Help me think through Max options!

[Ambers Echo]

Long story short but I have a 148 8 yo event pony. He was always a bit nappy but with positive riding, was fine for 18 months with a young rider (my daughter). I also competed him as my confidence giver as he is a willing and easy ride most of the time. He scores 70s dressage. He has competed and won up to 90cm SJ and evented unaff over 80cm with DCs. Scopey enough for 110/ poss 120 as a show-jumper or BE100. He became more and more difficult to ride during last year which we put down to my daughter being quite nervous - ie he began to evade more and more. The partnership just wasn't working anymore for the pony OR the rider so we decided to sell on but on sales livery a very subtle bilateral hind lameness was picked up and Leahurst revealed a problem with his SI joint. He was injected and has been turned away for 8 weeks. He is ready to start bringing back into work. But I am not sure what to do with him!

My questions are:
- Would anyone genuine buy cheap from the field with full disclosure? If so how do I ensure that they really are genuine and aren't just going to sell on with no disclosure for a fat profit. Or is it always a risk. (I guess it is a risk for any horse you sell on).
- If not, how long would he need to be sound in work before I could responsibly sell on?
- I have no-one to compete him - might it be worth offering him out on loan or LWVTB for a year or a season? Obviously once he has been rehabbed and is back in work. If he stays sound, fab I can sell on. If not then I can take him back.
- How hard might it be to bring him back into work when he is away from home? I can't bring him back to my current yard as there is no space. Has anyone tried to manage horses in work in different places?
- Is there any downside to just leaving him turned away till Spring and then having him on grass livery where I am and starting then? That would mean he'll have had about 6 months off instead of 3.
- Do people offer rehab work - ie could I pay someone else to bring him back into work for me and how much is that kind of thing (ballpark figures obviously).

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions.

Any other options I have not considered yet?

 

[be positive]

I would leave him out for another couple of months, bring him back to where you are and do a few weeks walking out hacking, see how he is and when he has done a month of walking send him back to the sales livery yard, I think the fact they know him may be useful, let them do another month to get him going properly and then offer him for sale as ready to go for the season.
Yes there are genuine people that will buy from the field but I suspect more ungenuine ones and how you find out is a lottery that I wouldn't want to pt a nice pony through.
Loaning is also risky, if they cut corners he may return completely broken.

If you were nearer he would be just up my street to take on and rehab and it may be possible to find someone who would do it for a share of him when he sells if you paid expenses, possibly a student if you are anywhere near a uni, rehab livery will be expensive and you still have to find a buyer at the end which the rehab yard may not want to be involved in so another move required.

 

[scats]

I think you are North West based? I know someone based on the wirral who takes horses in for rehabilitation- Daleshoot Equine- you will find them on Facebook. Might be worth a look and messaging for rough prices. She’s very good and it’s a very tailored and individual plan for each horse.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Thanks BP. I thinking selling on via the same sales livery is a great idea - she picked up the lameness very early - at a point when 2 vets and a 'Lameness Locator' were saying he was sound. So I really trust both her skill and her integrity as she (quite rightly) said she would not sell a pony who she had felt may have a problem regardless of what the vets were saying

Thanks Scats, I will have a look. x

 

[Tiddlypom]

Might he be suitable again for the daughter with the smaller pony when she outgrows her? As his physical problems have been picked up and sorted?

 

[Ambers Echo]

Might he be suitable again for the daughter with the smaller pony when she outgrows her? As his physical problems have been picked up and sorted?

I did wonder that but I am not sure she will feel confident on him. He did become very challenging and her confidence was wrecked. We now know why but I am not sure she will feel comfortable on him again. And he does need positive riding. She used to be able to ride him forward positively and nip any nappiness in the bud. But I imagine if he ever tested her again she'd just freeze. I think he needs a fresh start with someone who does not have any baggage in relation to him.

 

[Leo Walker]

Theres lots of people who will rehab them. If you struggle to work him where he is could you get a decent freelancer to long rein and do the early ridden work before he goes off to sales livery for the polishing up? The person who does mine only charges me £20 a session as shes local and can go whenever it suits her so she fits it in around other jobs.

 

[Ambers Echo]

If I could find somone that would be fab. He is alongside a traffic free trail so could be long-reined and hacked out from his field. How would I find someone? Just stick an ad on FB? Word of mouth?? Anyone know anyone near Warslow, Derbyshire???

 

[Ambers Echo]

I think you are North West based? I know someone based on the wirral who takes horses in for rehabilitation- Daleshoot Equine- you will find them on Facebook. Might be worth a look and messaging for rough prices. She’s very good and it’s a very tailored and individual plan for each horse.

