having to resell due to accident

[tenya]

At the start of July I bought a 13 yo TB gelding. He was raced 5 times as a 5 yo and then retired.
He was then retrained as a riding horse and with the same owner for the last 5 years.
After purchasing I brought him to an equestrian centre to get to know him better and take lessons on him before bringing him home to live on my land.
I thought I had bought a great horse but as it turned out he wasn’t properly retrained.. he is still riding out of his front legs instead of his back legs..
Being too inexperienced to notice this I thought he was going on the bit but actually he pretends to be going on the bit by overarching his neck.
He’s lacking serious muscle on his top side and has therefore a very sensitive back and a stiff neck from all this pretend work.. I had him vetted before buying and the vet didn’t seem to notice any of this.
Anyways, I had a horse ostheopath out who treated him and recommended 60% lunging 40% riding.
I was bummed to find out I had bought a lemon but I figured with the help of a professional (at the equi centre) I could get him to learn how to move properly.
We had been taking lessons doing lots of trotting poles and working on his balance.. and I was lunging him multiple times a week.. he was definitely making progress.
After one of my lessons I took him out for a walk off hack to cool down..
Out of nowhere he spun around and bolted.. I fell off and landed on my back.
Long story short: I broke my back and I’m not gonna be able to ride for at least 6 months if not even a year.

He’s now on my land, grazing away, doing nothing all day.

my question now: What am I supposed to do with him?
My husband doesn’t want me to ever ride him again and I think I wouldn’t even have tconfidence to get back on him..
He’s not properly trained and also seems to be fearful.. who will ever buy him?
I contacted the previous owner and she doesn’t want him back.
Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[ycbm]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

I suspect the horse is in pain somewhere. Are you insured?

I would want ulcers, neck, back and hocks checked, then if all clear send him to a selling yard but it will probably cost you almost his whole value in fees.
.

 

[IrishMilo]

This sounds like one of those situations where it sounds much worse than it possibly as you're inexperienced so (understandably) everything seems more scary and serious. It sounds like he's been pretty good up until the point he spun and took off. What did the last owner do with him? I think the first thing you need to do is speak with her and explain your problem.

 

[AmyMay]

I’d just advertise him as what he is, an ex tb thats green. Doesn’t sound as if there’s too much wrong with him tbh.

 

[HashRouge]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

I suspect the horse is in pain somewhere. Are you insured?

I would want ulcers, neck, back and hocks checked, then if all clear send him to a selling yard but it will probably cost you almost his whole value in fees.
.

Yes I agree with this. I'd probably start with back x rays and scoping for ulcers and then check the rest if nothing showed up. There are some cracking ex racers out there but unfortunately a lot of them are also particularly prone to conditions such as kissing spines and ulcers. My sister has spent a fortune on her loan gelding treating ulcers and trying to get him to put weight on (he looked awful for quite some time) and about 6 months doing very light work and building him up slowly. Luckily there were never any behavioural issues with him and she now (*touch wood*) has him looking great and going well, but I don't think his issues are uncommon for an OTTB.

If you can be sure that any potential health issues have been identified and treated, there is no reason you couldn't sell him to an experienced rider with full disclosure. You probably wouldn't get much for him, mind.

 

[ihatework]

It’s impossible to know what the situation is because what you have written sounds ‘normal’ for an ex racehorse in novice hands.

Horses are continually being trained (or untrained) by those who interact with them daily.

A truely well trained and sound schoolmaster will set you back many thousands of pounds. But you still have to ride them.

Im sorry you have been injured and it sounds like it would be best to move the horse on if you are confident there are no underlying veterinary issues (which ex racers are unfortunately quite often having). For me a gold standard vet check on an ex racer would be a 5 stage, spine xrays, tendon scans and a gastroscope. I’d expect to set aside about 1.2k for that which I appreciate that for a horse sitting in a field is out of the realms of realistic for some people.

 

[tenya]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

I suspect the horse is in pain somewhere. Are you insured?

I would want ulcers, neck, back and hocks checked, then if all clear send him to a selling yard but it will probably cost you almost his whole value in fees.
.

thanks for your reply.
We don’t really have any selling yards where I live but yeah if I did give him to a dealer I would probably get €800 for him..

He’s actually quite afraid of street noise and especially lorries I’ve noticed. I’d see him bolting across the field when there’s one going past..
There was some machinery working not too far from where the accident happened too.. I’m pretty sure that’s what frightened him.

