Murphy musings, thoughts and ideas needed, difficult descisions to be made. *PHOTOS*

charlimouse

charlimouse

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Those of you who actually waste your time reading my pointless ramblings will know Murphy has lost a bit of form recently. A couple of trips to the vets later he has been diagnosed with degenerative joint disease in his hocks and has it suspected in his fetlocks, although no changes can be seen at the moment on x-rays. So while it sounds awful the vets give him a very good prognosis of returning to full work. He had his hocks and fetlocks injected today, and this can be repeated if he needs it again. Murphy is 15 and has got alot of miles on the clock, so the vets are in no way surprised he has this. They tell me it is very common, and alot of horses competing at Advanced have the same thing and still compete successfully, just injecting the joints when neccessary. Depending upon the level the horse is competing depends on how often injections will be needed.

So here is the difficult bit. I'm off to Uni (as a mature student :rolleyes:) come september, and i've made the difficult decision to sell Murphy. Basically I have younger horses to to concetrate my time on, and I do think Murphy could do with stepping down a level. So I want to know, is he saleable? How and where I should advertise him? What sort of price?

His stats are:

*16.1hh ISH by Furisto
*15yo
*38 BE points
*Placed at Chatsworth and Bradwall ON's and Bishop Burton Intermediate this season
*Previously competed at 2* level by a Pro
*Had 3 outings BSJA, won 4 out of the 5 classes he has entered. Has over £100 on his card
*Straightforwards to jump, pretty much turn and point, will go off any stride and is careful
*Won unaffilliated Elementary dressage
*Good to hack, shoe, clip, load ect
*Very good to handle, both at home and at events
*Did the JAS over the winter would have won the novice (if he hadn't been HC!) with a style penalty of 1 (which was for the rider :rolleyes:)!!!!!!!!

His bad points would be:

*The joint issues mentioned above
*He can sometimes be a little cold backed, and he is grumpy to tack up, but not nasty
*He is strong XC, but not silly
*Flatwork is pants at home as he cannot be bothered, but he knows when he is at a competiton and does pull decent tests out if the bag

Here are some pics

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Sorry for the overload! (He is also the grey on my sig!)

Here is his BE record

http://www.britisheventing.com/asp-net/Events/Results.aspx?HorseId=45652

So ideas needed please.
 
He does sound like the perfect JRN horse... Although his joints might lower his value (would he pass a 5* vetting?) he's still a priceless little horse to learn the ropes on. By strong, would he be too much for a younger teenager- you look quite small and very slim but obviously are also experienced and know him well.
 
I'm sure I bought him for a pound not so long ago, I'm still waiting on delivery ;)

He is such a super horse I can't see how you would struggle to sell him, I would have him like a shot if I could afford another as he would be perfect to run alongside Mally so I could learn the ropes to teach her! He could maybe tell her about pulling the Dressage out of the bag at Competitions too :D

I hope you find a super home for him :D
 
Vet thinks he should pass a vetting, so long as we disclose his joint problems, as it can easily be treated.

With the XC it is more of a knack required, rather than physical strength. IE you have to trust him, and not fight him. If you let him go he backs himself off, he you try and pull him he just goes faster. He is no where mnear as strong as he was when I first got him, as got him straight from the male pro!!!!! He would need a competent and confident rider, but is genuine, and will help out. When I got him I had done 2 novices on my other horse, and coped with him, but it was a steep learning curve!!!!!!
 
Do you absolutely have to sell him? Could you lease (not necessarily loan . . .) him? I would think a horse like him would be in great demand for junior riders as a schoolmaster. That way you would still have control over his situation and could make sure his management was done properly. You might even be able to make some money - I know leasing is not so much the done thing here but I think it would certainly be worth a few conversations to test the water.
 
I hadn't thought about leasing him at all. Certainly something to investigate, as TBH selling him will break my heart!!!!! I would have no idea how a lease would work, so any ideas would be appreciated!!!
 
No idea on price but sure he'd sell easily.

