Horse with Navicular - does it have a value?

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Dovorian

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In my search for a perfect schoolmaster hack, I have come across a lovely chap - perfect in every way, except has been diagnosed with navicular!

He is currently sound after injections at vets but who knows how long that will last. I'd rather imagined that such a horse would be relatively inexpensive, owner wants just over £3K because of what he has done in the past. I was shocked - am I out of touch?
 
Navicular shouldn't be the end o the world if all you want to do is hack however I most certainly wouldn't be parting with that amount of money for him!
 
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Yes, horses with navicular do have some value. But not anywhere near £3000!

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Ditto that
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Well it all depends!

There was a lovely Inter I schoolmaster here that a friend was interested in, xrays showed changes in the navicular (grade III), price was reduced to the equivalent of just over £17k and he sold within a week
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Of course it's a risk, but the point is -- 3k is probably still a fraction of the price he could command if he was perfectly healthy.
 
If you just want a hack then look elsewhere. There are many healthy and sound horses out there for that money.

Surely you can't put a price on a (potentially) unsound horse because of what it has done in the past?

If so, I should try to sell 28 year old Ellie for £3k too
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A horse being sold as a hack, has a value as a hack and it isn't based on what it has done in the past. For £3K you could find yourself a nice hack without the associated medical problems.
Navicular is a funny condition, it can be the result of a varity of things that you may never know for sure, and although in many cases can be well managed, it is usually expensive and time consuming.
 
Its a degenerative disease that will in time only get worse. My boy was diagnosed with it though it hardly showed on the xrays and his lameness was very intermitent. I did consider keeping him for dressage but thought why go through the hard work of schooling, keeping, paying out etc only to enter a show and he's lame on the day. (I am not a happy hacker). He packed his bags and went to the blood bank, he's living the dream now, field full of mares and grass and never being ridden again. Spend your money on something healthy or give it to me please !
 
My mare has navicular and she is a superstar riding horse and has been completely sound with remedial shoeing for the past 7 years but if i was going to sell her i wouldnt expect to get more than about £500 to £1000 for her (although shes worth millions to me!) She jumps, hacks, dressage the lot but she has a degenerative disease and it has to be accounted for.
 
Ditto what already has been said. Find something sound for your money.
My friend had 2 years with a horse on loan thankfully that had navicular and spent heaps on vet fees and periodic lameness until eventually returned horse.
Another friend has spent the last 4 yrs with horse with navicular never got to ride and horse landed up on 1-2 bute a day just to be field sound.Winter was a nightmare if ground really hard and frosty,summer was nightmare if too muddy and slippy!
You may be lucky and it won't bother horse for few years then again may land up unrideable 6months down the line..............
Personally wouldn't buy horse.
ETA value for me would be meat price.
 
Why buy "trouble" and end up with a broken heart as well when the inevitable happens. £3k will buy you a quality, sound horse, who you can have as your best buddy for many years. My opinion - don't. Not worth it financially or emotionally. No company would insure a horse with navicular.
 
Although we all feel sorry for these horses and if it were mine I would be keeping it if it had served me well not trying to get what I could for it before it got so bad it couldn't be ridden. Sorry if this offends anyone but you would be buying a guaranteed vet bill!!!!!! Why even consider it?
 
It's worth meat money only.

For meat money I would buy it; remove its shoes; sort out its diet, get it moving about 24/7, at least some of the day in the dry; work it on gradually more challenging surfaces and very probably end up with a perfectly sound horse.

For £3000 for a hack? Forget it, that's a joke.
 
mine has navicular - and as much as love her and will never sell her - she not worth much now - £1000 max.
Is it sound in normal shoes??
mine has to have eggbars and wedges and they cost - plus she goes 5 weeks bet shoeing to keep the toes as short as poss - it adds up.
 
QR- My horse has navicular. Through the summer this year he had bar shoes and wedges, but *touchwood* hes in 'normal' shoes at the moment and is sound *touches more wood*. I was told not to jump him, so i won't. He's also had cortison injections and is sound, how long that will last i don't know. In regards to hacking, i was told to watch surfaces i rode on- eg- not alot of trotting on roads to reduce concussion. etc. Grass verges are good.

Yes, the shoes and wedges are costly, but as my horse has shown they can go on and do a job. It is a risk you take.
 
my boy has navicular, hes up for loan and Ive never had him lame, hes on natural balance shoes and supplement only.i wouldnt expect under £600 or over£1000
 
Thank you all for your very good advice and comments from personal experience - it has really helped. It has all come about because I want to find a 'safe' hack, they seem to be a rareity here in the SE at the moment! Unless you believe the claims of the usual set of dealers!
So, if anyone has such a paragon who would like to be spoilt and have a lifetime home, please let me know!
 
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