Unfortunately, I did not get around to having the insurance in time.. I was sent out quotes but I hadn’t signed anything yet.

 

[ycbm]

thanks for your reply.
We don’t really have any selling yards where I live but yeah if I did give him to a dealer I would probably get €800 for him..
.

That would seem to be your best bet, and you could do that with a reasonably clear conscience since he passed a five stage (?) vetting only a month ago.

Whose vet did you use? Not the seller's recommendation, I hope.
.

 

[tenya]

This sounds like one of those situations where it sounds much worse than it possibly as you're inexperienced so (understandably) everything seems more scary and serious. It sounds like he's been pretty good up until the point he spun and took off. What did the last owner do with him? I think the first thing you need to do is speak with her and explain your problem.

I have spoken to the previous owner and she called him “my problem”. She didn’t want anything to do with me or him for that matter.

He has supposedly competed in dressage and done XC and show jumping.. it just seems strange to me now that a horse that isn’t moving correctly wouldn’t be called out for that?

He’s actually a really sweet horse, quite affectionate. He’s easy to shoe and load. There was never any issues with mounting him or putting on tack..
he did do really well the 2 weeks I was working with him and I do honestly believe a couple more months of consistent work and he would have gotten it.

I dont really want to sell him to a dealer - not because of not getting enough for him - who knows what they’re gonna do to him??

i don’t really wanna put thousands into vet work so I can sell him for nothing?

 

[tenya]

That would seem to be your best bet, and you could do that with a reasonably clear conscience since he passed a five stage (?) vetting only a month ago.

Whose vet did you use? Not the seller's recommendation, I hope.
.

He did pass the five stage vetting that a well known horse vet in the area performed. The vet had never seen the horse before.
He did have his winds done and that’s why he was retired from racing.
The vet assured that this wouldn’t cause any problem for the horse as long as it wasn’t raced again.

 

[ihatework]

And herein is the stark reality of horse ownership I’m afraid. Often the purchase price is a drop in the ocean to keeping them.

Realistically your options are to sell to a dodgy dealer and wash your hands of him, attempt to sell privately with disclosure, retire him as a pet in the field, spend ££££ with the vet which may/may not change any decisions or shoot him.

Im afraid I could never sell to a dealer in these circumstances and would opt to shoot if the other options weren’t possible. But other options would be my preference because I’m a soft sap at times, namely investigate then sell privately or retire.

 

[IrishMilo]

Loads of horses don't go correctly - it doesn't mean there's a physical problem with him. I think going the whole hog with X rays etc. is jumping the gun a bit just because you came off once. He sounds a horse being a horse to me.

 

[splashgirl45]

many many leisure horses dont work properly from the hind end but it doesnt mean they are not worth anything. a retrained racehorse needs a confident rider and you may find, if you get your trainer to ride him a few times will help with getting him ready to sell...sorry you have been injured so badly and hope all turns out ok for you..

 

[HashRouge]

i don’t really wanna put thousands into vet work so I can sell him for nothing?

You can, but the problem is that attracts every Tom, Dick and Harry who fancies a free horse. I would be inclined to at least scan for ulcers and check for kissing spines then, if these are clear, sell him for a sensible price (should help recoup your costs). At least that way you could be relatively confident you aren't selling on a horse with major issues. If the scans/ x rays do turn something up then you have a choice - if you can't afford/ don't want to treat there is nothing wrong with that. You could let him enjoy the summer turned out on your land and then have him PTS.

ETA because I've just seem IrishMilo's post...normally I would agree with you but the OP's reference to him lacking topline and having a sensitive back and stiff neck, coupled with the fact he is an OTTB would make me wary.

 

[tenya]

And herein is the stark reality of horse ownership I’m afraid. Often the purchase price is a drop in the ocean to keeping them.

Realistically your options are to sell to a dodgy dealer and wash your hands of him, attempt to sell privately with disclosure, retire him as a pet in the field, spend ££££ with the vet which may/may not change any decisions or shoot him.

Im afraid I could never sell to a dealer in these circumstances and would opt to shoot if the other options weren’t possible. But other options would be my preference because I’m a soft sap at times, namely investigate then sell privately or retire.

