I went to a stud reduction today.

SophieLouBee

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I SHOULDN'T HAVE.

Now I have totally fallen in love with a 2yo colt with a retained testicle. Good one.

I saw him through the bars of his stable door whilst we were viewing their stallion, nice that we got to see both parents of their homebreds!

So we went off to look at the mares and foals, really nice coloured cobxtb/sport horse types. Went with my landlords daughter, who has her eye on a mare and two fillies.

On the way back to the car, I mistakenly asked to see the colt. You know when you see something that makes you choke up? Well I did. He's nothing particularly special, tb/warmblood type, heartbreaker lines in there somewhere apparently (he's not a homebred), bay, to make 16.1hh-ish.

I got the same feeling of being totally overwhelmed by him that I did with my very first horse, who I got as a wild 2yo off a dealer in wales, who was sadly PTS at 5 due to liver faliure. I felt like a right wally, as I'm a hard old bird, but I could have cried at him. He had the softest eye just like my old boy, and was so quiet even cooped up in the stable.

When I got back to the yard, and back in my own car, I drove off and wept like a good'un, bearing in mind I see lot's of horses, as I do a bit of buying and selling alongside my business. What the hell.

Prat. I don't know what to do now, I need to shift the one before I get another regardless of what it is.

Is anyone else on here mentally insane also? I need your support.
 
I think sometimes we have to pay heed to our "wierd" feelings! As you say its not like you do it all the time. Maybe its meant to be! Let us know what happens:)
 
Far less experienced than you by the sounds but that was kind of how I ended up with my fella - went to a fab yard full of gorgeous warm bloods and freisians but saw him tethered in a corner looking terrified but yet with the kindest take me home eyes .... 4 years later and lots of ups and downs but we are gonna get old together! Good luck x
 
Go buy and worry about the rest later, that's how I've ended up with a 6 month old foal, must admit not regretted buying him, except he's eating me out of house and home:D:D:D. He and my Welsh Sec D can eat for England and Wales, and he's learnt all the tricks from the Sec D on banging his stable door for his breakfast and tha soft whickers to me when I go near the carrot bin.:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
The great dressage master Nuno Oliveira said that when he bought a horse the first thing he would do was 'to look it in the eye and to see whether he loved it'.

I think this is sound advice as hopefully you and your horse will be friends and partners for many many years.
 
My OH ended up swapping a mornings hoof trimming for a completely untouched tb x Arab who was still entire at the age of 4. All because of the look in the horses eye! He was my OH's first horse and they have grown a wonderful bond.

Sometimes you just can't walk away!
 
I totally fell in love with my horse when I saw him as a 2 year old at a stud reduction sale.
My actual reaction was "that would look good trotting around a dressage arena in a few years."
I couldn't stop thinking about him and shook when I phoned up the stud and said I wanted to look at him again, fearing he had been sold.

I bought him and he is now 13. Never regretted it.
 
He sounds lovely :) I'm sure that ur aware of this but having a colt with a retained testicle castrated is generally allot more costly than an ordinary castrate. As I said tho I'm sure ur aware of this :) best of luck whatever you decide to do xx
 
Yes I am pigsmight.

His full brother had the same, it dropped at 3 years old. I'm hopeful, but it doesn't matter. I will pay for it if it come to that! Does insurance cover it, I've always wondered that.....?

He might be left entire, depending when I look at his full breeding if A) it is good enough and B) if he has any dressage potential.

How would you say it affects his value?
 
I had a 3 year old at livery earlier this year, he had only one dropped this was removed as a normal castration, a few weeks later he was blood tested and the results showed he did not have one retained so no need for further surgery. The owners vet said it may be possible to claim surgery, if it had been needed, on insurance as he had been purchased as a stallion[I have no idea why in this case, status symbol I think] but I would be very surprised if they would have paid.
In your case it is less likely as if you purchase this would have to be declared when taking out insurance.
As for value a rig, which is what he will be if he does not drop, will have no breeding value so you would have to take potential costs of surgery into account.
 
I had a 3 year old at livery earlier this year, he had only one dropped this was removed as a normal castration, a few weeks later he was blood tested and the results showed he did not have one retained so no need for further surgery. The owners vet said it may be possible to claim surgery, if it had been needed, on insurance as he had been purchased as a stallion[I have no idea why in this case, status symbol I think] but I would be very surprised if they would have paid.
In your case it is less likely as if you purchase this would have to be declared when taking out insurance.
As for value a rig, which is what he will be if he does not drop, will have no breeding value so you would have to take potential costs of surgery into account.

Thanks BP, that's really useful info! Obviously if he doesn't drop then he will be of no use to us breeding wise.

He wanted £1500, which I thought was steep. I was thinking more around the £1000 mark (still steep, but better...)
 
I think very few people will want him, so I would get the worst case estimate from your vet, add on cost of a stay at vet hospital, and then offer a very small amount of cash, meat money tbh, you may be buying a problem horse, you just do not know, and have to assume worse case scenario.
 
Yes I am pigsmight.

His full brother had the same, it dropped at 3 years old. I'm hopeful, but it doesn't matter. I will pay for it if it come to that! Does insurance cover it, I've always wondered that.....?

He might be left entire, depending when I look at his full breeding if A) it is good enough and B) if he has any dressage potential.

How would you say it affects his value?

It sounds like love at first sight, I would go for it if you have the resources. If he remains a monorchid I would recommend not breeding him as the fault can be inherited by his progeny, fine to brred him if it descends though. Tricky castration with a monorchid as already mentioned, a bargaining tool maybe !!
 
Good luck:)

When we went to buy our lad we actually went to view his half brother who was older, smaller and had a lot less TB in him. We were adamant that we were not looking for anything with more than 1/4 TB and for it be gelded and probably at least 12 months old. To make no more than 15.2hh.

First lad did nothing for us, he was nice but just did not hit the spot. On our way out of the field we saw his baby half brother who was 3/4TB not gelded and looked a like a full TB. He trotted over and we were lost:D He kept pulling our clothes and blowing down our necks. His breeder just laughed and said I suppose you want this one now! To this day I think he "chose" us and it was fate. He is now gelded 16.1 and growing like a weed and was 3 last month. Best thing we ever did:D
 
Bit disappointed really. The guy isn't living in the real world over what the horse is worth right now (sentimental value, not in touch with the market?). He's asking way too much money for him, and although I love him, I'm just not willing to pay ridiculously over the odds just to get him, when quite frankly I could & have gotten something far more practical & useful for a lot less (even if I really, really want him!!) I've spoken to the vets who are of the same opinion.

I've left it in his court, saying that I think the horse is overpriced, and for him to call me if he can't find a buyer and is willing to drop the price to move him on.


So, bit of a downer, although I could afford him, I'm not risking blowing all of the money, if he needs an op, then I will needs some of that to cover those costs if insurance won't.

Meh, keep searching I guess!
 
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