Injury Dilemma

[TooHotToTrot]

One of my mares has now been off work since Spring 2009 with tendon issues. We are having regular visits to the Newmarket for scans and it does appear to be healing, but very slowing. Unfortunately, the credit crunch is crunching and we need to cut down on numbers, and as the others are all competing well and earning their keep - this mare obviously isn't. I do not know whether to try and sell her as a broodmare (she hasn't had a foal previous and will be 10 this year), but has excellent bloodlines, or put her to sleep. She has fabulous bloodlines and a huge jump (1m 30 plus at home).

She may come right again given enough time, but equally - she might not. She is not lame at all, but obviously I know the injury is there and can't sell her as being sound.

Has anyone got any ideas, theories.

 

[Kat]

What about loaning her to an embryo transfer centre???

Don't sell her, there have been too many posts about what can go wrong with an unsound horse. Loan her as a companion or brood mare for a year and reassess her soundness then.

 

[hellspells]

You have to ask yourself what is fair to the mare. Is it fair to her to put her in foal, with the extra weight on her tendon? Is it fair to sell her on when you don't know whether she will come sound and could end up being passed around alot? I persume she isn't a proven broodmare either?

There seems to be a fasciation that if a mare can't be ridden then put it in foal....

Do you have the room to chuck her out in the field for a few months to see whether she will come sound? You probably more able to sell and appeal to a great market if she is sound and brought back into work, even if its only light work at first.

Good luck with her.

 

[TooHotToTrot]

This is why it is a dilemma.

The horse is perfectly sound, so I have no worries about any extra weight of a foal. It is only the scans that are showing that the tendon is not completely healed.

She is in recovery work and everything is looking good - the next scan is due in May - wherein she may be completely recovered. But it will take time to get her working properly and fit to sell as a ridden horse - and that is time (and money) I simply don't have.

My horses are kept at a livery yard and on average each horse is costing in excess of £300 per month - and something has to give. Therefore, I do not have the option of turning her away - if I could I most certainly would.

The only reason I am considering letting her go as a broodmare is because she has some utterly fantastic bloodlines. We are not talking about some carelessly bred hack here, this is a good quality sport horse.

If she were a gelding then the PTS option would be higher up the thought chain, but this horse could give something back.

 

[Booboos]

Can you wait till May and then loan her with a view to buy? That way you can check that she goes to a good home where they can progress with her recovery.

Seems a shame to PTS when her recovery is coming along nicely.

The other option is to sell one of your other horses that are in work and are easier to find a good home for, then spend a bit of time brining her back to fitness.

 

[Rebels]

Hmm, I understand the dilemma as by putting her to sleep your efforts so far are wasted and you lose what could be a perfectly good horse. By selling her as a broodmare then she is sold unproven. I presume she is still being treated under insurance? What about speaking to some local studs and seeing if they would want to loan a mare for the year? They would keep any foal which would be their return on the venture. I've heard of this working out well. The only other thought is looking for retirement grass livery? could this be much cheaper than your current arrangement? Then if she was ok in a year she could be sold straight from the field or even bring her into work yourself as much can change in a few months. Maybe even post on here for anyone looking for a potential broodmare who would want to keep up some gentle work? It must suit someone out there as she sounds so lovely.

 

[TooHotToTrot]

She is a lovely horse, and the sweetest, most affectionate person. Selling one of the others is not an option as my other competition horse I bred myself and we have been together for his entire life, and the others are my children's ponies.

I have given this a lot of thought overnight - I think I will phone around a few studs and see if they are interesting in taking her for 1 season as a broodmare, but still arrange for the scan in May. That way the expense will be gone for at least 18 months and the leg can have a good rest. I can then reconsider my options (and finances) after any foal has been weaned.