laminitis and selling

noblesteed

noblesteed

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Had a lovely lady today very keen on coming to try my horse who is for sale. As soon as I mentioned lami she said no thanks.
He had it very mildly last spring, 3 weeks box rest and he was fine and sound after a couple of months - a less reliable farrier would prob have shod him earlier but mine wanted to be on the safe side and there was no rush to shoe him as I had just had a baby.

Should a history of even mild lami put potential purchasers off? SHould I sell him even cheaper - he's pretty cheap as it is for a bombproof allrounder.
 
noblesteed said:
Should a history of even mild lami put potential purchasers off? SHould I sell him even cheaper - he's pretty cheap as it is for a bombproof allrounder.
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Afraid it would for me.

After experiencing losing one to it a few years back at work, I'd never get one with a history of lami for sure as wouldn't go through with it/risk going through the same again personally.

You will sell him if he's bombproof, but it will just be a case of waiting for the right person.
 
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Yes I wouldn't buy a lami horse/pony even if it was pennies. Once they've had it then they've got a lot higher chances of having it again and it's a terrible thing to have to watch. I've known a bad case of lami to end in PTS so puts me off a lot.
 
Sorry, but I wouldn't touch one with any history of laminitis.

It would be too much of a risk, especially given how many ponies are for sale at the moment, many presumably without that problem.
 
It would to me. However I wouldnt be looking lami prone so chances would be minimal to get one.I know larger horses can but not so normal.

If I was looking for a small pony I'd be managing it as lami prone anyway so it wouldn't .
 
Sorry, but no matter how cheap, I personally wouldnt touch a horse with lami (or sweetitch). Having had laminitics in the past I know how much trouble and heartache you can have.

You might do better trying to sell mid summer. I would possibly worry less about a laminitic if I saw them in the summer. At this time of year I would tend to assume its a "sell them when there is no grass and less problem with lami" situation - although, I always had more bother with my wee laminitic pony in the winter!
 
I'd only consider it if I knew it, & it had occurred years ago from bad management, & that since then it had been fine on a routine of the same management used to prevent it in any good doer. Eg I know a shettie fitting this description, allowed to become massively obese on rich pasture about 10yrs or so ago. Since then has been 100% fine, in the 7yrs I've known it, & only requires usual common sense precautions you'd manage any shettie with. Otherwise then no, not even for free.
 
No I wouldn't buy a horse that had had any sign of lami. My mare gets it (Cushings related) and I have another horse on the yard that gets it if he is on the grass more than a couple of hours. I have been in pieces, each time my girl has had it despite very careful management, aways thinking it is the beginning of the end as she seems to take longer each time in recovering. However, I do wonder how many owners actually disclose that their horse has had it? I wouldn't be surprised if many do not, sadly.
 
I have managed lami ponies before so no, it would not put me off if i felt that the horse was 'the one'. Though i do think there would have to be a significant reduction in the horses price to account for this.
 
I think your doing absolutely the right thing in telling people who enquire - even though it will put most people off. If someone buys him and doesn't know they many not give him the management he needs and he could end up very ill before they notice.

Not to mention that people might find out post sale that you knew and didn't tell them (as you've posted about it on a public forum) at which point you could (rightly) be requried to have him back by a court.
 
Sorry I wouldn't buy either. We did once buy a SectionA who had had lami before and lost her when she got bag of sheep-feed which had blown into the field (not our sheep). Years later we lost a young Shire to Cushings related lami. I certainly wouldn't want to repeat either experience.
 
Wagtail. Thats thé reason i wouldnt mind one lami épisode which is declared. I've managed a horse and two ponies who had it previously and never had a problem after but appreciate it'd not always like that. I would be far more comfortable buying a horse with every vice and history declared than have a hidden past.

I'm sure if I'd dealt with a bad ending or extreme lami case I'd change my mind though.

