Oscar
Well-Known Member
As per title, would you expect a decent discount for a young unproven horse that has been seen to windsuck? Would it affect a vetting & insurance as it's been highlighted by seller? I'm asking as a buyer not a seller.
Most vices are simply stereotypies caused by being bored, confined and stressed out. So I wouldn't really worry about an "underlying cause" - it's being in a box. However, once the behaviour's become a habit, it can be a really tough one to break and even 24/7 turnout won't always fix it (though often it does). So while I wouldn't be concerned about the behaviour at face value, I'd want to assess how likely it is I could stop it before going ahead with the purchase... I.e. can I keep the horse out 24/7. Can I make sure it has a fat and fibre diet... Can I ensure it has plenty of company to encourage social interactions. Will it be in fairly regular work to keep its mind occupied... Etc etc. And does the horse appear to exhibit the behaviour CURRENTLY when turned out. If not, there's a very good chance it'll stop entirely with proper management.
If I wasn't able to provide conditions that would facilitate breaking of the habit, I would not buy. The increased risk of colic and ulcers would be enough of a concern if it were allowed to persist... And then there's the difficulty of ever reselling.
I'd still expect the price to be considerably lower than a comparably vice-free horse regardless simply to reflect the current market.
How on earth can you generalise about it most likely being a stereotypy.
I think that's a very very dangerous assumption.
It's interesting that the pros I've spoken to on this seem to have a bit of a different attitude...one 4* rider said "I don't care what they do in their spare time, as long as they don't do it when I'm on their backs.
That's the thing though, as long as a horse is doing a good competitive job the pros don't care.
Different kettle of fish for a one horse amateur buying unproven .....
....... ulcers which may be the reason for windsucking and cribbing treatment is expensive and may be long term if the horse has them.
That said it could be a super young horse, one of mine cribbed with no health issues his whole life, well none involving colic or keeping weight on, sometimes a change of yard, some proper work and good turnout means they stop doing it.
It will massively devalue a young unproven horse.
It will likely be noted on the vetting and will need to be declared to insurers - you will most likely have ulcers & colic excluded on your policy.
I'll be watching this thread with interest. A few months back, I bought back a homebred horse after his future appeared to be less than certain. He had been very successful as a 4 yr old, (I sold him as a foal) then was sold to an experienced yard to go eventing. Because he was naturally a "fatty" he was kept in a stable, with no feed to slim him down. When I finally got roped in, he was a weaver,, cribbed and windsucked, none of which he had done before. The damage is done, he has those habits for life now, although he is hugely improved when stabled, and doesn't do any of these things out at grass. When I do decide to sell him, of course his full history will be given, and a home chosen very carefully. It took five weeks for this horse's guts to start working properly, and he is now starting to look like he used to. Obviously he is worth a great deal less than he was a year ago, so I shall probably get a competition record on him to help sell him. He has never shown any signs of colic, although, we were pretty sure that he had hind gut ulcers when he came, as he was desperately uncomfortable in his lumbar region, and that, apparently, is the sign for hind gut ulcers.
He is not 16.3, sane and otherwise sound is he?? (sorry, sick of looking for a sound and sane horse!).