How influenced would you be by a blemish?

H

henryhorn

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www.narramorehorses.blogspot.com
Some of you may remember Layla who we bought to replace Jonty when she was off with a tendon injury.
She had been just broken and within a matter of weeks was schooling beautifully and at her first dressage comp gained two seconds and decent scores.
We did some XC schooling, she loved it, went round a BE course un-aff, then out hacking with my husband she slipped on a newly tarmaced road and cut her knees open. Though the bone wasn't affected it took months and months to heal.
She came back into work a few months back but my daughter now has a full time job and can't ride her much at all, so she is going to be schooled a bit more by my husband then advertised.
What I need to know is how much would her knee blemishes put you off? they have shrunk to almost nothing but there are two small bald circles the size of a ten p which will most likely never grow hair again.
Against that she is spectacularly good to train and ride, willing and sane and has a massive bold jump. No other problems at all in any way, and is without doubt the sloppiest daftest horse I've ever encountered, which must count for something!
We have no prolem with any vet at all and our vet is happy to reassure prospective buyers that the damage was cosmetic not to the bone..
By how much would you drop your price? Daughter and dressage trainer both reckon she is exceptional in that she learns fast and easily, but I have never sold a horse with a blemish before in my life so am a bit puzzled what to ask..
She is 16. 2 hh rising 6 selle francais (very well bred) and her pics are on www.narramorehorses.blogspot.com
(this isn't an ad she isn't actually for sale yet!)
 
tbh, a blemish on the knee I would want a lot of assurances about arthritis, just something that would spring to mind, in that what caused the injuries, how extensive were they, what did the vet think etc.
(I know how they happened but thinking as a prospective purchaser what I would ask)
If the vet is happy to reassure buyers, I wouldn't worry too much
 
That could be an option or possibly hold off on xrays and if a buyer is showing concerns offer to deduct the cost of xrays off the price if that's what they want?

I'm not sure the actual bone would be my concern, I would be slightly more concerned with possible cartilage problems (although maybe I am spouting rubbish!)
 
Rachael (the Your Horse "win a horse" winners) bought Earl as her prize and he had a similar injury at some point. I remember reading about it when they introduced the horse she'd chosen. He has two bald areas on his knees from an accident and the Your Horse team and the vets who vetted him didn't think it was a problem.

Obviously it would be an issue for showing, but even then there are some good horse make ups on the market to conceal that type of blemish. It wouldn't worry me about Layla's soundness at all.
 
I bought Tills with scarring to her knees from what must have been an absolutely horrific fall
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, but anyway, it obviously didn't put me off!

With Layla... I have no idea about the price! I would imagine the ad to read something along the lines of 'blemished knees, hence £....', but as she is a serious competition prospect I wouldn't think too many people will be put off by a cosmetic flaw.
 
When Gin cut her face I was really worried about the hair growing back. A friend of mine suggested Gold Label, I think its called wonder gel. It worked really well and now you cant even tell there was anything there.

As for the scars it personally wouldnt put me off if they were small but I would expect the price to reflect that.
 
Yes I would agree with offering the x-ray option if a buyer is concerned, I would certainly take it as a sign of honesty. My tb mare had a horrible, ugly granulated scar on the front of her hind cannon when I got her, but it never caused a day's trouble and I used to hide it with brushing boots! Her behaviour and manners won over appearance. So it wouldn't put me off if I could check out veterinary history and make a calculated guess at potential problems. Maybe you could put her on at a "normal" price and make it clear you are open to (reasonable) offers, given the blemishes?
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My friends horse did exactly the same thing and his knees looked horrific but he qualified for horse of the year show, make up covered it up and hes not had any problems at all.
 
as a long term home (iie buying for myself as a proper horse rather than buy and sell), having the x-rays would mean it would no longer worry me.
 
The blemish itself wouldn't bother me at all if flexion test were ok, might be a little concerned why she came down on the road in the first place though.

I wouldnt bother with x-rays, let the buyer and their vet decide whether they are required, and offer to pay half as a gesture .
 
I don't show so blemishs wouldn't put my off really.

My 6yr old mares back legs are covered in scars after getting stuck in pig netting before i bought her, did not put me off her at all, didn't reduce her price and my vets said it was purely cosmetic.

I think the fact that you are willing to have her kness xrayed is a good thing and should reassure prospective buyers.
 
The road was steep and newly tarmaced and we think she slid, panicked and fell over her own feet...(best to be honest!)
She has matured considerably after the long lay off and is much stronger plus we now have a decent farrier..which counts for a lot, I think the previous one left her toes far too long and that caused the trip.
 
I'd want to check there was no underlying damage (through xrays etc). The actual visual blemish in itself wouldn't put me off unless I wanted to show!
 
If she is a serious event prospect,and the vet proves that the injury will have no after affect at all then i see no reason as to why the price should be dropped(stunner by the way),wouldnt put me off if she was cleared by a vet(maybe an xray if you want serious money??)
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My horse came down on tarmac last summer, quite gruesome skin injuries but nothing other than a big knee(he had that for a while anyway) We xrayed ebd of summer and his kness are clean as a whistle- defo stopped me panicking. I wouldnt drop her price on the add, its only cosmetic and IMO that only applies to show horses and oddballs who think horses should be perfect
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have but I can't post it on here, no-one's in to show me how and I don't want to put it on the main site it looks a bit odd..

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know if you've sorted out getting the pic posted on here, but if not, email it to me, and I will post it on your behalf.
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TBH, if Layla has no problems with her knees, I would advertise her at the price you would have sold her for pre-blemish, but state that you would be prepared to take offers because of it, and see what happens...
 
HH, if JHT see's no further problems with her knee's, then I think that the price need not change for this. It should definately be mentioned in the advert but I would offer xrays be done IF you had someone interested in her and they were quibbling you over the scarring.

She is very stunning, I do like the look of her, shame you have to sell.
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xx
 
If I was happy with the explanantion of how they occured - as you have already explained - it wouldn't put me off at all. I would not expect a reduction in price unless it was a show horse and could no longer be shown. For a working horse, it would be irrelevant if the damage was limited to the skin.
 
would depend on the reason i wanted the horse and what the scars looked like.

Even if i were looking for a show horse, if the patches are hairless but not raised you can sometimes cover them up.

I would be worried about future problems with artheritis etc, but i think if youve got a buyer interested then offering to let them or thier vet look at the xrays would probably reasure them
 
My only concern about buying a horse with scars on their knee's would be whether or not they would be excluded on insurance. I wouldn't buy a horse that would have joints excluded, but if the insurance company are happy to still insurance them then i'd be happy to pay what the horse is worth and wouldn't expect a reduction in price.
 
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