Any idea how long he can stay at his current level with this condition? Might he go on for another 3/4 years and then be able to go on for a few more years as a happy hacker/RC allrounder type?

Or will the condition shorten his competitive career, or worsen over time?
 
I think you would have no trouble selling. But I think you should seriously vet the buyers. He sounds like a loyal campaigner for you. We sold similar that had done advanced and had same problem and ended up buying him back in an awful state as a 19yr old. we got him right and "gifted" him to a friend who now hunts and does bd and he is still happy aged 21!

I reckon you will be inundated with offers and homes to wade through though!! Good Luck!
 
His condition is degenerative, but vets are confident he could still event at PN and novice for a few years yet. As his condition deteriorated he will need more injections in his joints, and you will have to be careful about the ground you run him on.
 
smac said:
I think you would have no trouble selling. But I think you should seriously vet the buyers. He sounds like a loyal campaigner for you. We sold similar that had done advanced and had same problem and ended up buying him back in an awful state as a 19yr old. we got him right and "gifted" him to a friend who now hunts and does bd and he is still happy aged 21!

I reckon you will be inundated with offers and homes to wade through though!! Good Luck!
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Buyers will be seriously vetted :o!!! I will not let him go to 'any old home'!
 
Definetely think loaning/leasing to a good competition home would be a great idea - as already stated, you could then make sure the management is being done correctly. I'm positive you will have a queue of people wanting him whatever you decide:D
 
I think his name is great:)
Leasing would be a good option as people are so cautious at the moment and expect perfection at vetting,there will also be exclusions on insurance.

I know some people leasing,they pay £1000 annual fee [I think its about 10% of value] They bought all tack and rugs from the owners,pay insurance and all expenses.
They have a good annual contract,similar to a loan agreement.

I hope this helps,Not sure what value to put on him,it would depend if I was buying or selling:D
 
i definitely think that leasing him is worth investigating. if not i am sure you could sell him- like you say he'd be a brilliant horse to learn the ropes on....good luck :)
 
I think lease him, he's done such a good job and been such a good horse for you it would be awful if bad fate befell him :( :(, unless you sold him to someone you knew.
My friend leases a 16yr old PSG dressage horse so I cannot see why you would have a problem finding someone. It will probably be the perfect option for someone who wants to event but who will be off to uni in a year or two, or someone who needs a horse while theirs is injured or whatever.
I just think that sometimes its worth keeping tabs on these older horses especially when they are such super stars but they aren't novice rides or do have health issues.
 
I will offer you a half drunk cup of tea and one finger of a kitkat for him? :D (as he's grey he will cost a bomb in shampoo so I think I'm being generous here)
I am a fantastic mummy but a pants jockey as XC scares me :o so as long as he doesn't want/need to go above an intro we will be just fine ;(
 
I am a 15yo girl looking to do JRN next year and If I were still looking (was in Apr/May) would ring you up in an instant. Probably would have paid twelve if i'd liked him as we payed twelve for something less experienced but very talented.
 
I can't really speak to how leases are done here, as I've only been involved in them in Canada. It's a very common practice in North America and people pay huge lease fees for top performers. I worked for someone who leased out competition horses and "brokered" leases for other people. It was win-win - people got great horses to ride they couldn't have afforded to buy (but they paid handsomely in the interim) and we got to keep control of what happened to the horses (and had the money to have them back for a spell, if necessary, at the end of each lease). Eventually I leased out my old event horse for years to do various jobs (lower level eventing, BHS-type exams, sj and finally dressage - he didn't have soundness issues per se but did have a spavin and the usual wear and tear, having raced and then worked pretty much every day of his life). I joke he's still the only horse that ever made me money. ;)

Again, I don't know how it works here but evidence above shows that people do do it and your fellow sounds like a good candidate. I can offer you a few ideas, if you'd like, just drop me a PM. :)
 
