Mad to even consider?

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kirstyhoneyb

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My friend is looking to buy a new horse after having a break from riding for a couple of years.
She has seen a 16.2 9 year old WB X. We went to see him and both rode him and really liked him. Between us we rode him for around an hour, granted we didnt do much, just walked, trotted and cantered around the school and poped a jump (a good 2'6") a few times and he hadnt started to sweat up and wasnt out of breath in any way which we thought he might be.
The down side is he's quite underweight/no topline and his confirmation isnt great. When he's stood he turns his front feet out slightly (a bit like me lol) but when moving/ridden and one of his hind legs dishes slightly, you notice it more when he's trotting (the owner mentioned it our else we probably wouldnt have noticed it). oh and he's a cribber/windsucker which doesnt bother her in the slightest.
My freind is only after a horse for hacking and a bit of schooling/fun.
He's up for sale for £800
Whats your opinion?
 
if she likes it then it sounds like a good price for a sensible horse- the topline and all of that stuff can easily be sorted out with proper feed and exercise. just get it vetted to check that his legs and everything else is ok....
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For that price he sounds like a good buy. If you look at horses in general there are many whose feet turn out and a large number who don't move straight and a lot of them seem to do well. However better conformation normally helps the horse to be a more sound proposition.
 
when i first went to view my horse, we all laughed at how his feet turned outwards... it made him look a bit 'special'... but i decided he was otherwise perfect for me, so we bought him anyway.

within two shoeing sessions by a new farrier his feet are almost normal, you can barely see any turning out at all.

for that price, if he's a safe hack... it's a bargain.
though, he may 'fizz up' when he's fed up/toplined etc...
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A horse being underweight & without topline when being sold is generally not an issue as with correct diet & exercise that will improve providing there is no medical reason for it.

If crib biting & windsucking are not an problem for you then those cease to be issues. A friend of mine bought a horse years ago with identical issues. She still has him, he's 20 now, still cribbing etc but performs dressage at Elementary level. He's done Working Hunter at County level & has show jumped with great success.

I would still get him vetted though just to see if their are any issues you don't know about, but if the rest checks out ok then why not have him. These horses need homes just like any other & if you like him & he ticks your boxes then why not go for it. Good Luck
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It is a good price but there are some things to consider. Is he underweight because of the vices? If so, will you be able to get weight on him? Also, I have known cases like this before and when the horse begins to put weight on and feel better, they can become a little too much for the owner. Be careful. You don't want to end up with a horse you cannot ride. He may well be absolutely fine but just be sure.
 
I would just echo what cougar says here. How long have the people had the horse for? I just think it's quite odd a young, healthy horse would be underweight at this time of year when the grass has been very very good. Do they have other horses and if so are they of a similar weight?

If other horses owned by the same people look somewhat fatter it would make me wonder about this one - have they kept him underweight for a particular reason? Once he puts on weight is he going to get rather more full of himself?!

The crib biting/windsucking wouldn't concern me too much unless this is a contributing factor in his poor weight. I wouldn't be worried about the leg conformation too much either - decent farriery can improve this to some degree.

I think even at the low asking price I would want the horse vetted to be honest as, as said you don't want to end up with a horse you can't ride when its got weight on or one that has medical conditions that are going to mean expensive treatment/special feeding etc. That ends up making the bargain price not such a bargain!
 
Sounds a fair price, especialy if he is good to hack (which you didnt mention) but echo having a vetting. Do you know how he is managed, ie is he stabled, does he crib etc just when he is stabled or does he get stressed when he is with or without other horses. You might want to consider how you or your friend are going to keep him and if it may improve or exacerbate the situation.

My friend had an old very underweight stressy cribber. After years of different feed and advice she found a vet who diagnosed ulcers. He had a long course of treatment, started living out with shelter and moved onto simple systems forage based feeds and is now a different horse.

Another point to consider - is he actualy underweight or is he just undermuscled? are you comparing him to other, possibly overwight horses, its suprising how many people look at a 'normal' weight horse and see an underweight one becasue they are so conditioned to seeing fatties - sorry if that sounds patronising (MM ducks and hides)
 
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