Need to sell a horse quickly - what are the options???

Actually there is one other option.

Your friend can find him & retirement livery place, & pay to ensure his continued well being.
 
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I really don't agree with having horses PTS just like that. Sorry,. I don't. I do think your friend has left it rather late though and this could be an issue.

Would he be able to hunt? I know you say about his coffin joint arthritis but if that's all it is (arthritis) then it's not actually going to do him an awful lot of harm is it? I don't know the full details but a hunt home could suit him.

I would certainly try project horses as people go on there knowing full well the horses will.may have issues, I wouldn't be asking more than £1000 for him though. Certainly I would not advise passing to a dealer or sale (a) a dealer's not going to really want him and (b) sales I think is irresponsible and you don't have as much say in where he's going.

Why is it she cannot get him to Greece? Where abouts is she going and how long for? I think maybe she could look into this option further unless she has and realised it's totally not feasible.

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Posts like this one above really pi55 me off.
It is NOT acceptable to take an unsound horse and bute it up, so that you someone can hunt it (most decent horse folk know better, and have better morals than this, anyway).
Why can't you just do the decent, humane thing and advise the OP to put a horse with no viable future to sleep, LadyT?
I don't ever understand why the horse should have to pay for the owner's moral cowardice, by a long slow decline into suffering.
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If you haven't noticed, LadyT, the UK has too many horses at the moment, and too few knowledgeable owners. Clearly.
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Afraid I am with Charlie55. Many years ago my husband was posted abroad and I went with him but for various reasons it was not possible to take my horse with us.

He had very early onset navicular but was sound with eggbar shoes and no drugs.

I was very honest when I sold him and he went very cheaply to what seemed a lovely lady who was looking for a horse to love and hack with a home for life. Ha! Turned out that her daughter was BSJA and BE competing with him - he was sold as not suitable for jumping - got some points/money on his record and sold him on.
 
Personally, If i was going to move away i would have made arrangements as soon as i knew i was moving. If I couldnt sell or take with me I would make the arrangements for horse to looked after in retirement home. After all, the animal deserves to have a safe happy future. I certainly would not consider PTS, again, everyone has a different view and mine is i would do everything in my power for my animal.
 
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QR.
These situations are a major bugbear of mine. It never ceases to amaze me how people who profess to love their horses refuse to take responsibility for their long term well being. Instead they will do anything they can to avoid facing up to the reality of the situation.
The true likelihood of this horse ending up in a caring 'forever' home is zero. It naps, it''s unsound unless great care is taken, & with arthritis its only going to get worse. To cap it all it's a thug & not easy to handle. Yeah that's really the sort of horse to suit someone looking for something just to hack out on.

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I agree with this. And if the owner really does 'love him to bits' she wouldnt even be considering a dealer or auction. I think pts is preferable to pillar to post however she should do everything possible to keep him alive, however much hard work that takes. Retirement livery in a well referenced professional yard would be the first choice.

As for selling, hes not worth anything. So its more like giving him away to a suitable home. Finding that home will be very difficult, let alone with only a few weeks to do it. Anyone knowlegeable enough to look after a horse like that will be unlikely to want a horse like that!

I too get fed up with the disposable, selfish attitude towards horses. Even more so when people want money out of it
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QR.
These situations are a major bugbear of mine. It never ceases to amaze me how people who profess to love their horses refuse to take responsibility for their long term well being. Instead they will do anything they can to avoid facing up to the reality of the situation.
The true likelihood of this horse ending up in a caring 'forever' home is zero. It naps, it''s unsound unless great care is taken, & with arthritis its only going to get worse. To cap it all it's a thug & not easy to handle. Yeah that's really the sort of horse to suit someone looking for something just to hack out on. Then look at the breeding - probably not the sort to live out 24/7 on a small feed & half a bale of hay a day in the winter either.

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Indeed
 
Thank you for all your replies. I too am v frustrated at my friends dilly dallying, which has led her to boxing herself into a corner with this situation. She is a good friend of mine, but we have often disagreed on her attitude to her horse and I do struggle too to reconcile ' I love him to bits' with her actions. I feel like a cow for saying that about my friend, but sadly it's the truth.
TBH the money is not important to her, it ultimately is about finding him a good home, but time and his 'issues' make this difficult. The dealer/sales options addresses the time issue, but not the good home part of the equation. I had a lesson this afternoon, and asked for my instructors thoughts. She said that the only decent dealer she knew, wouldn't take him on. Business is slow at the moment in moving on decent horses so why take something like him.
For all his faults, he is a sweet heart, that is rideable at present, so it was a shock when pts was mentionned as the thought hadn't entered my mind, but I do see where you are coming from. I hadn't thought either of a retirement home, but this may be the best solution all round.
I think a bit of tough love with my friend may be in order, that she needs to face up to reality and start dealing with it. Gosh I really don't sound like a friend at all! I am very fond of my friend but I do get frustrated with her when it comes to her horse!
 
Maybe print this off & show it to her? it could be a good reality check.
Best of luck - especially to the horse in question.
Your friend is lucky to have you.
 
