about 10 horses free to good homes in my area alone! :o

Mainly thoroughbreds and warmbloods with lami, navicular and kissing spines.

So why the sudden increase in unwanted horses??

Curious to hear peoples views on the subject :D

Oh and im in no way against it :) Got my little mare free, and with a little work shes turned out brilliantly :)

Oh and one more thing, how do you add pics now :D ? Ta x
 
I think people are being nampy pamby about euthanasia and want to palm off their broken horses onto other folks. This may sound completely at odds to what I have said in the past BUT I think if a horse is old or broken and you can't afford/don't want to keep them then pts is a valid option.

It's different if the horse is unsuitable for the owner in some way which makes it unsellable but still worthwhile but if it's broken? Seems rather heartless to me, would much prefer pts.
 
what she said ^^

why people should expect other people to look after their chronically sick, unrideable horses for them, for free, I don't know, but it seems to be the thing at the moment

if a horse is unable to work and never going to come right - then there is only one option which is fair to the horse (ducks under table)
 
I think too many people have bought horses on a whim and haven't thought it through. They don't think that that horse may get 'broken' at some point and therefore just want a new, not-broken one so want to palm theirs off where they can. Annoys me somewhat as I know any horse I get will have a home for life unless for some reason i did have to sell it (i wouldn't) but that would be a sound horse anyway. Any horse that became lame/unrideable would stay until the end as that is the commitment I am prepared to make. Other people don't seem to give a toss to be honest.

Also, is kising spines a new phenomenon or what? Maybe it is just the diagnostics available now but I don't recall any horse having kissing spines when i was a kid. I am amazed these days the amount of people who have had horses with these ailments and in over 25 years and numerous horses I have never had or ridden one! Hmm, just a musing really..
 
I agree FL, it's not fair on the horse IMO. Different if the horse isn't suited to the owner or owners circumstances have changed, but to farm off a broken horse just isn't fair. Who knows where a free warmblood will end up, broken or not?

(Not overly against it though as the bay in my sig was free, he did however require lot's of work!)
 
Daisy went for a nominal price as a companion and light hack and I don't feel bad for what I did. I'm a one horse owner, there is no way that I have the time or money for two and I didn't want to keep a 12yo horse that couldn't be ridden at the level I wanted to.

My choice was to keep her and ride her on bute or to find her a new home that would appreciate her for what she could do rather than getting frustrated for what she couldn't. I know that makes me a cow in alot of people eyes but I think it was best for both of us.
 
There is lots off homes out there who don't want to ride, don't want to spend thousands on a horse just to keep as a pet or companion so these horses can find homes. Why should we put them to sleep if somebody is willing to love and pamper them as a pet or companion? However if a home can't be found than yes pts should be a option but no harm in trying to find a home for them first. And a couple off posts have already said they have taken on a free horse so homes are out there.
 
I think this is a really hard one. I, personally, wouldnt want to give my horse away, simply because I would worry that the next person wouldnt treat it right or that they would trail her around markets trying to find the highest bidder!
However, that is not to say my opinion is the only right one and I think that whatever suits someone and they feel comfortable with is ok.
I also dont feel it is right to pts simply because the horse cant be ridden. Many horses will happily live out there twilight years in a field munching and roaming, there is so much more a horse can give you other than a back to sit on.
 
spacefaer said:
what she said ^^

why people should expect other people to look after their chronically sick, unrideable horses for them, for free, I don't know, but it seems to be the thing at the moment

if a horse is unable to work and never going to come right - then there is only one option which is fair to the horse (ducks under table)
Click to expand...

Totally agree with Spacefaer and Farrierlover, a lot of it is people passing the buck because they refuse to grow some balls and be responsible for the welfare of their horse. If a home/solution can't be found (and how do you guarantee 100% that the horse won't be doped and sold on?) then make that call.

I would, and have, had horses pts because circumstances dictated that I wouldn't be able to guarantee their future. Horses do not know your plans, all they think is "Oh polos, oats..." better than being starved, or ridden in pain or...the list goes on.
 
ladyt25 said:
Also, is kising spines a new phenomenon or what? Maybe it is just the diagnostics available now but I don't recall any horse having kissing spines when i was a kid. I am amazed these days the amount of people who have had horses with these ailments and in over 25 years and numerous horses I have never had or ridden one! Hmm, just a musing really..
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Yes, I wondered that too.

Never known so many horses with bad backs / kissing spines as these days. 22yrs ago when I got my first pony, I don't remember anyone complaining that their horse wasn't right, was bucking, showing weird behaviour that might suggest a back problem. It's just weird.

