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

[J&S]

I told my blacksmith I needed a companion

Actually I did this too! He told me of a not quite "free", but near as damit free pony. She does have issues but I wouldn't part with her for the world and will secure her future one way or another if I cannot keep her any longer or her friend passes before her. Farriers do get around and are very aware of how owners keep their horses so any recommendation from a farrier should be a good two way thing.

 

[ycbm]

Sorry to throw a spanner in the works, but the horse of a forum member that was found being ridden lame on Facebook last year was rehomed to what the owner thought was a trusted friend, who sold him.

There no absolutely safe way to do this than to loan and visit regularly.
.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Loan and visit regularly or PTS are the only ways to secure her future. Though this Hopton place sounds good? They'd do the checks.

Genuine homes like Red-1 who offer a good home to a compromised horse are vanishingly small in numbers. Plenty of people will talk the talk so that they get their hands on the horse though they have no ability or intention to keep it long term or to care for it properly.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Call me cynical but I honestly don’t think you can give a horse away and secure it’s future. When you give it away your giving away your rights and say in its future.
I do understand where your coming from but I wouldn’t trust anyone in these terms.

 

[SEL]

Call me cynical but I honestly don’t think you can give a horse away and secure it’s future. When you give it away your giving away your rights and say in its future.
I do understand where your coming from but I wouldn’t trust anyone in these terms.

This is completely true.

At the beginning of this year I had 4 freebies with me. The two mares are still around and will be with me until the end, I very sadly PTS the one who was given to me as a companion years ago (arthritis) and also PTS the one who came with the fields on medical and behaviour reasons. I certainly didn't go back to either of the gelding's old owners and ask permission for PTS. I can't even find the contact details of one of them who I would like to tell out of courtesy.

Any of those 4 freebies could have been sold on if I'd been less than ethical.

OP - it's a tough call for you. I know ideally you'd like your horse to go to someone who hasn't had the chance for horse ownership but actually I think you're better off looking for an experienced home where they understand how much a horse costs to keep, the impact of sarcoids etc etc.

 

[Leandy]

I would not gift her unless to someone already known and trusted. You can't secure her future if you give up ownership. Personally I would start with trying to sell with full disclosure then, if that fails, I would loan if i could find a suitable long-term home.

 

[DressageCob]

Where are you based? There may be a nice local charity that would take her. Or a full loan to a riding school/college could work, if the sarcoids don't prevent her from working.

 

[Limit]

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.

Good luck with rehoming your mare, but whatever you decide, please, please don't give her away.

 

[Red-1]

I just feel that selling has no guarantees either, even for a sound and valuable horse. They soon go wrong, or go right for that matter, and get sold on again.

I retired one and sold for £1 a few years back. I had 4 homes I would have sold him to. The one he went to was perfect. The agreement was to sell him back to me if they no longer wanted him, but that wouldn't have been enforcible. If I were no not want Rigs any more, I think he could find a perfect home. His previous owner wanted me to say I wouldn't sell him but I refused, as life can throw a spanner in the works at any time. I just said that I would sell him ethically and take as much care as they had.

Whenever I sell a horse, I check out the new owners. Usually do a home visit too, although the last one I didn't. It is a FAB home though, regular photos and updates.

Even when you get married, there is a risk involved.

My take on it is that I will look after them to the best of my ability whilst I have them, then either PTS or sell/loan/give ethically to a like minded person. There are no guarantees.

 

[Leandy]

I just feel that selling has no guarantees either, even for a sound and valuable horse. They soon go wrong, or go right for that matter, and get sold on again.

Agree with this but I think that if you sell for market value a horse is less likely to attract and potentially end up in the hands of a bottom end dealer or other chancer or fraudster who will lie through their teeth about the home it is going to but is just aiming to make a quick buck by selling on.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

OP has said she wants to give up horses so surely loaning or continuing to pay for medical treatments etc won't allow her to do that?

I wanted to be away from horses altogether when I gave up and still am - if I'd still had to pay for medical costs or been on loan with the risk the horse could come back at any time, that's not really allowing OP to completely give up and move on to other things

 

[cblover]

I'm in Cumbria. I'm reluctant to make it common knowledge, as I know I'd get lots of people promising the world. I'll keep it within my friends circle for now.