My horse is unsellable (sarcoids)

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R.A.H

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My horse has a few Sarcoids around his sheath are & axilla. They haven't changed in the last 2 years & aren't where his tack would rub. He had one on his ear a while ago that was growing at a rapid rate. So had that removed all fine for 6 months then it grew back again. My vet sent photos of to Liverpool & they said that laser surgery was the only option. So he had laser surgery on his to remove sarcoid, but also took a good bit of his ear off aswell. His ear healed well & was looking great. Until last week I noticed a little crusty bit coming back on his ear. I spoke to my & he said that all we can do is try laser surgery again. But if we do that he'll have no ear left. Then what happens if it comes back again??

Aswell as all this happening I need to sell him because I can't look after him, I have 2 kids to take care of & I haven't got any family around me to help. So at the moment he's out on loan to a college.

I really don't know what to do, nobody will want to buy him like this. I seriously thinking about having him put to sleep, I can't see a future for him. I just don't know what to do. Everytime I think about I just want to break down.
 
try not to fret! im sure there will be many people who would take him, especially as he is being schooled by the college! well schooled horses that are safe enough for students are like gold dust! could the college have him on permanent loan? or even buy him?

the sarcoids are not where the tack is, so are just unsightly. You may not be able to ask top money for him, but im sure someone out there would love him. :)
 
No he is not - you may just have to be realistic with your price.

I sold a lovely 14.2hh welsh cob last Autumn who had sarcoids on his sheath area. I bought him with them, and they did not put me off either. I was totally honest in his ad and priced him at £2500, which I got. Although I only had 3 people book into see him, he sold to the first viewer within a week, and who didn't even get him vetted.

Sarcoids are a bigger issue to some people than others, but if the horse is everything a buyer wants they may well be able to see beyond them. I was lucky as my chap was a proven all rounder, with some BS winnings, hunted and was a dream to hack, so had a lot of positives to outweigh the sarcoids.

I replaced him with a cribber - again a lot of people might discount a horse with a vice, but I feel I got a bargain!!

Good luck and focus on the positives!
 
true dragon said:
try not to fret! im sure there will be many people who would take him, especially as he is being schooled by the college! well schooled horses that are safe enough for students are like gold dust! could the college have him on permanent loan? or even buy him?

the sarcoids are not where the tack is, so are just unsightly. You may not be able to ask top money for him, but im sure someone out there would love him. :)
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no the college will only loan him. I have him back in the holidays.

i'm asking £1200 for him. I was asking more but i kept getting rude people saying that i shouldnt expect that for a horse with sarcoids. So i've dropped the price on him. He's a purebred cleveland bay and is generally a good allrounder.
 
I don't mean to be rude, but if your only option for him is to be pts then why are you asking £1200? Surely giving him to a good lifetime home is better than that? Or a permanent loan? Just because you can't sell him doesn't mean he cant find a loving home for life...
I know 'giving' away is a minefield but if take time and care in your choices i'm sure somebody would take him and care for him.

How is he to ride? Handle? Is he a good companion.

Pts is not your only option, its an easy get out clause which removes the horse from your mind and you then don't have to worry about him, this isn't criminal but explore other avenues first :) ...
 
have you put an advert up at the college as some times the students buy them.

I bought my horse with sarcoids and dont see why i wouldnt be able to sell him on if i needed to.
 
If he does end up loosing the rest of his ear will he still be able to wear a bridle/be ridden? It's a big gamble for any potential purchaser and as you said what happens if it comes back once he has no ear left?
 
Buds_mum said:
I don't mean to be rude, but if your only option for him is to be pts then why are you asking £1200? Surely giving him to a good lifetime home is better than that? Or a permanent loan? Just because you can't sell him doesn't mean he cant find a loving home for life...
I know 'giving' away is a minefield but if take time and care in your choices i'm sure somebody would take him and care for him.

How is he to ride? Handle? Is he a good companion.

Pts is not your only option, its an easy get out clause which removes the horse from your mind and you then don't have to worry about him, this isn't criminal but explore other avenues first :) ...
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but am i being irresponsible by expecting someone else to take him on with sarcoids. Especially with one on his ear.
 
My mate just sold a horse with Sarcoids for about £8000. Selling horses takes time, PTS seems a bit extreme. Without being too harsh, buck your ideas up, stop feeling sorry for your self and find him a loving home.

You may not be asking enough for him if he is good under saddle etc which puts people off. If you genuinely are considering PTS then look for a free to good home by word of mouth.
 
Jake10 said:
If he does end up loosing the rest of his ear will he still be able to wear a bridle/be ridden? It's a big gamble for any potential purchaser and as you said what happens if it comes back once he has no ear left?
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i've never seen or heard of a horse with no ear so i don't know.

When is enough, enough? How many times should he go through laser surgery before the sarcoid beats us. After the is gone and the sarcoid comes back where the ear should be what next. More surgery? Ive had it removed 3 times already
 
R.A.H said:
When is enough, enough? How many times should he go through laser surgery before the sarcoid beats us. After the is gone and the sarcoid comes back where the ear should be what next. More surgery? Ive had it removed 3 times already
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I don't know the answer to this, I'm afraid :o I think you do need a serious chat with your vet, go through all the options and realistic outcomes first. Then you and only you can make the decision if PTS is the best option or not.
I can see how he can be very hard to sell, or even give away frankly, as the repeated surgery and treatments for sarcoids will be very costly and excluded from insurance...
I'm not convinced offering him free to a good home is such a great option either :o
 
Re reading your post I am sorry as didn't appreciate the gravity of the situation re the sarcoid on the ear.