Id also take on SI. One of mine has it and was quite bad. Last year global herbs helped, this year we've moved with lots of midgies and she's not had a problem. If I was in an area with SI midgies again I might change my mind but if managing one, which was never more than the time it took to do full checks, its just as easy to do two for me.

But then like anything, everyone has a different level on what is a deal breaker. I would expect it in ad or phone call, not when I turned up though.
 
Hard one OP!

From a sellers POV yes id say - Id want the horse to have the best possible care, and a lami needs to be treated as a lami 24.7 - 365 days of the year to my mind.

From a buyers POV Id have to think very hard about my set up, my other horses - to see if I had a good chance of managing the horse successfully for its welfare.

I bought a horse last may, who was disgustingly obese, somehow hadnt had lami but was a real contender for EMS + lami. I thought long and hard whether I could lose weight off her living out 24.7 with my other good doer etc etc Ive had to be v strict, muzzle 24.7 put on a track, careful with hay over winter so to keep the weightloss going etc. Its been hard but hopefully we are getting to just overweight now rather than obese and thats 8 months!

Not a decision Id take lightly.
 
OP I would want a full history from vet to prove it was the only case, and vet report to say the severity and circumstance. if pony was overweight etc etc and there was a trigger for it then I would still consider the pony, any overweight pony could come down with it and owners of ponies generally should/do watch weight.
we have a pony who had lami the day after I got her home! I got vets reports to see there was no history and accepted I had knowingly bought an overweight pony at high risk. that was 2 years ago, I got 70 kilos off her, feed her properly, farrier 6 weekly and have had no repeat (it is also thought to have been triggered by the move of yard and ownership) yet. she is not muzzled and is out 24/7 in summer (reasonable grazing but not lush)
i would prefer there to be a bigger timescale between the lami and the sale than the timescale you have. could you loan her under your care for another year?
I think you will find a buyer if she is fit and well. people have very different experiences and some will not be put off as long as the price reflects this (should she have another case resulting in the need to pts the new owner would not receive an insurance payout)
all the best with your pony
 
Nope, wouldn't put me off but then a couple of mine have had it, neither were overweight at the time, one was stress related then EMS/IR and the other was a concussive episode. The concussive has never suffered again (8yrs now touch wood) and the IR is a little more problematic but treated accordingly and micro managed health wise.

In fact i treat all mine as potential Lami ponies as they are hardy natives who live out 24/7 and put on weight with fresh air, it's a little more effort and i don't have the luxury of being able to split my field but it is doable so yes i would consider it.
 
Its a tough one I think. I had a lami pony and she was a nightmare. Kept her on a completely bare paddock with only soaked hay and she was still sore. She was tested for EMS and cushings and both clear. In the end I put her up for sale. Was completely honest about her situation and honestly thought no one would want her and she would end up being PTS, but a lovely woman with 4 young daughters bought her and she's living a happy healthy life now. There is hope, and not everyone is terrified about taking on a lami pony xx
 
Nope - so much heartache with a lammi so wouldnt buy.

Also, id either put the lammi in the advert or tell people before they view as id be mighty annoyed to view a horse & then have that landed on me.
 
coralwings20 said:
Nope - so much heartache with a lammi so wouldnt buy.

Also, id either put the lammi in the advert or tell people before they view as id be mighty annoyed to view a horse & then have that landed on me.
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Yes I agree declare before they view. No point wasting their or your time. Someone will take the chance on him I am sure.
 
Thanks guys for the advice! Really helps. I am so gutted about the lami still, it only happened because he was on loan when I had my first baby. I had gone up and put his muzzle on as he's always been treated as a lami by me anyway as he's andalusian... It wasn't the loaner that took it off, just a stupid busy body woman on the yard. Thank god I went up to meet the farrier and we found him slightly lame. Farrier said if we'd left him another day it would have been MUCH worse. He had ems and cushings tests that both came back negative and I got all the weight off him.
It's such a shame as he's such a lovely horse. Since I moved him to a new yard (due to the bloody woman) he's been fine. The field isn't as rich.
But I'm not going to lie to anyone who rings up, and waste their time! He's wearing pads at the moment and you can see slight lami rings on his hooves, so nobody sensible would be fooled anyway!
I just want a good home for him, I'm not bothered how much money I get really but I don't think it's right to give him away either in case he ends up in the wrong hands.

