Need to rehome an unusual horse…

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luckilotti

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hillhousestables.co.uk
Ok, short story, we have a big heavy horse mare that we ‘inherited’ so to speak with the yard, never see owners, horse on full grass livery, just had a call and they want to know if I can find somewhere/someone to take the horse on. Any suggestions?
Horse is a mare, unsound, over 18hh, extra full stuff is too small for her, in her 20’s, lives out all year.
She cant really be ridden or used for breeding.
Where do I start!
 
owners dont seem to want to have her PTS, TBH, i doubt she would even go in a box.
over the years i have spent a lot of money on her myself, buying rugs etc (even some 7ft 6 rugs are too small for her).
i took on a old horse aged 24, so i know some people do take them on, or does anyone know maybe of any animal farms/heavy horse centres whereby she could be fussed over?
 
I think that unless you are prepared to keep her yourself (can't figure out why you wouldn't), then one of the rescue societies would be your best bet.

Poor mare.........
 
We have a gelding like this, but he is beloved to us - he would never go anywhere else as who would want a clydesdale that needs danilon and is now retired apart from a 20 mins walk hack twice a month - for him rather than our pleasure.

When trying to rehome a friend's shire x cob who is 15.3 and 23 bombproof and was capable of light hacking due to some joint problems. All the major charities refused to help - it was a rescue case in that after 10 years he was in huge financial trouble. Eventually a small charity did take her and she is staying with them for life.

You may be lucky with this approach. Problem is, heavy horses aint' cheap as a shetland to be a companion and only someone like my OH who adores heavies and is not that bothered about riding but likes looking after them, would consider having her.

Can the old girl not stay with you - are the owners in financial difficulty or just not responsible? I would consider pts in she could not.
 
IMO, she is happy and doesnt need to be PTS yet, but, at the same time, she isnt a very cheap horse to keep, farriers charge more, the amount of wormers she goes through, feed, etc. she does live out all year though unless she gets some mud fever, then shes in for a few weeks.
i'm not sure if i should post this or not, but the owners can really afford to keep her as she is, they pay us the bare minimum. (makes me rather mad!)
here is a photo: [image][/image]
(photo taken before we started looking after her - approx 2002?)
 
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I think that unless you are prepared to keep her yourself (can't figure out why you wouldn't),

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sadly, YO's cant take on every horse, i already have a 26 year old, (who i took on as a 23 year old) a 25 year old, a 23 year old, and then some younger horses.
i am hoping that i can talk them into letting her stay as she is, where she is quite happy, i dont like the idea of her taking up a place at a rescue centre, when they can more than afford to keep her, they just cant be bothered. Someone who loves heavies, would be the ideal place for her, hence partly the reason i posted on here, to see if maybe someone knew of someone or maybe somewhere that loves heavies.
 
Problem is that people who love heavies often want more than an old paddock ornament - people like my OH are very far and few between who would consider an old unsound heavy horse.

Sounds like the owners are very irresponsible and should face up to their responsibility - tell them to rehome her, leave her with you and continue to pay her livery or have her pts.

If you just have trims and use worm counts it helps keep the costs down on a heavy and to be honest, Cairo costs far less to feed than a TB does. He is happily barefoot, trimmed every 8 - 10 weeks and is wormed twice a year and worm counted twice a year.

Mud fever/mites on heavies can be prevented by applying lots of pig oil and sulphur in the winter - not expensive and takes 10 - 15 minutes to do every other week - certainly a lot cheaper than having to keep her in.

Damm it - if I could afford another, we would have her, poor old lass.
 
why not give her to a retiment centre or redwings etc somewhere where she can live out for the rest of her life

if it was me putting down would be a very very last option
 
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Sounds like the owners are very irresponsible and should face up to their responsibility - tell them to rehome her, leave her with you and continue to pay her livery or have her pts.


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I agree!!
 
Owners sound pretty irresponsible to me hun. I'm just too much of a softie to consider PTS if the horse is happy in itself - just couldn't do it. But can definitely see what a difficult position you're in
frown.gif
I'd definitely google some heavy horse centres and see if any of them have space/transport to take her in. Or advertising her as a companion? Failing that I guess its attempting to get the owners to keep her as she is like you mentioned before
 
Poor thing - she looks cute! You could try advertising her as a companion, but obviously the cost of feeding / feet care would have to be a factor. Have you approached any local centres to see if anyone would take her?
 
How sad that her owners don't want to take responsibility for her. I have two heavies, both with arthritis simply due to their size - they definitely cost more than the average horse to keep, but I couldn't ever part with them and just wish I could squeeze another one in.
Hope you find somewhere suitable for this mare - she looks so sweet.
 
What a shame we are now full to bursting - my OH LOVES the heavies and wouldn't hesitate to take her. I really hope you can find her somewhere. To be perfectly honest though, a mare of this size and age is unlikely to have very long left anyhow.
 
she is approx 23 (i am led to believe) her unsoundness comes from a bad accident involving her hock a few years ago. why is she expensive to keep, well, she eats a hell of a lot, farriers charge a lot more to trim her hooves, you cant get cheap, deep 7'6 rugs, she rugs her tail on a fence - fence needs redoing etc etc. most people who would want a companion etc, would prefer a cheaper model unless their love is heavy horses.
 
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