Erm, no I was merely asking! I do not know how bad this horse is and there are plenty of horses with arthritic conditions out there who manage perfectly well. Where did i mention about buting it up? I don't think i ever said that!? My pony suffered terrible liver damage years ago as we had him on bute for spavin (on vets advice) I would never but a horse on bute again. He was actually fine off it we soon realised.

The hunt was merely a suggestion - the horse was made out to be a 'thug' and a "man's horse" so hence my suggestion.

I am sorry you do not like my opinion but that's what it is. I will not condone having a horse PTS merely because people's circumstances have changed and they assume noone else could look after their horse.

It always gets me about this site everyone takes what a poster says as black ad white. My horse could be seen as a bolshy get but actually he's perfectly fine. People's opinons on horse's behaviour differ and what some see as a problem horse others will just see as a bit 'quirky'.I am not going to say "have the horse PTS" because i assume the horse is not able to be rehomed.

I have workd in Greece on two separate occasion for several months and arranged my horses to be looked after. My sister worked in Australia for a year and arranged for her horse to be taken care of whilst she was away. It's not that hard. However, if i was moving to Greecee long term then quite frankly I'd arrange for my horse to be shipped over. it doesn't cost that much, it's perfectly feasible.

If I'm honest i get annoyed with the amount of people who say "Oh have it PTS". THAT pisses ME off. I am soo glad some of my horses haven't ended up with some people on here cos I'm sure many of them would have been shot by half the people on here as they don't 'fit' with what they want to do!!

When i take on a horse i take it for life as I would a dog, cat or anything else. Sorry, of some have a problem with that!

Also why is it assumed there are that many numpty horse owners out there? If that's the case then statistics would therefore suggest half this forum is built up of said 'numpties'.
 
I'm going to try to explain to you, LadyT, step by step.
1. You say you don't know how bad the horse's arthritis is, but the OP has told you 'It means that she can't jump him really and needs to be careful on hard ground'. This is because he feels pain on landing after jumps, and due to the concussive forces of hard ground.
2. Arthritis tends to be progressive. The horse is already unsound for some activities, yet you suggest that he should be hunting (which does involve a deal of jumping). So either you are suggesting that they ride him lame (i.e. in pain and suffering) or you are suggesting that they put him on painkillers. There isn't a third option of 'let's pretend it's ok'.
3. I don't understand why you disbelieve the OP's description of the horse as 'a bit of a thug', in particular she specified that 'he can tank off and would really take the pee in novice hands' Now it may be that a professional or experienced rider would not find this an issue - but nor would they want a horse so restricted in his abilities due to arthritis.
4. I think it's lovely that you would pay for your horses to be looked after, or ship them to Greece. But as the OP says 'She considered taking him to Greece, but circumstances don't really allow this option' . You don't know why, and it's not helpful to discuss options which are not viable for the owner.
5. Rehoming - I am sure it hasn't escaped your notice, but the equine charities are creaking at the seams at the moment and turning horses away. The market is weak even for young, sound horses with easy temperaments - a teenager with quirks and arthritis *may* end up in a lovely home. Realistically, though, we both know he is more likely to be resold, and/or passed from pillar to post in an increasingly depressing spiral. There are not many equine fairy godmothers out there, even though you want there to be.
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6. You say that cos I'm sure many of them would have been shot by half the people on here as they don't 'fit' with what they want to do. You misunderstand - the decision to PTS (which HHOers agonise over) is not for the rider's benefit, or what makes the owner 'feel good' - on the contrary, it is for the horse's benefit alone. But we are realistic - we would rather put a horse to sleep than allow it to suffer for our moral cowardice, and our inability to face up to their deaths. I only hope that you will be able to do the same for your horses, if they need it, and not hide behind false compassion.
7. My final point (in this lengthy essay
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) is that you say 'When i take on a horse i take it for life as I would a dog, cat or anything else. Sorry, of some have a problem with that!'
I believe that you ought to take a horse on for life, but that you owe it a good death, too.
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I would never put a horse on bute again.


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What ??
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So the pony that I kept happily alive (not rideable but alive & happy) for two years after a tendon injury would (in your hands) either have had to carry on in severe pain, or been PTS two years before his tendon injury deteriorated to the point where the pain was no longer manageable ?
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Well meaning but misguided people are the one of the reasons that none of my horses are for sale, nor will they ever be.
 
I am currently working abroad and am paying for my boy to be kept on retirement livery. I would not have taken the job had it not paid me enough to be able to do this for him until such a time as I choose to return to the UK. He is being superbly looked after for a reasonable sum. (£200 a month)It is the least I can do for him. This,to me, seems like the most feasible option for your friend. If she gets him settled in somewhere asap then there is the option of using the time between now and her leaving to find him a part loaner, who maybe just wants to hack out in company a couple of times a week.
 
If the owner realy does love the horse then the future welfare of her horse should come first. She should delay moving until she has found a loving new home for her horse and ensured that it has settled in . I would also strongly advise her to have the horse both freezemarked and micro-chipped so that it can always be identified in the future.
 
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