Can the college not carry on keeping him on loan, or is it that you need some finances from selling him?
 
If he's nice to ride and is being used by a college, I'm sure a good riding school might take him on, even if it's just on long term loan. Are there not any in your area you can get in touch with? I work at a riding school and we certainly wouldn't discount him.
 
I can appreciate that he has been through a lot already, and loosing most of the ear only to have the sarcoid grow back is frankly *****, and yes your right expecting somebody to take him on as such with them reoccurring so often is a problem no doubt.

Between you and the vet I would decide the best course of action, another laser surgery is drastic if it will mean he looses the whole ear...

I don't envy your situation.
 
Sidney said:
Re reading your post I am sorry as didn't appreciate the gravity of the situation re the sarcoid on the ear.

Can the college not carry on keeping him on loan, or is it that you need some finances from selling him?
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They would keep on loaning him as long as his ear didn't get like it used to be. I have him back for the holidays.

It's not that I want money from him being sold, but i just can't afford it to treat them anymore.
 
badgerdog said:
If he's nice to ride and is being used by a college, I'm sure a good riding school might take him on, even if it's just on long term loan. Are there not any in your area you can get in touch with? I work at a riding school and we certainly wouldn't discount him.
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He is a very good boy, nice to ride, very chilled. I would longterm loan him. Want him to get the care he needs
 
What about trying to look down the route of people who specifically want a CB...also if he is a good solid safe hack then there is a huge demand for bigger safe horses.

There was a thread only a couple of days ago about CB's - maybe have an ask on there.
 
Batgirl said:
My mate just sold a horse with Sarcoids for about £8000. Selling horses takes time, PTS seems a bit extreme. Without being too harsh, buck your ideas up, stop feeling sorry for your self and find him a loving home.

You may not be asking enough for him if he is good under saddle etc which puts people off. If you genuinely are considering PTS then look for a free to good home by word of mouth.
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I'm not feeling sorry for my self feel sorry for my horse & don't know what I should do next.
 
Here's a few photos of his ear before surgery
DSCF2673.jpg


And after
24062011340.jpg


05072011373.jpg
 
Jake10 said:
If he does end up loosing the rest of his ear will he still be able to wear a bridle/be ridden? It's a big gamble for any potential purchaser and as you said what happens if it comes back once he has no ear left?
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Some western bridles have a single ear loop to keep the bridle on. It stayed on all day on a massive ride I did over the Penines one day, or the new owner could have a special bridle made.

Keep plugging away, OP, I'm sure someone will want him. :)
 
Oh... :(

Really feel for you and your boy.

I understand completely your 'how much more', the feeling of 'forcing' him to continue going through surgery like that, I completely understand your feelings of PTS.

Frankly, it's your decision. It is your horse, you know him better than anyone. He may be the best horse in the world but if he has to be operated on to the extent that it is, I would think it is for the better to PTS personally. It wouldn't be fair to keep him going in that manner.

Best of luck, not a position I would want to find myself in. You have my support no matter what and are always welcome to PM me if you need to :)
 
One ear is no problem. Some Western bridles only have one ear! Under Western regs (in Germany) you need a curb chain with those headstalls, that is all.
 
I can sympathise and understand the gravity or re-occurring sarcoids, beacuse I owned a mare who had them all over her head in the end. Liverpool cream failed (worked first time but they cam e back a few years later and second time failed)and because of positioning they were unsuitable for laser or other surgery. I had to make the decision to have her put down in the end as it started to affect her temperament, it was hard but the right choice. I was lucky in that I managed to keep a good quality of life for few years after the second treatment failed and was financially able to do this, but if my circumstances had changed I would have had her put to sleep rather than passing on cheaply or free, so don't judge yourself harshly if you make that decision.

Hugs.
 
Here's a photo I took a few weeks ago, you can just see it coming back a littleat the bottom of his ear. If it was towards the top I wouldn't be so worried but I can't see how much of the ear could be saved.

01042012130.jpg
 
burtie said:
I can sympathise and understand the gravity or re-occurring sarcoids, beacuse I owned a mare who had them all over her head in the end. Liverpool cream failed (worked first time but they cam e back a few years later and second time failed)and because of positioning they were unsuitable for laser or other surgery. I had to make the decision to have her put down in the end as it started to affect her temperament, it was hard but the right choice. I was lucky in that I managed to keep a good quality of life for few years after the second treatment failed and was financially able to do this, but if my circumstances had changed I would have had her put to sleep rather than passing on cheaply or free, so don't judge yourself harshly if you make that decision.

Hugs.
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Thankyou, A part of me is thinking I'm being very irresponsible be letting him go to someone else.
 
I have just read of an injection of neoplasene on recurring horse sarcoids, people have had success with it on newly growing nodules.

Just wanted to say regardless OP
your certainly not irresponsible.
 
vienna said:
I have just read of an injection of neoplasene on recurring horse sarcoids, people have had success with it on newly growing nodules.

Just wanted to say regardless OP
your certainly not irresponsible.
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Thanks, I will google that.
 
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