Is this a red flag in a youngster?

[J_sarahd]

I have found another mare that I like the look of. Tried her on Sunday and she was great. She’s very weak and green, as she is a big growing 4 year old thoroughbred. Never raced, but she has trained.

So I have arranged a vetting but the seller got the physio out for her today for a bit of an MOT. She sent the physio report over and she is tight in her shoulder, poll, quarters and “triceps”. Is this a red flag to people or expected for a young, weak TB?

She also noted a lump at the base of her wither that apparently caused no reaction to palpation. I will be getting this xrayed at the vetting in case its an old injury

 

[SantaVera]

i should think it depends on what you want from the horse. just hacking? or 3 day eventing ?

 

[J_sarahd]

Eventually low level eventing, but I am in no rush to get out now (hence looking at youngsters)

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I'd get your own vet to do a vetting tbh; might also be worth getting a physio to take a look at her.

The only thing that would concern me unduly would be the "lump" at the base of the wither........... I'd deffo want further investigation of that whether I was purchasing a happy hacker or a future event horse.

 

[vhf]

My older mare would always have a physio report that read similar, (apart from the lump!!) but has remained tough and sound even now at 20. My younger mare always gets a pretty clean sheet, but is the one who gets laid off constantly... A young weak horse is likely to get tense sore muscles if it's trying to carry weight, hold itself etc. in new ways, it may or may not be an indication of almost anything else mentally or physically.
The lump could be anything or nothing and is what would stand out most to me at this point whatever I wanted the horse for; a vet is the best call on that and you are already on the case.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

When was she last in work? Definitely get a 5 stage done with X-rays. I wouldn’t be to put off by the physios report, a lot of horses are tight in those areas especially if she’s only recently left training.

 

[J_sarahd]

She left training in Feb/March time, then was left to rest for a bit and then came back into work in the last few weeks.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

She left training in Feb/March time, then was left to rest for a bit and then came back into work in the last few weeks.

It could be something simple like a poorly fitting saddle. No horse is perfect and sounds a genuine seller to get the physio out and send you the notes over (they could of easily kept it quiet) if you really liked her I’d crack on and get the vetting done.

 

[milliepops]

what size lump? like, a fly bite, or an orange? presumably not that large if you didn't spot it yourself?

 

[bluehorse]

Does she have a pair of good, matching front feet? Or are they high/low? Problems further up usually show in the feet, unfortunately I have one so for me it would be a red flag. Also when you say weak, what in her way of going specifically indicated that to you?

 

[Flowerofthefen]

The things you have described, in my view, are normal horse things. They are kept at bay in a leisure horse through correct work and regular physio so for me they wouldn't be red flags. The lump may or not be worth checking. My lad has a lump in the middle if his back , under his saddle, on his spine. He passed a vetting and everyone I have spoken to, some very know knowledgeable on tbs have said its absolutely nothing to worry about.

 

[Boulty]

The tight spots wouldn't bother me as much as the lump on the withers. Would definitely seek a vet opinion on that

 

[Melody Grey]

Call me a sceptic but booking a physio knowing there’s imminently going to be a vetting worries me.

 

[ester]

Yup that would be the red flag for me, rather than the findings

 

[bouncing_ball]

Call me a sceptic but booking a physio knowing there’s imminently going to be a vetting worries me.

Except if the owner was truly dodgy she could have booked the physio and not told the buyer, not shared all the findings with the buyer. Seller sounds very genuine to me.

Getting regular bodywork for a horse coming back into work, and changing muscle use sounds very sensible to me.

 

[J_sarahd]

Does she have a pair of good, matching front feet? Or are they high/low? Problems further up usually show in the feet, unfortunately I have one so for me it would be a red flag. Also when you say weak, what in her way of going specifically indicated that to you?

Her feet are good now but the seller did say she had bad feet when coming out of training. I had a look at them and they all look fine to me (obviously no expert but nothing glaringly obvious). She just has no muscle more than anything. She was also very unbalanced. Just weak in a baby way I suppose

 

[J_sarahd]

Call me a sceptic but booking a physio knowing there’s imminently going to be a vetting worries me.