The only real options for me are selling him on privately to someone experienced or keeping him as a pet in my field.
I do feel bad for him though retiring him so young.. he honestly loves to work.. and that’s why I don’t think there is any underlying medical issues. He was so delighted every time I brought his tack out and ready to roll. My trainer did ride him as well and said he will get there in due time and that he has great potential.
I guess advertising him as what he is is probably best. He certainly wasn’t advertised as what he is when I bought he though

 

[tenya]

You can, but the problem is that attracts every Tom, Dick and Harry who fancies a free horse. I would be inclined to at least scan for ulcers and check for kissing spines then, if these are clear, sell him for a sensible price (should help recoup your costs). At least that way you could be relatively confident you aren't selling on a horse with major issues. If the scans/ x rays do turn something up then you have a choice - if you can't afford/ don't want to treat there is nothing wrong with that. You could let him enjoy the summer turned out on your land and then have him PTS.

ETA because I've just seem IrishMilo's post...normally I would agree with you but the OP's reference to him lacking topline and having a sensitive back and stiff neck, coupled with the fact he is an OTTB would make me wary.

The osteopath said the stiff neck came from the overarching that he was constantly doing for his previous owner.. on top of that he was ridden with an ill fitting saddle by the previous owner. I had a new saddle fitted to him and he was moving a lot more comfortable with it.
He would honestly arch his neck automatically as soon as youd start riding.. Who every trained him obviously didn’t do it the right way..

There is no way I’m going to PTS him.. if I can’t sell him I will just keep him as a pet and maybe he’ll be just a companion horse for the next one.

 

[MissTyc]

From everything I've read, I wouldn't be rushing n with vet investigation. Yes, there MIGHT be something wrong, but also maybe not.
Could you send him to a professional rider for a few weeks for an HONEST (you'll need to be able to trust them!) assessment. A proper professional will be able to tell the difference between pain related behaviour and poor school., I have seen many a completely upside down OTTB looking like a textbook pain/kissing spine case only for it to be really bad riding, socking the horse in the mouth and teaching them to hollow out (and not just OTTBs; plenty of other lovely little horses, too!).

 

[Ownedby4horses]

I’m afraid you sound very inexperienced from your post and terminology and he sounds like he is picking up on your inexperience and you are frightening him by not providing him with the confidence he needs. An ex racer is not suitable for a novice. You need to find a decent dealer and get him into the right home if you are not prepared to spend money on vet investigations.

If you post roughly what area you are in, I’m sure someone can recommend a suitable dealer to get him into the right home.

 

[tenya]

From everything I've read, I wouldn't be rushing n with vet investigation. Yes, there MIGHT be something wrong, but also maybe not.
Could you send him to a professional rider for a few weeks for an HONEST (you'll need to be able to trust them!) assessment. A proper professional will be able to tell the difference between pain related behaviour and poor school., I have seen many a completely upside down OTTB looking like a textbook pain/kissing spine case only for it to be really bad riding, socking the horse in the mouth and teaching them to hollow out (and not just OTTBs; plenty of other lovely little horses, too!).

Thanks for your comment
Well, I had him with a professional and she was convinced his problems weren’t health related but due to bad schooling. The osteopath also thought that his lack of muscle was causing the issue.
But on the other hand there could be something wrong with him and maybe having him checked out would be better.
I’m also not in a position where I can organise any of this at the moment as I’m mostly on bed rest due to my injury.

 

[tenya]

I’m afraid you sound very inexperienced from your post and terminology and he sounds like he is picking up on your inexperience and you are frightening him by not providing him with the confidence he needs. An ex racer is not suitable for a novice. You need to find a decent dealer and get him into the right home if you are not prepared to spend money on vet investigations.

If you post roughly what area you are in, I’m sure someone can recommend a suitable dealer to get him into the right home.

Thanks for commenting on my inexperience. That’s exactly what I came here for.
Excuse my terminology, I’m not a native speaker...
I obviously know he’s not a suitable horse for me and I wish the previous owner had never sold him to me.. but I do want to do the right thing and sell him onto someone that can give him what he needs.. but most dealers here are totally sketchy and you’ll never know where the horse ends up.

 

[Tiddlypom]

You say that you are not a native speaker, and you also gave a price in euros. Where are you and the horse based? That could affect some responses .

 

[tenya]

You say that you are not a native speaker, and you also gave a price in euros. Where are you and the horse based? That could affect some responses .