Are we breeding it into them I wonder?

Or were the old fashioned saddles better for horses backs?
 
We were musing bout this when hacking the other day and we came to the conclusion that they are backed/broken and do too much too young nowadays. My old Wynmalen book says that your horse should be made by the time it is ... wait for it ...7 (eg not jumping 1.5m at 4)
 
Alot of people under the mind set of "i cant afford a horse if i cant ride it" so try and get ride of them and/or are being too soft about putting them to sleep.
Very sad really.
 
Just a note - November 2008 I needed a companion (lucky to have plenty of grazing and very cheap livery) but even after advertising came up short 1 phone call where the lady lovely as she was wanted me to take 2 of her horses and just for the winter - not what I was looking for.

In the end I brought a 6 month old colt that had been orphaned (sp) he is now a stunning little welshie who is coming on leaps and bounds and is showing all the signs of being a great kids pony!

Back to my point .... there are homes out there, lets not write them off just yet but when a horse is field lame and nothing else can be done then the tough decision has to be made! A friend and I are looking into R&R for horses, all of mine I have brought from Auctions or dealers with little or no history - I am a true believer in second chances!
 
Years ago I signed my horse over to a companion home, I thought I was doing the best at the time, she had Navicular and I could only afford one horse, she was 12 at the time and I wanted something I could ride. The sensible thing would have been to pts but I just couldnt do it.
A few months later I got a call from someone wanting to buy her, I was gobsmacked, she had been branded LOU and the potential buyer was fully aware of this. The companion home had given my number to let the prospective buyer know her history. I wasnt in a position to buy her back, I was mortified and have to this day regretted my decision to give her to someone as a companion. I feel really guilty about what I did, I honestly and naievely thought I was doing the best for her. Im older and wiser now and unless I could keep a 'broken' horse myself or if I knew 100% it would work out, ie had the resources to take back if it didnt then I would have it PTS. I realise there is lots of success stories but my story wasnt and Im ashamed about it. :(
 
My first horse was free to a good home, but he was "broken" and could only do certain things, so I am not against it. Knowing what I know now, I would probably PTS should I find myself in that position, as I am not prepared to see any one of my animals be put in a position where their welfare is compromised.

Someone once told me that "livestock is deadstock" and how true this is. People need to start taking responsibility for their animals and not palm them off onto unsuspecting.

I agree about the back comment, but if I recall correctly many moons ago any horse with a seriously dodgy temperment (whether pain related or not) was usually swiftly dispatched usually with no questions asked.
 
rangerover said:
We were musing bout this when hacking the other day and we came to the conclusion that they are backed/broken and do too much too young nowadays. My old Wynmalen book says that your horse should be made by the time it is ... wait for it ...7 (eg not jumping 1.5m at 4)
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Agreed!!
As others have said it seems every other horse than can't be ridden has kissing spine
and I agree people break too early and do too much .
I know of a horse that was broken as a 3 year old and then put into full work and was being HACKED in draw reins and schooled in draw reins with it's nose strapped on its chest!
Now it has kissing spine .Am I surprised NO!
Horse need time to mature and need to be ridden into an outline not forced into one
i longlined and groundworked my horses as 3 year olds back as a 4 year olds and then ridden on approached 5 .I have had horses in their 20's sound and fit for riding.
People seem to be in a frantic hurry and not prepared to put in the time to get it right
 
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spacefaer said:
what she said ^^

why people should expect other people to look after their chronically sick, unrideable horses for them, for free, I don't know, but it seems to be the thing at the moment

if a horse is unable to work and never going to come right - then there is only one option which is fair to the horse (ducks under table)
Click to expand...


We are currently looking for a home for a TB mare of ours. She is not ill or broken in any way; she just has a parrot mouth. We are not palming her off or trying to get rid of a problem horse, we just feel that we're in a better position to choose the best home for her if we offer her for free.

Agree with you about horses that will never come right though - the fairest thing with these is usually to have them PTS.
 
In my opinion there are many fates worse than death; a horse lives in the now and to pass a horse on to an uncertain future (which it is as you don't have full control over what happens when you gift/sell a horse) is far worse than pts.

My mare is 17, has a few sarcoids and needs careful mangement to avoid laminitis. If the worst should happen that I couldn't care for her then I would have her pts at home.