My husband is furious with the bloody stupid woman!!! He says it's all her fault and she's wrecked my horse!
 
I wouldn't be put off by a lami prone pony. In reality I would treat a pony as if it was lami prone anyway esp if it was a native pony. Mine has had it, long before I had her, and I've had her 5 yrs and she's been clear from it. It just needs managements.
 
Im pony hunting for my daughter and I'm afraid the word lami would also put me off, but it's only as I have had no dealing with it, so wouldn't want to make a mistake and make it worse.
 
anyone buying a pony should be treating it as either having had lami or being at risk of having lami - that way a lot of lami cases would be avoided. Hence a one off mild episode wouldnt put me off, but only if I had a set up which would allow me to treat it accordingly. Probably would pay a bit less tho.
 
I woud not be totally put off the laminitis for the right horse,but I would want to speak to your vet and farrier. Mine are all managed as laminitics anyway, like some of the other posters,and if the ems test negative,then it should need carful management but not not be unduly worried about it returning.
However, one of mine had stress induced laminitis when we brought her as she was so upset by the move to me. So, just be aware that can happen. My one had never had it before, and even though I immediately managed as a laminitic, still came down with it. So, something to just discuss with anyone who is seriously considering the purchase. I don't think I could have done anything to avoid it, the mare is a stress head anyway, and the change of home obviously stressed her too much.
 
The thing with lammi is once theyve had it they're vulneranle, and managing a lammi pony can sometimes be very hard work! Some folks like me already have one, and therefore the trouble is minimal but i wont ever forget realising my perfect pony was in pain and having no idea what to do about it.

On the other hand, there are folks who've heard about it but never experienced it first hand. Seeing a lame pony stuck in his stable for a month isnt much encouragement really. And then there are the horror stories. I tell my bf if he feeds my shetland too many polos her feet will fall off, and it works - but as far as he's concerned lammi is a terrible, life threatening condition that will literally kill my girl if he's no tcareful.

At the end of the day laminitis is horrible to see, disappointing for a child who cant ride as a result and takes time to manage. I personally wouldnt turn my back on the right pony but as i say, iv already got one with it and my setup caters to her needs year round. For others its probably daunting and a big inconvenience.
 
You don't say why your selling!!!
i would need to know the extent of the lami what caused it and damage etc
Having lost my mare of a lifetime due to the laminitis recovery, i know more than most what mental strain it is.

I would think long and hard before going through it again. It would depend on what my intentions were for the horse - if a light hack and mooching around and my facilities were of a set up that could ensure small turnout and not rich grass, then maybe. If wanting to do competitions etc then sorry no.
 
I would take a risk if it was the perfect horse for me and it was cheaper than another horse that is just as perfect but no history of laminitis.
Would depend on all sorts of things for me, my mares a stresshead and very laminitis prone now so makes life tricky sometimes when weighing up the pros/cons/risks and there's the obvious vets bills which can get pretty high! But if it was just a one off, and I could maybe have it on loan/trial for a while it wouldn't completely put me off :)
 
People forget that it's not just fat ponies that get laminitis. Any horse can get it.

My friend has an ex racer, right skinny thing he is and he went down with lami in the autumn.

I personally treat my pony as lami prone although I dont beleive he has had an attack. Hes in a relatively bare paddock, gets crappy last years hay and fast fibre with a multivitamin supplement. He doesn't appreciate my efforts but it makes me feel much better :D Hes coming back into work this week, so he will love me even more! xx
 
Exactly how long was it left without a muzzle? If we're talking 8hrs or so then I think a horse with that level of sensitivity will be a much bigger worry, than if we're talking weeks without a muzzle causing it.
 
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