Giving my horse away but securing her future - a big ask!

[cblover]

Some of you will remember I posted about selling my mare but she has sarcoids. I still have her but I'm totally giving up horses and moving on to another chapter of my life.
I want to find her a new home, but don't want any money for her. I just want to secure her future with someone who deserves her and will give her the attention she loves. Don't get me wrong, she wants for nothing now and will always be cared for whilst in my ownership, but she would be a wonderful friend to someone who wants to spend time with her.

How do I go about finding someone suitable? Ideally I'd love to give her to someone who really deserves a horse of their own but has never had the chance.

 

[bonny]

I would put her on loan rather than free, that way you will know where she is and that she’s ok.

 

[BSL2]

Please be careful "giving" her away. There are many unscrupulous people who would see this as a money making opportunity. How old is your horse and how many sarcoids has she?

 

[paddi22]

Might be a good idea to go to a reputable charity. The charity I help often take in horses in similar circumstances as yours. And they wait for suitable reformers and keep in contact, do checks and ask for updates. I agree with the others, I wouldn't give the horse away. I'd do a long term loan.

 

[Birker2020]

Please make sure you draw up a contract and have visiting rights or she may get sold by someone unscrupulous and end up passed from pillar to post.

 

[cblover]

The problem with loaning is if she comes back and I've given up my stable. I'd have nowhere for her. She 10 years old, 15hh, mare, clyde x sec d. Been backed a few years ago and done logging in forests in recent years. Her sarcoids are quite extensive. Non at all where her tack goes, but lots in her back legs and one on her chest. My vet has operated and removed two large ones last year but says not to put her through that again and just manage them. I use Thuja cream daily which holds them steady, in fact they reduce a lot in winter but not to the point that they disappear.

 

[cblover]

Yes, you're all absolutely right in trying to secure her future. I suppose I just want a lovely happy ending for her, with me knowing she's found someone worthy of her....but of course, us humans always have to take advantage of the situation. I know I need to be wary of the less than truthful people out there. That's why she's still with me, I just don't trust people.

 

[Backtoblack]

Contact Hopton Rehab and Homing, they are a fabulous charity who take on horses such as yours, they then own them for life. They have both a Facebook page and a web site with contact numbers.

 

[dorsetladette]

If she's done logging. Thats quite a small market. Can you contact a logging person and see if they would like to have her while she is still able to work? She'd be well looked after as she'd be an asset to her loaner/new owner.

 

[paddi22]

Could you save up a cushion of money in case that happens - to give you the time and space to either find a new loaner or pts? and also have a backup plan of a retirement grass livery you could put her onto if stuck. you won't need to have a stable there, cheap grass livery would do her I'd imagine till you made a decision.

going to strangers you can't guarantee her future, especially with a medical issue like that. the sarcoids could get worse, or grow in bad areas, and you have no guarantee the next person doesn't just sell her on to a dealer or just give her away to a bad home if she becomes unrideable. a loan or a charity would guarantee some kind of security.

 

[ihatework]

I think you need to be fairly realistic that this is a horse you adore, but the reality is that extensive sarcoids isn’t going to make her massively attractive to anyone else. The ongoing vet expense and time management would only be potentially worth it if someone were getting an otherwise expensive horse.

Giving away free might not end well.

Im sorry but the only rehoming id be doing would be full loan and coving the vet costs myself.

 

[cauda equina]

While you're exploring options try homeopathic thuja pills, the human ones, 2 daily; it won't do any harm and might help

 

[Starzaan]

I think realistically if you want to secure her future you only have three options.
- loan her out with a very strict contract and visit her regularly.
- send her to a retirement livery yard.
- PTS.

Giving her away will absolutely not guarantee her future. I get a surprising amount of emergency rehabs in because they’ve been given away and ended up in totally the wrong hands.

 

[PeterNatt]

Sadly many horses disapear while on loan and giving a horse away will result in your loss of control.
If your horses sacroids can be controlled then a reputable retirement home would be an option and you can go and visit her when you want.

