Loss of use

[RachelB]

I hope this was the right place to ask this, but...

What exactly does loss of use mean?

My friend has a horse on loan who has a loss of use brand as one of her back legs has problems (not sure exactly what), but she has her on loan and competes her in affiliated elementary dressage and also jumps her for fun. She is (*touch wood* or I'll hear that she's gone lame tomorrow!) almost 100% sound (we used her for a college vetting demo last week and she was slightly lame in one hind leg, probably the same problem leg) and is perfectly happy and healthy, and capable of and willing to do her job. From talking to my friend, I gathered that she is branded as loss of use as she was not able to return to the level of competition she was at before. Which made sense to me.
However I got myself confused today, as I was having a conversation with someone quite knowledgable and they say that if the horse is branded with loss of use, they should not be used for strenuous work, certainly not in a riding school or something like that (ie. commercial use), and it should be discussed with the vet whether the horse should be PTS instead.
Now I certainly don't think Evie should be PTS, she is quite happy as she is! Hence why I am now so confused... can someone clear this up for me?

 

[Super_Kat]

i think loss of use means that the horse can no longer be used for what it was formally used for.
although the horse is still capable of doing lower level tasks.

 

[JLav]

When a horse has a loss of use brand it means that at some point there has been an insurance pay out on that horse because it has had a problem that means it can no longer do whatever it was originally insured to do. (or at least at the level it was competing at when the claim was made). The brand is simply to ensure that the horse is not re-named or re-insured with another insurer by someone unscrupulous enough to try to claim again for the same problem. Many horses in this situation go on to lead happy and useful lives either doing another job or just competing at a lower level. It certainly does not mean that they should be PTS.

 

[lilym]

it basically means that a claim has been made for the horse as it is no longer fit for the purpose intended, but that is by no means a reason to put it to sleep! take a 3 day eventer for example: it may sustain an injury that prevents it from taking part in top level competition, but would go on to recover and make a superb riding club horse......

 

[RachelB]

So I was thinking of it the right way! Thanks guys that's cleared it up for me!

 

[MillbrookSong]

a friend had a loss of use pony and i think it just meant it couldnt be insured?!

 

[Bossanova]

You can still insure a horse which has a lou claim, just not for what they have ben excluded for. We have a horse who's a mild headshaker and he's had an lou claim but is still insured for all legs/muscular/ spinal probs etc, simply not for something related to headshaking.

 

[seaofdreams]

we have two lou horses at our work and they still comptete in dressage at elementary and medium one cost 5pounds the other 1 pound!!

 

[serena2005]

i think you have it right, from what ever problem she was lame from. when the owner claims loss of use from the insurance they can then buy the horse back but it is allowed to return to the level it was competing at.

i think what this other person has said is just a personal opinion. if the horse is happy and sound then i would not see a problem. obivously if the horse was suffering and couldnt cope with the amount of work the it shouldnt be working.

i hope im making sense... by the way im just saying what people were saing the other day when we were talking about loss of use.