I have seen far too many elderly or lame horses dragged from sale ring to sale ring and they just look so depressed that I'm sure death would be a blessed release for them.
 
touchstone said:
In my opinion there are many fates worse than death; a horse lives in the now and to pass a horse on to an uncertain future (which it is as you don't have full control over what happens when you gift/sell a horse) is far worse than pts.
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I totally agree! I am currently going through something at the moment where the horse I bought last year was meant to go to a perminant loan home as a companion type (old owner saw a vid on youtube and got in contact rather quickly!) as he has a load of problems. Of course the dealer he was sent back to sold onto me grrrr. Stupidly trusted them and let them arrange vetting (with xrays) so he "passed". I am on the reciving end of what could happen if you dont PTS or keep the horse yourself and my boy (IMO) is incredibly lucky to have found me and not someone who wouldnt have noticed and thought he was just being naughty (had a lot of vet/physio/osteo done). Old owner even said she considered PTS as he nearly killed her!! Its truly shocking what happens when you "gift" a horse to the wrong person!
 
Personally I think you have to be really careful giving away a horse, and I think advertising them as free is highly likely to lead to the wrong people coming forward.

If a horse isn't field sound, or is field sound but would not make a good companion then PTS is the best option no point keeping a miserable or uncomfortable horse.

If it is field sound and is a suitable companion type, low management, gets on well with others then rehoming as a companion could be considered but I think if you are going to go down this route you should only loan it initially so you can make sure it isn't sold on and be very careful about vetting homes and getting a contract, and making sure you have a small fund saved in case you need to take it back.

If it can be ridden, even in limited circumstances then I don't have a problem with people moving horses on. Plenty of people want a quiet hack or a lead rein pony that will only do half an hour of walk and trot at anyone time, or are happy never to jump. Why deprive the horse and the potential owner of a chance to have a wonderful partnership. Again I don't think advertising as free to a good home is the safest way to ensure a good home. I'd advertise as LWVTB or Loan and then only sell or give away when you know the person is genuine and the partnership is working, like Montyand Zoom.

If it is purely behavioural, and it isn't actually dangerous then I think selling via project horses being scrupulously honest is a decent solution, plenty of people like a project. I wouldn't give away though, I think selling for more than meat money is safer, or again loaning initially with an agreement to sell at a fixed price in future if it goes well. If it is dangerous then the responsible thing is to PTS.
 
Slightly off the subject but re the kissing spines, a good friend of mine had her horse operated on 2 years ago for kissing spines, years ago she would have been classed as cold backed, the horse had various issues, bucking, bolting, not liking rugs or saddle put on etc. after numerous visits from back 'specialists' saddler and the vet the owner finally got the horse referred to the Willesley clinic and they x rayed the mare and found she had 4 impinging vertebra and was operated on.

Thankfully though for this horse the owner dotes on her and would do anything to keep her, she is in light work and I know will have a home for life. Then again the owner is not into competing and is happy to hack round the block a couple of times a week and do low level schooling. The horse would probably be capable of more if she was worked more but they both seem happy together!

As for the suggestion of breeding it into horses? this horse doesn't have the best of conformation and a very short back, I am not a vet or expert by any means but maybe that's something to do with it? When she went for her op the vet did comment on her short back? She is a TB type.
 
madhossy said:
Yes, I wondered that too.

Never known so many horses with bad backs / kissing spines as these days. 22yrs ago when I got my first pony, I don't remember anyone complaining that their horse wasn't right, was bucking, showing weird behaviour that might suggest a back problem. It's just weird.

Are we breeding it into them I wonder?

Or were the old fashioned saddles better for horses backs?
Click to expand...

I wonder about modern horses too. When I started riding as a child over 50 years ago you never heard of/saw sarcoids, kissing spines, laminitis etc etc.and horses were never backed under the age of 4. The "average" pet/riding stables animal was never rugged or clipped nor were they vaccinated or wormed (no patent wormers then, they are a relative modern phenomenon, any worming involved vets and stomach tubes) and they seemed to survive for the most part although I did once see a pony die of tetanus back in the 1950s. Are we breeding them soft these days? On the subject of saddles, again, saddles didn't come in umpteen width and lengths but somehow managed to fit without any problems nor were there fancy numnahs either, they are a relatively modern invention too! Nor were there myriads of different bits or gadgets or "back people" or equine dentists . . . I could go on . . .
 