 

[Art Nouveau]

Ooh I wish this was in two years time, not now. I'll be looking for a ride and drive to assist with farm work (pulling muck trailer for collecting and spreading) and if she's done logging she'd probably be great. I don't have space right now though

 

[SEL]

Why not approach either the Dorset Heavy Horse farm (they do logging) or Hitch in Farm working horses? It's not what you were thinking in terms of someone without a horse having her, but both companies understand large horses and are professional enough to keep on top of sarcoids

 

[Meredith]

Contact Hopton Rehab and Homing, they are a fabulous charity who take on horses such as yours, they then own them for life. They have both a Facebook page and a web site with contact numbers.

^^^^^
I know some of the Hopton people.
They keep track of their horses. A friend has returned one. It went to a new home almost immediately.

 

[Sealine]

Would she be suitable to donate to the RDA?

 

[stormox]

If you sell, or give her to someone you lose control of her future as the new owner can do whatever they like once she belongs to them.

 

[Trouper]

Another one who can vouch for Hopton Re-hab through personal experience of helping a friend give hers to them. A loan had been disastrous so we needed to know that his future would be continually monitored and, as
@Meredith says, they do regular checks on their re-homed horses.

 

[throwawayaccount]

could you not just put her on a retirement/24.7 livery where they could keep up to date with her medications on your behalf?

i would be very wary in giving her away... it's impossible to guarantee that anybody will keep their word nowadays and won't pass her around, but particularly with cost-of-living spiralling- not great waters to be tredding in, really.

 

[Ratface]

Please don't give her away, for all the above-stated reasons. I have a chronic life-limiting illness. Old Horse is on full 5☆+ livery, with his breeder. He's been there for nine years. If I go before he does, she has promised that she will keep him until his natural death or until he needs to be PTS. I trust her implicitly to act in his best interests, as I have seen that she has done this for her own beloved animals (cats, dogs, cows, sheep, horses) in the past.

 

[cblover]

Thanks everyone, it’s not an easy situation. I know ‘giving her away’ sounds like a don’t care but that’s absolutely not true. I’m very cautious about the whole idea. I know she’s worth nothing in monetary terms but she’s a living creature that deserves respect and care. I’ll consider what limited options I have.

 

[Red-1]

Thanks everyone, it’s not an easy situation. I know ‘giving her away’ sounds like a don’t care but that’s absolutely not true. I’m very cautious about the whole idea. I know she’s worth nothing in monetary terms but she’s a living creature that deserves respect and care. I’ll consider what limited options I have.

I think it can work out. I bought mine who had many and varied maladies, and he has a life of luxury. It was like an adoption interview though, despite the fact I paid for him!

With sarcoids, I would have been cautious, maybe you could offer to fund the sarcoid treatment, if the future of the horse is so important to you?

 

[J&S]

Ideally I'd love to give her to someone who really deserves a horse of their own but has never had the chance.

This might not be a good idea. a person who has "not had a chance" to own a horse probably can't afford to keep one even if it is given to them.

 

[Lamehorses]

Could you try & advertise for loan from current yard, spend some time finding someone suitable & keep a close eye. If the loan ends you've still got a livery space & can try again.
If you find the right person then you could gift the horse after a suitable time.

 

[Abacus]

I don’t totally agree you shouldn’t gift her to the right person. I and probably many others have taken free horses with problems, and given them good homes. It does have some risk and I wouldn’t give one of mine to an entirely unknown home. I tend to think word of mouth might be a best bet.

 

[DabDab]

Another mention for Hopton. They are so experienced at sifting through applications and trialling potential homes, which is the bit that is really hard to do as an amateur as a one off.

 

[sunnyone]

I agree with word of mouth. I told my blacksmith I needed a companion, his dad found me a mare with sarcoids and a BOGOF. Once the foal was weaned he became the companion and his mum took the friend who had purchased him out on regular rides until she was PTS through age issues.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I was given a horse from a friend's daughter she couldn't give him the exercise he needed, I was looking for a second horse so she offered him to me, I had him on a 3 month trial period after 2 months I said I wanted him no money exchanged but we have a verbal agreement that if ever I can't keep him I offer him back to them.

I would try and find someone you know or a friend of a friend I think its a safer way of insuring the horses future rather than gifting the horse to a complete stranger.