Based in Ireland.
I figured advice for UK and Ireland would be fairly similar.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

Thanks for commenting on my inexperience. That’s exactly what I came here for.
Excuse my terminology, I’m not a native speaker...
I obviously know he’s not a suitable horse for me and I wish the previous owner had never sold him to me.. but I do want to do the right thing and sell him onto someone that can give him what he needs.. but most dealers here are totally sketchy and you’ll never know where the horse ends up.

The issue is the horse is in the wrong home. You need to sell him, either through a dealer and take the price drop on the chin and learn from the mistake or find a yard that will take him on sales livery. You are going to struggle to find him a good home yourself as how do you know someone is experienced (as you are inexperienced yourself) and you are not going to be able to do the horse justice at a viewing. As i said earlier, if you put where you are based (are you southern or northern?) someone will be able to help with a suggestion, not all dealers are bad and a decent dealer will work hard to match the horse to a suitable home (a lot do value their reputation)

 

[tenya]

The issue is the horse is in the wrong home. You need to sell him, either through a dealer and take the price drop on the chin and learn from the mistake or find a yard that will take him on sales livery. You are going to struggle to find him a good home yourself as how do you know someone is experienced (as you are inexperienced yourself) and you are not going to be able to do the horse justice at a viewing. As i said earlier, if you put where you are based (are you southern or northern?) someone will be able to help with a suggestion, not all dealers are bad and a decent dealer will work hard to match the horse to a suitable home (a lot do value their reputation)

I think we all know that he’s in the wrong home and I think I’ve made it very clear that I want him to go to the right home.
What do you think I’m gonna do? Sell him out of my field?
Obviously I would bring him to a yard and have a trainer show him and assess the prospective buyer.
I’m happy to talk to a reputable dealer in Southern Ireland (Limerick/South Tipp area) if someone here knows one.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

Not sure why you are getting angry, you've asked for advice and you're getting advice. You need to get him into work with a trainer well in advance of putting him up for sale, rather than just leave him in a field, to give him the best chance, he needs a full ridden assessment and get someone who has assessed him to help you write his advert and get someone to keep him in work until he sells.

 

[Equi]

Many sell from the field but you wouldn’t get much money. I think he’s spooked and you haven’t sat it - something that is very common in many horses not just “lemons” something obviously spooked him.

 

[tenya]

Not sure why you are getting angry, you've asked for advice and you're getting advice. You need to get him into work with a trainer well in advance of putting him up for sale, rather than just leave him in a field, to give him the best chance, he needs a full ridden assessment and get someone who has assessed him to help you write his advert and get someone to keep him in work until he sells.

Thanks for your advice, I’ve taken it on board.

 

[tenya]

Many sell from the field but you wouldn’t get much money. I think he’s spooked and you haven’t sat it - something that is very common in many horses not just “lemons” something obviously spooked him.

I wouldn’t sell him out of my field due to the lack of insurance.

That’s totally what happened.. he got spooked and I didn’t sit it. It was an accident.
Regardless of this accident he isn’t properly schooled but was advertised as if he was. That’s why I called him a lemon. He’s the sweetest horse and I’m gutted the accident happened.

 

[honetpot]

I would ring the old owner up and see if she will give you any details of his previous competition experience, hopefully that can be checked out on the internet. You will have greater chance of selling him if you have that information. Lots of horses compete and do not 'go'properly, lots of TB's go behind the bit, they do not like too much contact, so its not a big deal, and I have fallen off a few times, too may, when the horse has quickly gone one way and I didn't.
I am afraid you really only have two choices, you either spend money on investigations, and hope the behaviour is down to some undiagnosed problem that is fixable, or sell cheaply to a dealer/ or someone willing to take a chance who has time but not a lot of money. Its coming up to the hunting season, some people are crazy and will ride anything, so if you can get it out it may sell for that.

We had an older TB that would only be ridden on his terms, and only performed for 4 mins in a dressage arena, but for what ever reason, mainly because she asked so little of him, he put up with my daughter. I spoke to an old owner who said he would bite the ride judge if he didn't like them, and he once stood in the corner of the school and bucked a sharer off, for no reason I could think of apart from she had stiff shoulders. I hated riding him he as was so lazy, and you had to ride him 90% of the time with your reins in loops, but he could do a novice dressage test and look the part, but the rest of the time he looked like a broken down horse. It may be his expectations were not yours or your trainers, and being lunged, which is hard work, has made what ever was sore worse.

 

[PatchyBabyHorse]

Was the ‘osteopath’ actually an ACPAT registered physiotherapist?