I have been in touch with them and it looks really good.... What appeals is that I trust them to pick up issues more than I trust myself. They would liaise with my vet and continually assess his movement and willingness to work. Given that I missed the lameness and needed the sales livery person to pick it up, I am not that confident I would notice subtle problems in the future either.... But it is not cheap! So I am torn between sending him there now and just accepting the cost and waiting till Spring and doing the work myself when I have my YO around as a 2nd pair of eyes re his progress.....

 

[Leo Walker]

If I could find somone that would be fab. He is alongside a traffic free trail so could be long-reined and hacked out from his field. How would I find someone? Just stick an ad on FB? Word of mouth?? Anyone know anyone near Warslow, Derbyshire???

I'd stick an add on Facebook but then be very careful who you pick. Take references and see them working him the first couple of times.

or just wait till spring. Its nearly February so not long to go and more time off wont hurt if hes out 24/7

 

[The-Bookworm]

"Leaving him turned away till Spring and then having him on grass livery where I am and starting then? That would mean he'll have had about 6 months off instead of 3"

I would personally do this option. More time off with an injury/ lameness issue can Imo only be better for the animal.
Then do the rehab yourself. Your vet might give you a fitness plan, mine did. It was for three months reassessing at each increase in workload and treat as normal horse at the end and carry on bringing into work building fitness.
I love longreining, but as you have more than one Max can benefit from ponying when you hack out.

 

[Fiona]

I'd wait until after Easter, bring him back to your yard for initial rehab/fittening, and then send to sales livery.

Fiona

 

[Jellymoon]

I would also turn away until you have more time and then do the rehab yourself. Once you and your vet are happy he is sound, then you can think about selling/loaning with a clear conscience that you have done the right thing by the new owner and the pony. The extra time off will be of benefit anyway.

Or if you can afford it, then of course a really good rehab livery would also be an option.

What I absolutely would not do is advertise him now, I’d be very concerned about the type of responses you would get. I also wouldn’t let anyone else ride him unless I knew them, unless it’s the really amazing rehab livery, of course!

 

[Ambers Echo]

Thanks all. Yes I have pretty much ruled out 'sold from the field' unless it was to a friend/friend of friend. I was just asking because I know a few HHOers have picked up cheap horses that way and offer great homes, so it CAN be done. But it is too risky to pursue unless a home falls at my feet. Too many dodgy folk out there and he would be easy to miss-sell as he is currently sound and behaves very well most of the time!

Rehab livery is £140 a week. If I paid a freelancer then that would be up to £100 a week assuming they worked him 5 times. For the extra money I think I'd rather have that level of expertise so that is tempting.... but £140 is £140 that I have not really got! With no guarantee that he will ever be sellable at the end of it so I have to assume it is money I can't recover.

OH wants me to do the work myself. But I really will struggle to do it consistently. I'll leave him where he is for now and see how I feel when the weather picks up. x

 

[be positive]

£140 a week for a proper rehab seems very cheap, although I realise it is still a lot of money, it would concern me that they may just put him on a walker most days rather than ride him out or work with him for an hour or so, otherwise I cannot see how they will make it pay, if they don't put in the time it may mean he is there longer so swings and roundabouts regarding your costs.
I have just quoted almost twice that to take on a short term project that will be worked with twice a day if required, basing my quote on a basic full livery plus at least an hour of my time working it every day, possibly more, I could not do it for £140 at this time of year, in summer I would have the horse out 24/7 which reduces the outgoings so livery would be lower.

 

[Ambers Echo]

£140 a week for a proper rehab seems very cheap, although I realise it is still a lot of money, it would concern me that they may just put him on a walker most days rather than ride him out or work with him for an hour or so, otherwise I cannot see how they will make it pay, if they don't put in the time it may mean he is there longer so swings and roundabouts regarding your costs.
I have just quoted almost twice that to take on a short term project that will be worked with twice a day if required, basing my quote on a basic full livery plus at least an hour of my time working it every day, possibly more, I could not do it for £140 at this time of year, in summer I would have the horse out 24/7 which reduces the outgoings so livery would be lower.

It's a special offer price by the people Scats recommended. Perhaps I should jump at it! They look really good.

 

[be positive]

It's a special offer price by the people Scats recommended. Perhaps I should jump at it! They look really good.

If it is a special offer and they do the right work a month there could be really worthwhile, he should then be ready to go to the sales livery and crack on if he is sound, I think I would be tempted to wait a few weeks aiming to have him up for sale at the start of the Easter holidays which tends to be the time people are desperate to find one.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Thanks. I am beginning to have a plan!