If it would help you I'll have him for you :P
Understand your predicament having just finished uni. I kept my horse as I was able to commute in first year form halls and lived at home 2nd and 3rd year. I admire your decision to sell as in hindsight I kind of wish I had as although I had an absoulte blast I think the responisbility and time of a horse particulalry in winter was starting to become a bit of a bug bear and it was hard fitting in uni, a job and horse in. Having no money at all didn;t help and I was a tad bitter when it all went on petrol and the pony. I love my horse to bits but it wa shard and wish I could've been a bit stronger and enjoyed the 3 years as best I could. I did find in first year that it as easier as I have a family friend who is horse mad but horseless so in exchange for her doing him for me 2/3 times a week especially through winter she got ot rid ehim and do some comps. I didn't accept money as she was doing me a huge favour basically having him on "full livery" so may be an option? BUt I woudl say go and have a wicked time with less stress :)Good luck!! I'm sure he will find a fab home
 
Shame he wasn't a couple of inches taller as currently looking for horse for OH to do low-level competing on (RC and low level BE). He sounds right up our street ( and I am 101% biased when it comes to greys!), but unfortunately OH looks ridiculous on anything smaller than 16.3hh.
 
3-4k as the joints rule him out of being a good yr/junior horse as there is no guarantee of him being sound, he is a top level rc horse with minor quirks in my ratings hence the price, although a junior etc. might be persuaded, it would be at this reduced price imo.
 
I think it'd be worth a try leasing him - provided you have the facilities/time/money to have him back if needs be. I know someone who leases out their working hunter, it's a win-win situation for them because they still own the horse and can have them back if they're not happy, but the leaser gets a horse that they wouldn't have been able to afford and the sort that very rarely gets offered on loan. I'm not sure how much the lease is though, but £1000 a year seems reasonable - I would have paid that last year for a horse like Murphy (unfortunately I am off to uni too now! :()
 
So does his joint issues mean that he can't 'retire' to Australia? :(

I have no exerience with leasing/selling older horses but I do think that if you can find good lease home it would be the better option so that you still have some control/input.
Also Uni doesn't last for ever (though it may feel that way!) and in a few years you might want him back!
 
I think if you are open and honest you will easily find a home. I would think in the region of £4-5k would be realistic, based on what was agreed for a similar couple of horses that I know of.

However no matter how well you vet the new owners you must accept that they may do things differently to what you would have done with him.
 
He looks lovely and I don't think you'd have trouble finding him a good home. I'm not sure on prices but I'd lease him from you for lower level BE tomorrow! :)
 
Thanks for the ideas guys. TBH the more I think about the leasing lark, the more I am put off it :o. My main problem with a lease is what would happen in 3 or 4 years time, when he needs retiring? I already have 2 retired horses and an ancient donkey that will probably outlive everything (he just keeps on going!) and being brutally honest I don't have the time, space or money for another retired horse. I also don't know what i'll be doing after uni, or where i'll be, so in a way I don't want the added stress of knowing i'll have another horse to look after through his retirement :o. Hence I am coming to the conclusion it will be best to sell him, but only to an approved home. Having said that it is easy writing on a forum i'm going to sell him, but when the time actually comes i'm not sure of i'm actually going to be able to do it :o. My head says I must sell, my heart says keep him.
 
He is the doppel ganger of the horse I sold earlier this year, and I hung onto him for nearly 6 years!

If you are going to sell him, why not ask your insurance company/vet for an opinion of his value. Also I think it would be worth having your vets opinion in writing to show prospective buyers upfront - gives you more credence.

The best fun I had was buying an older school mistress, then 13 who took me upto Novice. We had a complete blast but unfortunately she turned out to have arthritis in her neck (when I found her breeder, transpires that the woman I bought my mare off had had a "disagreement" ending up in a very nasty fall for my mare - hence neck damage). Mare is still with me as I owe her big time and I don't regret it (well maybe a bit as Madam refuses to live out like any other sensible Irish horse and is staying on part livery!)

If you do decide to sell might be worth putting it up on the board discreetly so people can pm you. Put me on the list - you never know!
 
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