Never look at a gift-horse's legs!

H

Hexx

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I have the opportunity to be given a horse!

He is the sweetest, kindest, most laid back and sensible horse you could meet - really one in a million. He's 6 and an IDx.

However, he was bought as a hunter and unfortunately had a tendon injury that has put paid to his hunting career. The vet says he will come sound enough for riding club activites, but not hunting/eventing! That's fine for me as I would just be hacking and some riding club level dressage (probably to novice level).

My heart says YES, but my head is dwelling on the injury.

Please help!
 
If he's going to be sound enough for what you want to do then I'd snap him up; you could pay a lot of money for a horse and it could blow a tendon the following week.

Just be certain that the owners are genuine and not fobbing you off in any way though.;)
 
I would have thought that if you are prepared to give him the necessary time to heal and are sensible about using supportive legwear in the future, he may well be worth the risk? On the black side, what would happen to him if you don't have him, would they have him PTS if it was necessary and could you do the same if his injury didn't come good? Horses cost the same to keep (if not more) whether they are sound or not!
 
If hacking and RC dressage are what you want to do and your vet says yes, maybe consider it.
But from your op it seems he isnt sound 'yet' so what would happen if he actually didnt come sound?

Me? Id pass it by.
 
Thank you for your comments.

I know both the horse and the owner very well. He's coming back to our yard for the summer - as far as I know he is sound now having had 4 months off. It's funny - when he first came to the yard, everyone fell in love with him, and a couple of people said that I should get a similar horse as my next one.

The owner is one of those lovely people who only wants the best for his horse (not like the other fella on our yard who got his new horse and has just dumped his old one in a field and doesn't even walk the 100 yards to go and see him when he comes up to ride the new one).

His last horse was retired from work due to navicular/arthritis and has been found a great retirement home, and I know the new owners still keep in touch. He definitely would not be PTS - and he would probably be put on a full loan, rather than sold - in fact there are probably a couple of people on the yard besides me that would take him - he's that good.

I think i will see what he looks like when he comes back and take it from there.
 
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