Sarcoids??

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Custard101

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Interested in peoples opinions on buying a horse with sarcoids?
I'm looking at a 9 year old New Forest who has 2 sarcoids on his under carriage & owner
has said they cause him no problems and the vet has said to leave them alone.
They're not in a place where any of his tack goes and I'm only looking to have a bit
of fun with him out hacking etc, nothing serious!
 
Horses with sarcoids are always a risk and I would want a substantial reduction from the market value of the horse without them. The can flare at any time that the horse has a weakened immune system, including when stressed. They frequently come alive, or develop in new places, when the horse changes home. You cannot insure for treatment of them when buying a horse which has them. My own horse had multiple sarcoids when I bought him, all far back on his belly. On moving homes, he developed one on his face. On being taken to camp for three days he developed one on his girth.

If you like the horse and can get it for the right price, I would buy it. But it isn't a straightforward decision I'm afraid.
 
I bought a horse with a small sarcoid on his sheath and neck. They were being treated with Liverpool cream when I bought. They fell off and I've had no trouble since with them. That was 3 yrs ago.
You'll hear good and bad stories with sarcoid I'm afraid. It's a individual decision as to whether to take the risk.
 
my nf mare developed a sarcoid when she was 4 under her back
leg and my vet recommended that we treated it with Liverpool cream and feed global herbs sarc-x after afew weeks it dropped off and never reoccurred. We moved yards 5 years ago and there's more flies but she's never had them since.
My young nf mare had one under her belly which dropped off on it's own accord but l've spotted one on her ear which l'm getting my vet to check as she is a firm believer that you need to treat sarcoids at the earliest convenience but it depends what type they are as mine aren't the ulcerated type and mine don't travel anywhere anymore only hack out.
The only time l would avoid a horse with sarcoids is if they either had a number of them or they were ulcerated. Like anything all because one horse as lots of them or has reoccurring growths it doesn't mean that another horse would be the same they may never grow back. The decision is yours and it depends if you intend to keep the horse for life or sell
later as it does put lots of people off. Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
I agree with the above. I think it depends on whether you are likely to sell this horse. I bought one with them for £1 and was willing to take a gamble since I didn't plan on selling. We did get them to go, firstly with laser treatment and then Liverpool cream. A couple around his sheath have returned but I've decided to leave them for now. Would I pay good money for one with sarcoids? Definitely not. It is a gamble and there are plenty of normal horses looking for homes.
 
Mine had sarcoids when I bought him, one on his sheath, one on his chest and a couple under his belly. Obviously the price for him was reduced and he got more when he came home to me. I found that a few courses of Sarc Ex especially when I then figured out that it was his immune system that was compromised, probably caused by stress, and then coupled it with their Immuplus and I guess him having a settled home rather than the 4 homes in the year prior to me buying him, sorted it out. I have now owned him for 8 years and he has not had any further sarcoids at all.

However, he has had two tendon injuries, gone through a post and rail fence causing a massive injury to his upper axilla in the past three years so ............. really, sarcoids were a minor issue in the bigger picture!!

But all joking apart, I would not have the Liverpool cream treatment for mine. I found getting his immune system back on track sorted the sarcoids. A girl at my last yard has had oceans of Liverpool treatment on hers for various sarcoids in various places - it hasn't been hugely successful and I would prefer to get to the cause of the sarcoids which in my limited opinion, is the immune system.

And we have moved yards probably 3 times during the time I have had him and he has not developed any more and the existing ones fell off years ago. Having said that, I am always around, so it isn't as though everything is different - I would guess moving owners as well would be very much more stressful and would not help - certainly it didn't help mine when he moved to me, but we have had no more since I have owned him at 4 and a half and the existing fell off with no problem.

I think the type of sarcoid makes a difference as well.
 
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What's the difference between true love and sarcoids ?
Sarcoids are forever .
The horse never ever looses the risk of further sarcoids so you must go into it with your eyes open .
I expect a £1500 reduction when I buy a horse just because I know you can very very easily spend that sort of figure on them .
 
I agree with above post, but horses have lots of things go wrong with them over the years unless you are lucky.

Just be aware that the sarcoids might not go away - we were lucky with ours, some aren't so lucky.
 