She says, even on her selling page, that all horses have a full MOT before they go which includes physio.

Looking back on old messages, this is the first time she’d been seen by the physio.

 

[J_sarahd]

what size lump? like, a fly bite, or an orange? presumably not that large if you didn't spot it yourself?

I assume quite small but not fly bite size. I didn’t notice and can’t really notice it on a side view photo I took of her condition

 

[Melody Grey]

Except if the owner was truly dodgy she could have booked the physio and not told the buyer, not shared all the findings with the buyer. Seller sounds very genuine to me.

Getting regular bodywork for a horse coming back into work, and changing muscle use sounds very sensible to me.

I agree that routine physio is a good thing, only sceptical of the timing of it. Could be interpreted as giving the horse the best chance possible of getting through the vetting. I’d rather see the rawness of what I’m buying personally. P

 

[Tiddlypom]

Is this a specialist dealer in ex racehorses?

Re the physio, having that done could well be a sign of a reputable seller. When the highly regarded Stubley Hollow Farm was still trading the proprietor got all her dealing horses seen by the physio and the dentist before putting them up for sale. They were mostly raw young freshly imported Irish types.

 

[PapaverFollis]

If the seller is genuine then they could have booked the physio for either their own peace of mind going into the vetting or to make sure the vetting wasn't going to pick up on any non-permenant tightness that a quick physio session wouldn't just sort out? Or even to save you the vetting fee if the physio found anything more out of order.

I can understand why it looks a bit dodgy but as people have said I'd have thought they'd have kept the info to themselves if they were trying to swindle you.

 

[J_sarahd]

Is this a specialist dealer in ex racehorses?

Re the physio, having that done could well be a sign of a reputable seller. When the highly regarded Stubley Hollow Farm was still trading the proprietor got all her dealing horses seen by the physio and the dentist before putting them up for sale. They were mostly raw young freshly imported Irish types.

Yes, she works with racehorses and also sells ex racers, so she knows a fair amount about them.

 

[wiglet]

She’s very weak and green, as she is a big growing 4 year old thoroughbred. Never raced, but she has trained.

I would expect here to have tight spots, that's why they have physio and it's good that she's been treated.
The red flag to me would be that she's been trained... make no mistake about what that entails - galloping, hard and regularly at a very young age, before they are really mature enough to cope with that kind of work. May well be fine for years but, it will come back to haunt her eventually.

That said, I bought the same kind of mare, TB, not raced but trained. She lived until she was 27 although she retired at 22 because her legs were damaged. Is she a reasonable price? TBs usually are and if this is the case, I'd definitely take a punt on her, especially if she has a nice temperament.

 

[Goldenstar]

Well no seller with a brain would get a physio out before a vetting to maximise the chances of the horse passing and then tell the buyer the findings .
So I think the sellers intentions are good .
What you need to do IMO is have a talk with the vet doing the vetting and explain about the physios findings have a detailed talk about what you want to do with the horse .

 

[ester]

Oh yes the intention is good/obv not hiding anything. I would just have expected for it to be done pre putting the horse on the market rather than shortly before vetting from a buyers pov

 

[Goldenstar]

If it’s a yard that has the physio in regularly like we do I would not stop a session because the horse is being sold .

 

[J_sarahd]

Is she a reasonable price? TBs usually are and if this is the case, I'd definitely take a punt on her, especially if she has a nice temperament.

She is reasonably priced and she is pretty much what I have been looking for.

 

[tristar]

some tbs do have very large lumps with fly bites, and its that time of year

 

[Flowerofthefen]

She is reasonably priced and she is pretty much what I have been looking for.

I really hope she passes the vetting xx

 

[MagicMelon]

Presumably you'll get her fully vetted and the lump looked into? If she was nice to ride then she cant be that tight. I wouldnt consider it a red flag.