 

[scats]

£140 a week for a proper rehab seems very cheap, although I realise it is still a lot of money, it would concern me that they may just put him on a walker most days rather than ride him out or work with him for an hour or so, otherwise I cannot see how they will make it pay, if they don't put in the time it may mean he is there longer so swings and roundabouts regarding your costs.
I have just quoted almost twice that to take on a short term project that will be worked with twice a day if required, basing my quote on a basic full livery plus at least an hour of my time working it every day, possibly more, I could not do it for £140 at this time of year, in summer I would have the horse out 24/7 which reduces the outgoings so livery would be lower.

I know the lady and she is fabulous. I would send Polly there for her rehab if I didn’t need her at home as a companion.

 

[Jellymoon]

£140 a week is good! Very tempting...

 

[hollyandivy123]

ok looking with a practical head on, purely on the costs nothing else. you need to balance paying for rehab yourself vs selling as a project. in other words if it is going to take 10 wks to rehab that's £1400, will his price go up by £1400 and it will be the same to your bank balance without the rehab in the first place or will his price go up by £3k then financially it might be worth the gambit.
or will the price not change because although he has this underlying problem people probably would expect his value to be in reflection of that.

as you don't have someone to compete, it might be worth asking the local pc if there is a competent youngster between rides, you rehab on grass livery, they PC the summer and he doesn't look like a project?

just musings

 

[ihatework]

If they do it well £140pw for rehab is exceptional value. I’d be suspicious personally.

Unless you are flush with cash I honestly wouldn’t waste the money. Leave in field and bring back to work yourself when the days are longer and weather better. Then loan/LWVTB/sell as appropriate.

 

[Leo Walker]

My mates rates breaking livery is £190 a week. Thats discounted twice as well! Once as it was over Christmas so quiet and again as she knows me. Full livery alone is £140 round by me. But saying that Frankie went to rehab livery for £250 a month. I provided hay, bedding and hard feed and they did all the rest. He wasnt worked though, that would have been more.

 

[SamBean]

If I could find somone that would be fab. He is alongside a traffic free trail so could be long-reined and hacked out from his field. How would I find someone? Just stick an ad on FB? Word of mouth?? Anyone know anyone near Warslow, Derbyshire???

Hi just seen this ( lurked for ages only just joined) and I’m near to you in Bradnop. I’ve had a equine vet physio out to mine when his hip was out who does rehab work and does home visits as well as having her own yard. I can pass her number on to you or let you know her fb page so you can have a look yourself? Not mentioning names with being new and don’t want to be accused of spamming or anything! Good luck though.

 

[Ambers Echo]

If it is a special offer and they do the right work a month there could be really worthwhile, he should then be ready to go to the sales livery and crack on if he is sound, I think I would be tempted to wait a few weeks aiming to have him up for sale at the start of the Easter holidays which tends to be the time people are desperate to find one.

I know the lady and she is fabulous. I would send Polly there for her rehab if I didn’t need her at home as a companion.

Max is off to Daleshoot Rehab livery tomorrow. In the end the deciding factor was that I cannot start working him where he is and the owner of the land has put another of her own injured horses down there and there really isn't the space for 4 long-term so just leaving him turned away till Spring felt too cheeky. She said he could stay as long as necessary but I have abused her hospitality long enough I think! And there is no space and a lengthy waiting list at my yard. He is on a reduced rate on rehab livery and will be there 4-6 weeks. Then my vet will re-assess him and we will take it from there. Fingers crossed he stays sound, behaves impeccably and it is all plain sailing from here. But somehow it is never quite that simple with horses....


Thanks for the tip off about Daleshoot, Scats. xx

 

[Ambers Echo]

Blimmin pony has gone feral. Took me ages to catch the bugger. Having far too much fun with his little harem of mares...... He has been out 24/7 through the depths of winter with a bit of hay each day but mostly living on old grass and has come out of it fat and shiny. This is the pony who struggles to maintain his weight normally on 2 big meals a day and adlib haylage!!! Benign neglect obviously suits him. Fingers crossed for an uneventful recovery from here on in. x

 

[Fiona]

Good luck AE.

Fiona

 

[Ambers Echo]

Thanks Fiona x

 

[scats]

Hope all goes well AE x

 

[Ambers Echo]

So all going well at rehab. Is now walking up to 45 minutes a day including pole-work and hills. Trots up sounds. Seems relaxed and happy. They are introducing some trot work this weekend. He is behaving impeccably too after a very short-lived initial protest at being ridden again. He thought he was retired I think!

Need to start thinking about how long to leave him there..... BP suggested 1 month then sales livery but he's only just starting trot work so maybe another month from now to make sure he is sound in w/t/c? Then sales livery with a good month there in work including jumping before she puts him up for sale. Sound like a plan?