Custard101 said:
Interested in peoples opinions on buying a horse with sarcoids?
I'm looking at a 9 year old New Forest who has 2 sarcoids on his under carriage & owner
has said they cause him no problems and the vet has said to leave them alone.
They're not in a place where any of his tack goes and I'm only looking to have a bit
of fun with him out hacking etc, nothing serious!
Click to expand...

A horse at my yard had a sarcoid which the vet over looked in the vetting and once at my yard a few developed after the stress of moving, they been teated and on the road to recovery now.

Depending on where it was and vets advise it would not put me off if they met my criteria in all other ways.
 
Goldenstar said:
What's the difference between true love and sarcoids ?
Sarcoids are forever .
The horse never ever looses the risk of further sarcoids so you must go into it with your eyes open .
.
Click to expand...

Bold statement - No they are not forever with some, your painting it that no horse gets rid of them!!!
ANY horse can have a risk of a scarcoid (s) at anytime.

My Mare I lost developed them after I bought her - in the 80's and not one during the visit or the vetting. They were treated with bands and then dropped off and never returned in the rest of the 23 years I had her and was a mare of a lifetime.

Sometimes you have no control what happens after you buy a horse.
 
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It wouldn't put me off buying a horse if everything else really fit with what I was looking for. It also would depend on placement of the sarcoids. I have tried the Liverpool cream on my horses occult and verrucose sarcoids and was just wondering about feeding Sar-x or trying the laser treatment? Has anyone had success with either and how much does the laser treatment cost as we are out of insurance cover now?
 
I've just been given a price of £442 for laser treatment for one sarcoid . Interesting to hear that immune systems are compromised and yard moves have played a role he only developed his after a yard move.
 
ElvisandTilly said:
It wouldn't put me off buying a horse if everything else really fit with what I was looking for. It also would depend on placement of the sarcoids. I have tried the Liverpool cream on my horses occult and verrucose sarcoids and was just wondering about feeding Sar-x or trying the laser treatment? Has anyone had success with either and how much does the laser treatment cost as we are out of insurance cover now?
Click to expand...
My boy had laser treatment first as he was having an op anyway. All the sarcoids came back, thankfully no bigger than before which I'd heard can happen. He had 9 huge holes in his underbelly.

All but one went with Liverpool cream. The one that's left is the flat type and is between his front legs so I'm leaving it for now.
 
I would buy a horse with sarcoids - at the right price.

I have had several that have developed sarcoids, however I have always treated as soon as they appear. I personally wouldn't leave them, so be prepared for that.

If I bought the horse you are looking at, I would get your Vet to send pictures to Liverpool either before or after purchase. They really are the experts and will be able to tell you the type of treatment needed, if any.
 
TYSSANDI said:
Bold statement - No they are not forever with some, your painting it that no horse gets rid of them!!!
ANY horse can have a risk of a scarcoid (s) at anytime.

My Mare I lost developed them after I bought her - in the 80's and not one during the visit or the vetting. They were treated with bands and then dropped off and never returned in the rest of the 23 years I had her and was a mare of a lifetime.

Sometimes you have no control what happens after you buy a horse.
Click to expand...

A horse that has had a sarcoid can always develop more it carries the virus for ever all it needs is a weakened immune system for any reason and bang you have another
That's why they appear when horses move home .
A horses were you have sucessfully removed the growth still carry the virus .
 
Goldenstar said:
A horse that has had a sarcoid can always develop more it carries the virus for ever all it needs is a weakened immune system for any reason and bang you have another
That's why they appear when horses move home .
A horses were you have sucessfully removed the growth still carry the virus .
Click to expand...

This.

However, in some horses attempting to treat the virus can cause it to become more aggressive - poking the sleeping dragon, as it were. I have a horse like this - unusual presentation of sarcoids around the pastern, attempted treatment made them multiply horrendously badly. That was eventually resolved many years ago, now i just monitor his remaining sarcoids for any significant changes and don't try to treat them. I don't know if the original ones would have been that bad anyway, but it's not a risk I'm willing to take.

If the horse is what you want in every other respect, and the currently evident sarcoids are not in the way/causing pain, and the price is right, then yes, I'd buy it.
 
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