Sarcoids - to buy or not to buy?

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cariadssogreat

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Hi there, I have found a mare who ticks the box in every way - except that she has two sarcoids. Just wondering what peoples thoughts are really. I know there are a lot of horses out there with them - but would it cause a problem if I had to sell her later on ? How much does it tend to affect value? I would intend to treat them - the current owner hasnt as they dont bother the horse - but to be honest I would want rid! Which I believe would cost £500?
Any experience would be great,
 
I have just bought a horse 6 mths ago and he is the best horse i have ever had.He has several sarcoids around his sheath,one on his neck and one in his ear.All in places that cause no problems,so leaving them well alone.I must admit when i went to see him i was put off by them,but in the end i bought him and im glad i did.Ithink you have to weigh up the pros and cons.No horse is perfect.I think it would affect re-sale value,but having said that i have been offered double for what i paid for him on several occasions,but he is not going any where!!!
At least with sarcoids you can see what you are dealing with(no hiding them!)With some other problems they are not always visable,not even on a vetting.
 
I nearly bougt a horse that had sarcoids and though at first I was put off when the vet flagged them at the time of the vetting, he said as I was buying a grey horse it was to be expected, they too were under his tail.
Unfortunately the horse failed his vetting on another matter.

So to answer your question as long as the value of the horse reflected these sarcoids and they are not in a position which could affect the riding ability , eg. around the saddle/girth area I would probably go a head and buy if you feel this horse is for you, buying any horse is a risky business.

Have you taken advice from a vet in the event of these geting worse, I think also it depends on what type they are.

Good luck in what ever you decide.
 
I would always think more than twice about buying something with sarcoids. Although it depends on what you want to do with him, his age, amount of growth over time they've developed and if you're prepared for him always to have them.

One of my mares developed two sarcoids about three years ago and the vet at the time said they impacted hugely on re-sale. I was gutted as she's a competition horse who does workers amongst other things so her appearance was important.

I read up on it including all the liverpool cream stuff and concluded they were more than a bit of a nuisance.

I did start feeding euchanicea (sp?) though and one morning found out the one on her belly had just dropped off (was a bit grossed out about it being in her bed somewhere mind!).

The other one over a period of a few weeks also disappeared.

Vet said it can be immune system related which is why the herb helped perhaps and she's been free of them ever since.
 
Sadly they do affect re sale value. However if they are not in a place that interfers with tack I wouldn't be worrided myself with a few small ones. We had a youngster with them once, treated them with liverpool cream and they went for good
 
i brought my horse with sarcoids when he was just 4. he is now 11 and ive never had a problem with them and he doesnt seem to even notice they are there!
it has never affected what i do on him.
if i saw a horse that ticked all the boxes as such, i would buy it, sarcoids or not.
 
Again its like most medical conditions, if it doesnt
effect the animals wellbeing or physical activities then they should not be seen as being a problem.

We sold our last horse with sarcoids (they were in the last stages of treatment with Liverpool Cream) and pointed them out directly to the new owner. She brought him the same day.

I think you have to consider is it better to buy a horse with a blemish who will be perfect for you or go for something without a blemish who may cause you alot of grief.
 
I was recently tempted to buy a horse with a sarcoid. It's true that most horses are unaffected by sarcoids, but that's not always the case - for example if they are weepy they can become bothersome in the summer, or even infected. I'd say you'd be looking at about £500 upwards for removal, remembering that there is a high chance of them returning again. And of course, your insurance wouldn't cover any of this treatment as you knew about the sarcoids at purchase.

On the other hand, you could see the sarcoid as a good bargaining tool, and if the seller is prepared to accept a knocked-down price for the horse, this may well off-set the small risk of expensive treatment further down the line.

If I was vetting the horse, I'd want to know 2 important things: firstly, how long have the sarcoids been there? if they have been unchanged for years, then it is much less likely that they will cause any trouble in the future. If they have just arrived, then I'd be concerned. Secondly, what type of sarcoid are they? there are several different types of varying severity. The nodular variety are the least aggressive.

One the whole, I'd say think carefully about it, but if she is perfect in every other way, the price is right and you're prepared to accept the small risk, then go for it.
 
My horse has a sarcoid on his pastern. We have tried all number of treatments (including the Liverpool cream) with no success. So bear in mind they are not always treatable.

The trouble with sarcoids is that they can spread, and as another poster has stated, your insurance wont cover pre-existing conditions. You may well run-up expensive vet fees. Perhaps you could contact a local vet and ask for some ideas of treatment/diagnostic options and rough prices.

If the sarcoid is under the bridle or saddle or girth area I'd say this is a real no go. My horse has one on his pastern and it gets knocked and abraded in the sandschool and so it does bleed sometimes.

Another poster has mentioned that the sarcoids may be a good bargaining tool for you. If you want to sell on and the horse still has sarcoids, this may well be a good bargaining tool for the seller!

Sorry to be negative, but I probably would not buy unless the horse was really special in other ways that totally out-weighed this issue.
 
i have recentrly sold my horse which had two small ones- on the inside of her back leg-myu vet always said we could treat them...but the vet who vetted her said leave them well alone....they had never been a problem for her and she passed the vetting with flying colours.
 
Been there, done that and would never buy a horse with sarcoids again. The horse I bought had a couple of small sarcoids at the time of vetting. However, he then got one on his neck, just where the rein goes. It got very sore and made riding difficult. It took about 6 months in all to get rid of it using various different methods (none covered by insurance). However, I sold him shortly afterwards and have recently come across him on the hunting field and they've never had any problems in the 8 years they've had him.

I suppose you just need to decide if you can afford to have them treated if they cause a problem. Buying horses is so tricky isn't it.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I nearly bougt a horse that had sarcoids and though at first I was put off when the vet flagged them at the time of the vetting, he said as I was buying a grey horse it was to be expected, they too were under his tail.

[/ QUOTE ]

If they were under the tail and the horse was grey, they were probably melanomas - which ARE more common in grey horses. Sarcoids aren't selective!

This chap

jester6.jpg

was considered by the great Derek Knottenbolt to be incurable when he was sent up there by his former owner. I'd seen the horse just before he went and asked YO why the horse's owner was wasting diesel as DK would want him put down on humane grounds. The insides of both back legs were completely covered by ulcerated sarcoids - absolute mess! And it was his third 'attack' of sarcoids in under a year! DK DID want to shoot him but insurance company wouldn't agree so DK treated him with an experimental and somewhat dangerous treatment, which involved knocking his immune system right out with hefty doses of immuno-suppressant drugs.

The bill was £3,000 - (insurance paid) the horse returned to my friend's livery yard and I bought him - for £500 - which included 3 almost new and freshly laundered rugs - a Rambo, and 2 Rhinos (so about £250 worth of rugs) He arrived with early Strangles (as a result of coming in contact with a carrier at the livery yard when he had NO immunity) but we spotted it early and it didn't spread. We've now had him 5 years, he carries the huntsman in style and has never had another sarcoid.

Definitely the best bargain I ever found! (He was insured for £8000 at the time of the sarcoids, being a very promising eventer by Odysseus!)
 
Would depend on the type, where they were. Unfortunately sarcoids are becoming more and more common. If there were multiples, I would be put off big style. If there was just one or two, wouldnt bother me. My boy developed one after I brought him, treated it with blood root ointment and teatree and it has completely disappeared. I believe strongly they are in connection to the immune system and also that they can be carried about by flys. Small "warty" non weepy ones are easily treated unless there are multiples, in which case there could be something underlying.
 
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