tobiano1984
Well-Known Member
Well today was a fun Sunday, went over to the professional dressage yard where my 5yo warmblood gelding is on sales livery, to meet with the vet. Originally checked by vet last week as he had a sore back and very mild lameness, x-rayed for KS - absolutely clean. Moved to hind legs, mild OCD in one stifle, ah. Bit annoying. Came back today for a nerve block on stifle, worked a treat, discussed that perhaps said horse would drop from £20k value to £10-12k as easily managed with yearly steroid injections to keep swelling down. Vet suggested x-raying hocks whilst there as potential buyers would want to check, so just to save ourselves some possible hassle and get it done just in case. Cue - arthritis in the opposite hock to the OCD stifle. At which point crests fell all round. Bear in mind horse is sound on the bad hock side. Vet said he'd pass the OCD with a warning, but would fail the arthritis. If it was a horse to keep he says it would be manageable with steroid injections, no reason why horse can't continue pretty normally - obviously might have a shortened working lifespan if the steroids eventually stop working.
So now I have some difficult decisions to make. The horse has to go, there's no question of keeping him as just not feasible. At the moment the only viable option is for him to come home, as vet & pro say he's basically a give-away now. Although these guys deal with very expensive horses, whereas I don't usually, and also don't really know the dressage market, but a few other people have suggested that someone who can't afford a £20k horse might pay a small amount for such a horse, on the idea that you'd get a good few years of a top quality horse (excellent German bloodlines, utterly stunning animal and beautifully behaved) for a fraction of the price, for the cost of yearly steroid injections.
As my OH and I have discussed, these are our options as I see it:
He comes home, and is put down - I would struggle with this as although am realistic he is happy and healthy and not useless (at the moment), but I would do it if it was best for him.
He comes home, I give him away for free via something like Horses 4 Homes in the effort to find a suitable home. Just suck up the money spent on sales livery, vets etc.
He comes home, has the injections, see if it improves everything, if it does then look at selling him with full disclosure/X-rays to someone suitable, in the effort to recoup a bit of the outlay on sales livery & vet. Vet says he could easily manage lower level dressage, at least Ele, work is better for him but maybe not with someone with GP aspirations. The other option is a showing home, he is 16hh, scar free, excellent confo and so beautiful - and obviously with showing there is less pressure in terms of collection/movements so it might mean he lasts longer. He is also a great hack, but is of course a young warmblood so I feel he needs to go to a suitable home.
We are not made of money, I've been a student for the last few years and the outlay on sales livery was no easy undertaking but done on the gamble of getting a decent return. I can't keep him for long, my livery yard is full up and I don't have the grazing or time to have him for months and months. One way or another, he's got max 2 months with us.
So I just wondered what you lot thought, please be nice - this has been a horrible week. This type of horse isn't my usual bag (I like cobs now, and shall stick to them henceforth!) so it's all a bit alien territory, hence sending him to sales livery in the first place. Happy selling £5k all rounders/eventers but not discipline specific sorts.
Thanks!
So now I have some difficult decisions to make. The horse has to go, there's no question of keeping him as just not feasible. At the moment the only viable option is for him to come home, as vet & pro say he's basically a give-away now. Although these guys deal with very expensive horses, whereas I don't usually, and also don't really know the dressage market, but a few other people have suggested that someone who can't afford a £20k horse might pay a small amount for such a horse, on the idea that you'd get a good few years of a top quality horse (excellent German bloodlines, utterly stunning animal and beautifully behaved) for a fraction of the price, for the cost of yearly steroid injections.
As my OH and I have discussed, these are our options as I see it:
He comes home, and is put down - I would struggle with this as although am realistic he is happy and healthy and not useless (at the moment), but I would do it if it was best for him.
He comes home, I give him away for free via something like Horses 4 Homes in the effort to find a suitable home. Just suck up the money spent on sales livery, vets etc.
He comes home, has the injections, see if it improves everything, if it does then look at selling him with full disclosure/X-rays to someone suitable, in the effort to recoup a bit of the outlay on sales livery & vet. Vet says he could easily manage lower level dressage, at least Ele, work is better for him but maybe not with someone with GP aspirations. The other option is a showing home, he is 16hh, scar free, excellent confo and so beautiful - and obviously with showing there is less pressure in terms of collection/movements so it might mean he lasts longer. He is also a great hack, but is of course a young warmblood so I feel he needs to go to a suitable home.
We are not made of money, I've been a student for the last few years and the outlay on sales livery was no easy undertaking but done on the gamble of getting a decent return. I can't keep him for long, my livery yard is full up and I don't have the grazing or time to have him for months and months. One way or another, he's got max 2 months with us.
So I just wondered what you lot thought, please be nice - this has been a horrible week. This type of horse isn't my usual bag (I like cobs now, and shall stick to them henceforth!) so it's all a bit alien territory, hence sending him to sales livery in the first place. Happy selling £5k all rounders/eventers but not discipline specific sorts.
Thanks!
