How much would you pay for this horse?

[kjmja_1]

Hi,
I’m currently full loaning a pony with a view to buy.
She is a great character and love her to pieces. I was looking about for something to hack and she is great for this very spooky but seems to have calmed down after being here for a couple months and with calming supplement.
She previously evented however due to injury was now only to be used for light work if this is what she could handle. So was great for what I wanted.
She can go lame from time to time however since I have been riding her this has only happened a few times with me. However I do not do work that is too strenuous. She is on danilon and I have her on some other supplements.
Myself and owner have spoke about me buying her. And she had came up with a price around 2.5k.
Does this seem fair?
My friend had said she would not pay for a horse who could go lame at any moment and who I possibly would end up not being able to ride.
As I said no huge problems with lameness with me I had a vet out for second opinion and she has said she thinks it is?mechanical lameness, she can hear it but can’t see it.
Just looking for some advice if I chose to buy how much would you pay

 

[bonny]

I’m with your friend, I would t pay anything for a lame horse. Can you keep the horse on loan or else pay a nominal fee but she really isn’t worth anything.

 

[kjmja_1]

I’m with your friend, I would t pay anything for a lame horse. Can you keep the horse on loan or else pay a nominal fee but she really isn’t worth anything.

I was thinking the same as my friend. I feel bad in a way for them they put so much work into this horse and now it is worth nothing. Was thinking of just saying to them I’m not willing to pay for what they said and don’t think anyone would really. They seem happy with the home she is in the now so it’s just bringing up the subject of me not wanting to pay full price I would be fine with handing over some sort of transfer fee but I don’t think they want her full loaned.
Thanks for your reply

 

[Jenko109]

2.5k!

Wow. They seem to really be trying to take advantage of your emotional attachment to this pony.

I wouldnt pay more than a couple of hundred.

 

[Abacus]

How old is she? I would be concerned about the mechanical lameness without a real diagnosis. If it's occasional, I doubt a little that it is in fact mechanical. Also being on danilon (all the time?) would ring an alarm bell - presumably without it she's in pain - and also the ongoing cost. I'm another that wouldn't pay for her and in fact don't think I would keep her for myself from a loan situation. Obvs would be different if you already owned her. Would you consider just giving her back?

 

[AmyMay]

Nothing, sorry.

 

[ihatework]

It would be £1 to transfer ownership and they should thank their lucky stars to have found a nice home willing to take her on

 

[spacefaer]

What injury was so bad it was career ending and that she's in daily pain relief to keep her sound? I'm not sure I'd be riding a horse in that state and I certainly wouldn't buying one.
Without knowing the original injury it's hard to say, but I'd suspect that the occasional lameness is when she's too sore for the danilon to mask it, rather than it be mechanical.
How old is she? As in how long before she starts to slow down further?

 

[Equi]

I wouldn’t buy this horse. I’d not feel comfortable continuing to loan and ride a horse who needs daily Danilon.

 

[asmp]

It would be £1 to transfer ownership and they should thank their lucky stars to have found a nice home willing to take her on

This is what I sold a pony for once. He got laminitis just after I put him up for sale. A family who had liked him had the facilities to get him better, which I didn’t have at my yard so I was happy for him to go to them for £1 (I didn’t want him to come back). Sadly, in this case they got him over the laminitis only for him to have liver failure a couple of years later.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

A nominal sum so that you have full control of the horse if you are certain that you want that. However I think that you need to speak to the vet who prescribes the Danilon and find out exactly what the prognosis is.
Horses are expensive to keep when they are sound, let alone when they are not. The owner should feel very lucky to have found someone to consider taking the horse on.

 

[Glitter's fun]

Sorry but I wouldn't buy her at all, at any price. She is a walking vet bill about to happen. Loan her, give her a good time, give her back. (And also be very wary of her owners - they are not straightforward people!)

 

[Ossy2]

I’m with others, on daily danilion just to be able hack I’m not sure that sits right. Yes fine if the horse needs danilion periodically. Also this is not a horse that could go lame at any point, this is a horse that is already lame and being masked by daily pain relief. Let’s be honest if the owner was to actually advertise the horse for sale and disclosed the daily pain relief they would (I would have thought) get very little if any interest in this horse. I think the owner should just be thankful their injured lame horse has someone else willing to look after the horse. I would continue with it on full loan if that’s what you want but I would not be parting with any cash for it. Please take your friends advice on this one.

 

[splashgirl45]

Worth nothing if continually on Danilo and still lame sometimes . I would question if she should be ridden at all or should she be retired in a field or if not sound enough PTS . £2500 is a ridiculous amount to ask IMO

 

[ester]

you’ve had her 2 months, during which she’s been lame multiple times and she’s on daily Danilon….

Sounds like she needs to retire and I definitely wouldn’t be paying anything for her.

 

[JenJ]

you’ve had her 2 months, during which she’s been lame multiple times and she’s on daily Danilon….

Sounds like she needs to retire and I definitely wouldn’t be paying anything for her.

This. Plus her spookiness could also be a sign of her pain/discomfort.

 

[stormox]

A lame horses wouldn't be worth having for free, too much emotional upset if it went permanently lame. And it's an absolute con asking 2500!!

 

[eggs]

I would not be buying this horse. If you really want her then offer £1 so that you have legally bought her.

With her issues she really is not sellable and is likely to cost a fair bit in vet fees.