I would never give or sell my horse to anyone,no matter what. Why dont these people give them to a sanctuary?
Id never PTS a horse for the sake of being un ridable!!!
 
sharon1959 said:
I would never give or sell my horse to anyone,no matter what. Why dont these people give them to a sanctuary?
Id never PTS a horse for the sake of being un ridable!!!
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My beloved mare who I have owned for 16 years is to be PTS on Tuesday, it is absolutely the kindest thing to do, she has cushings, has lost weight in the last week & has low grade laminitis rumbling away. My anti laminitis measures that have worked so well for years are no longer enough. I want her to go with the sun on her back & while she still looks quite well instead of dragging it out until she no longer resembles her naughty self. My vet fully supports my decision, & tells me he wishes more owners would take responsibility instead of keeping old & ill horses going on & on, or palming them off on other people. My pony has been retired for nearly a year as IMO she wasn't sound enough to ride, according to you then I should drag out her life as long as possible in order to make myself feel better or give her to an already overstretched sanctuary to look after, get real, you make me sick. This decision is not one I have taken lightly or relish, but it is the final act of kindness I can give her.
 
I don't understand people passing on unrideable horses that have physical problems, surely they know there is a chance they will fall into the wrong hands and be buted up and sold on as riding horses. I think people lack morals in a lot of cases and cowardly for not pts.
I am only in a postion to have one at the moment. If my girl had to retire for any reason, I would keep her as a pet, providing she wasn't in pain. It is a possibility as she is 20 now but after the years of pleasure (and pain at times) she has given me, I owe her that.
 
I think alot of people rush out and buy a horse these days, they buy it cheap, don't have it vetted, and then when it can't do what they want any more they want to palm it off on someone else.
A few years ago more people rode at riding schools and only those people who had the facilities, time and money to keep a horse "forever" would buy their own. Occasionally it didn't work out and that person would loan their horse out.
Recently it just seems I keep hearing people complaining that they bought a cheap horse but didn't get it vetted - because it was old/ had done a bit/ seemed OK when they tried it - and subsequently found physical problems. They felt bad so didn't want to have the horse put down.
 
absolute diva said:
Daisy went for a nominal price as a companion and light hack and I don't feel bad for what I did. I'm a one horse owner, there is no way that I have the time or money for two and I didn't want to keep a 12yo horse that couldn't be ridden at the level I wanted to.

My choice was to keep her and ride her on bute or to find her a new home that would appreciate her for what she could do rather than getting frustrated for what she couldn't. I know that makes me a cow in alot of people eyes but I think it was best for both of us.
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I have done exactly same with my navicular horse - she is sound but can only do hacking. dressage is out of question - i want to do dressage, fun rides etc. she couldnt - i have found her a lovely home on my yard with another livery who only wants her to hack, sold for very low price and have ensured her a good home, The horse is well happy with lower workload, they love her to bits and will look after her i have first refusal should they ever want to sell (although have said will keep her till the end) i get to see her still and i am now free to get another horse. I cant afford to keep two.
 
I wouldnt pass an unrideable horse on, I just wouldnt do it, unless, I was guaranteed it was as a companion. I wouldnt put a horse to sleep either, unless, I felt it had no quality of life. If it was still field sound and enjoying some life grazing happily in a herd,then I would leave it that way, if unrideable. But I have the ground for more than 1 horse, so I suppose I am lucky. But I do feel responsible for a horse that I buy and wouldnt pan it off to someone else if I couldnt ride it anymore.
 
I am in the position to take a companion on as i have my own land.
I took one on as a field ornament 2 weeks ago, it hasn't worked out as she will not have a farrier near her hoofs even with a good dosage of Sedalin & she won't let me near them either, she is to the point of dangerous.
She is also bullying my TB which i won't tolerate.
Luckily enough her previous owner has agreed to come & take her back.
Once she has gone back i will be on the lookout for another field ornament (companion).

Hopefully i will find the right one sometime soon.
It will be heartbreaking to send her back but it will be for the best all round.
I am even willing to take a retired on to live it's life happily grazing.

XxX
 
I have currently got a horse looking for a home, and he will be given to the right person for free.

He has no health problems or vices, but he is wasted here and needs a home with someone who can give him all the love and time he so desperately wants and deserves. He's free because he was given to us for free and the person taking him on has to be prepared to sign all sorts of contracts agreeing that he will never race again, and that if for any reason he is unwanted, at any time, he MUST come straight back to us. His is a very long story, PM me if you're interested.

I can understand the problems with so many horses with health issues being given away, or those who are in some way dangerous - I had a horse PTS last week because he was 110% dangerous and there was nothing anyone could do to change that. He was stunning, and if we had sold him or given him away, he would have been passed from pillar to post hurting people, and eventually would have played his favourite game of "bolt and run flat out into the side of a fast moving car" one too many times.
 
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