Gifing a horse at the end of competition career........any advice?

Bedlam

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This may get long, but I'll try to keep it succinct......!

We have had a fab eventer on loan for the past 3 years, but we have been plagued by veterinary problems which has meant we have actually only evented 3 times over that period. I took the decision when she went lame again just before Aston le Walls that enough was enough and that I would end the loan and look for something else for my daughter to compete. We have spent huge amounts of money and months and months on rehab only to have something else go wrong everytime she reaches competition fitness. She has had squamous cell carcinoma on her 3rd eyelid so had her 3rd eyelid removed - no recurrence. That was just before she came to me - I was going to buy her for a large sum of money before it was diagnosed........

She then went bilaterally lame in front which on thorough investigation turned out to be kissing spines. She had the op as Rossdales were confident that she would come back even better than before.

Just as she returned to full fitness 9 months later she tied up coming home from an hour's walk trot roadwalk hack. Took a long time to recover - collapsed on tacking up the 1st time we tried after 1st episode, so vet advised more rest and a slower return to work.

Fit and entered into Aston - she comes in from field on 3 legs the Monday before. Assume abscess, but vet & farrier find nothing. Treat for abscess anyway but nothing happens. High white blood cell count but no obvious cause. Nerve blocked sound to heel area, but that causes lameness on other front foot. Suspect navicular, but unclear whether insurance will pay for MRI after all other problems.

Decide to call it a day and owner tells me she will give the horse away to a good home for hacking or work on a surface only. They can't take horse back.

So dilemma - how do I find a good permanent home for an extremely talented, quirky chestnut mare with all the above problems? She is an exciting hack - not dangerous (my daughter is 15) but not a novice ride. Her dressage is not consistent - can be fabulous on a good day, but suffers from tension esp at an event as she just wants to get on with the jumping, but not too bad if just pure dressage. Interestingly goes beautifully for a man....have often wondered whether she needs the strength of leg to keep her concentrating.

Above all we adore her and want to do the best by her, but I am at livery and cannot afford to keep 2.......and she's not mine at the end of the day. We have now found a lovely horse that we would like to have vetted and then buy, but we still have the mare. I would need to put new horse in her stable. There may be an option to move her onto grass livery and turn her away for a while which would be cheaper, but then am I reducing the chances of finding her a useful permanent home?

She doesn't deserve to be pts - she just seems to struggle when she's competition fit. But equally she doesn't deserve to be passed around from pillar to post.

Any ideas? I'll post in new lounge too too........
 

measles

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She is very lucky to have you looking out for her as many people wouldn't in these circumstances. How is she bred and do you think her various medical problems would make it unwise to breed from her, both from her and the perspective of inheriting issues? It is the wrong time of year for finding a broodmare home but you might nonetheless. Alternatively advertise for a hacking home and you will find someone who likes a bright horse I'd have thought but be careful who she goes to as you don't want her passed around or buted up and sold.

Good luck - let us know how it works out.
 

Tempi

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Please do not breed from her is she has had KS - there is no proof as yet that it is not hereditary.

I personnaly would find her a field to live in and let her retire. With all the issues shes had she sounds like she just needs to chill out and live the rest of her life in a field. Bringing her back in to work regardless of whether its hacking or school work could still cause old injuries to flare, just let her be and retire her.
 

Alec Swan

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I'm sure that I'm not alone in being impressed with your perseverance. All credit is due to you.

If the owner doesn't want her back, and if you can't, quite understandably, afford to have her as a field ornament, then there is probably only one answer.

Unless you are incredibly lucky, if you offer her as a companion, and free to a good home, then the pillar to post scenario, will almost certainly take place. There are always those who will take a free horse, and that's simply because it's cost them nothing. You're aware of that, I'm sure. With her catalogue of problems, she seems to have no realistic future, does she?

There are times, when responsible ownership, means that we have to do the right thing, no matter how much it hurts. It sounds to me, as if you've done everything possible for your mare, to date. Now isn't the time to stop. Sorry.

Alec.
 

Bedlam

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She is very lucky to have you looking out for her as many people wouldn't in these circumstances. How is she bred and do you think her various medical problems would make it unwise to breed from her, both from her and the perspective of inheriting issues? It is the wrong time of year for finding a broodmare home but you might nonetheless. Alternatively advertise for a hacking home and you will find someone who likes a bright horse I'd have thought but be careful who she goes to as you don't want her passed around or buted up and sold.

Good luck - let us know how it works out.








No - would never breed from her - far too many issues as mentioned, although she is nicely bred (Medoc). If she were younger she might have made a good ET recipient, but she's 12 this year which I think is too old. Twemlows state that their recipient mares are ideally 7-12. I also don't know if she has ever had a foal or would be a good mum. I have a filly that I am considering breeding from next year by ET, and it's an expensive process - wouldn't want to risk a maiden mare as the recipient to be honest.

May think about retirement. Seems a shame, but it wouldn't bother her - she's a horse at the end of the day.
 

Thistle

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Ultimately she isn't your responsibility.

As you well know I have 2 horses away on loan. If something went wrong particularly with the one at your yard I would consider it my responsibility, not that of the loaners. She is my horse. I make the ultimate calls. I think they have had Dolls about the same time you have had yours.

TBH if I had a phone call tomorrow telling me that D was unable to continue a useful life I would seriously consider PTS. Mainly because she is such a fat lump that she could never just be a fiald ornament. Her life revolves aroud food and without work she can't have food.

Not quite the same as you but thought you may like to see it from the other side!
 

lizzie_liz

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At the end of the day she isnt your horse and if the owner cant have her back then the owner either needs to have her PTS or find a home as a companion horse. Whatever does happen this horse should not be bred from, why do people automatically think breed from a mare when it breaks down (sorry not aimed at OP but just gets my goat).

I think you have to be firm with the owner and yourself and give the horse back as you have found a horse that you want vetted for your daughter. I know from when I was 15 I wanted to be out competing and can be so frustrating when you cant.
 

Hels_Bells

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OP as a loaner of a horse I adore I can see how you are feeling. You love her and want her to continue a happy life and you don't know whether you can trust the owner to provide that for her. I am lucky to not be in livery so in your case I would just retire her at home but I think if you don't want to put her back in the hands of the owner and want to find her a good home you really need to work hard to find her a home as a companion, if you can. Adverstise in local yards, saddleries, hunt and PC websites etc. Maybe even talk to WHW or similar who could give you some tips as they find homes for companions all the time.

Looking at the problems she's had I think it would be difficult and perhaps even wrong to send her to a working/hacking home as you would probably just be putting someone else through what you've been through, so I think companion is the only real way to go.

I can understand those that say she should be PTS, but personally I don't know if I would be tough enough to make that call (though in this case it would essentially be the owner's call) and I am always of the opinion that I would only PTS if horse was in irrevocable pain. I don't like to see a life ended for lack of "usefulness", though understand and respect people who do make that call.
 
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