 

[EventingMum]

A horse permanently on Danilon is not worth anything and could have to retire completely at any time. £1 to transfer ownership would be reasonable or if well fitting, a amount to cover her tack and rugs if they come with her but be very aware she may cost a lot in vet bills and not be rideable long term.

 

[Archangel]

£2.5k for a pony on Danilon that is still lame sometimes.
Not a chance.
£1 transfer fee.
Not a chance.

 

[kjmja_1]

Thank you all for your replies.
Just to say she is not on daily danilon. It’s just for really when I am going to ride.
Previous injury in field resulted in a torn hamstring, I have seen vet reports but would need to give them a look at again and discuss with vet the next time they are out. I understand that this can be hard to diagnose and maybe this horse could be lame due to pain at certain times.
The vet that was out had said it’s like she can’t trot properly at times . And on the straight trot up she said she could only hear it not see the lameness which is why she thought it was more mechanical. She said she maybe just can’t put the front foot down right at points in her trot? But it’s something I would need to look more into to get an actual diagnosis.
Just want to add I would and have stopped riding when she has appeared lame. This has only been a couple times and I don’t know if this has been two points where I have not been in a good forward trot so it has been the time where she has looked lame.
She seems more than comfortable in walk out riding so if this means this means it is all she can be used for then I have made my peace with that. I have been there and done that anyway so I’m looking to just have something I can go out on a couple times a week.
I will take a look at what previous vets have said and the vet reports and get back to them seeing if they maybe agree with my vet that it’s mechanical. I’m not really all familiar with mechanical lameness and never actually had a horse be lame unless they lost their front shoe! Any advice would be helpful.
I have made a great bond with this horse and I would be so sad to see her go. It was really stupid of me to even loan to begin with not knowing the full picture but that’s a lesson learned. I had just lost my previous mare and was looking to fill a hole I guess and seen her. I feel like she’s in a great home and I would hate to see someone take advantage of her good nature and bomb about on her.
If she stays with me unridden so be it as long as she is happy and content in field.
Was really just to ask about pricing and if this was right of me to assume it was a bit bold to ask for that much and I see most agree so am happy in that aspect.

 

[JenJ]

Thank you all for your replies.
Just to say she is not on daily danilon. It’s just for really when I am going to ride.

I think this is something that I personally have a problem with. If a horse needs pain killing medication in order to be ridden, then I wouldn't ride. However many, many people do, and I'm not judging anyone for it. For me, it's not a thing I'd want to do.

If she stays with me unridden so be it as long as she is happy and content in field.

Was really just to ask about pricing and if this was right of me to assume it was a bit bold to ask for that much and I see most agree so am happy in that aspect.

And this is great. For a couple of unrelated reasons, I have (only) two unridden ponies on loan. They are what keep me going each day, and it's only recently, and only a couple of times, that I've actually missed having something to ride, nearly 18 months after I last had horses.

 

[misst]

She is worthless in monetary terms but if you adore her and want to keep her then she is priceless! If you buy or take ownership of her are you prepared to keep her as a field ornament if she can no longer be ridden? She is likely a walking vet bill. Personally I would not ride a horse that was in need of regular pain relief. She sounds as if she should be retired. "not too strenuous work" - what exactly does that mean? Sorry poor horse, the owner wants to sell her? She deserves either the best vet treatment (which likely she's not getting if the lameness is not being investigated), or to retire. Will you be prepared to have her PTS if she remains in pain or the painkillers are not working?

 

[Snow Falcon]

So you have to give her pain relief in order to ride? For me that is a no, not fair on the horse. I wouldn't be paying anything for her. Are you really happy to have her as a retired non-ridden animal as that's essentially what you would be getting. I understand the emotional attachment but you should consider how much you are putting her through if you ride.

 

[spacefaer]

Whi is she lame in front if she tore her hamstring? Was any rehab done on the hamstring or was she just retired to the field?

If you can hear an irregularity in the step, then that's unsound, regardless of whether you can see it.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I can't see why she only needs Danilon when she's ridden, either she is lame, or not. If she us lame she is almost certainly in pain. I actually have nothing against giving pain relief to a ridden horse. Some arthritic horses, especially are better if they are ridden gently and kept moving.

 

[ester]

Well you sound bloody lovely.

I think it's really hard to determine mechanical lameness/be sure there is no pain, and if danilon is helping when ridden then it's not mechanical.

I would ride a horse that needed to be buted in some circumstances, if I thought it was beneficial for the horse/they were getting something out of it. But overall it's not something I'm particularly ethically comfortable with.

 

[kjmja_1]

Thank you all for your comments. Will take them all onboard.
I feel if she is more than comfortable to walk in hack then this will be fine for me. And I feel she is at present. She is more than happy to trot/canter around the field and looks comfortable whilst doing this. I haven’t seen any lameness myself on the ground I can just feel she has been off a couple times when ridden and this is in trot for a few strides no problems when walking. And obviously the vet has noticed which she thought was mechanical lameness. And I have stopped trotting and turned back if I was hacking it is never far nor do I trot for long periods it’s usually just to cross road etc. but can keep away from roads if she will be confined to walk.
I will not ride for now till I have another opinion and we have been through the previous injury etc.
I was so fortunate my last mare never needed to see a vet until her last year of life. Guess I felt sorry for this mare and wanted to give her a chance.
I have no bother keeping her as a companion so long as she is comfortable and I could eventually find something else to plod about on.

 

[JenJ]

She sounds very lucky to have you