Selling horse with wind issue

[Pink Gorilla]

Hi. 6 months ago I bought an unbroken youngster. Since then he has been professionally broken in and trained by a top showjumper. However I have since realised that due to my lack of facilities at home and lack of confidence, a youngster isn’t suited to me and I’d be better off with an older allrounder. Anyway the trainers have said my horse has a significant wind issue which would make him very hard to sell. He is due home soon and I’m petrified of riding him alone in open fields so wanted to put him straight on to sales livery. But 2 places have said they wouldn’t be able to sell him to their clientele due to his wind. I’d hate to waste all his training, so I don’t want to either put him out of work and sell him in the spring dirt cheap, but I think he’d go backwards with me and my nerves on him as he did throw me off when he was at home between being at the breakers yard and his current trainers. Or do I pay for the surgery? My insurance excess is £500 and I have no stables to box rest him in. What does anyone suggest I do? Surgery means putting even more money into him sell him. Or do I cut my loses and sell without the surgery while making a big loss on him? Either way with the purchase price and cost of training I will make a loss. I’m so stupid to have bought a youngster without experience with them, or someone at home to support me. But I guess there’s nothing I can do about that now and I would make sure he went to a good home, even if I did sell him cheap.

 

[SEL]

I have one in hospital at the moment who has had a wind operation. I got her from the field as a broodmare and I absolutely wouldn't have taken her on if I'd know there was an issue.

If you sell on with a known wind problem then the next owner won't be able to get it covered by insurance, so I think you need to discuss the operation with the vet personally.

 

[Pink Gorilla]

I have one in hospital at the moment who has had a wind operation. I got her from the field as a broodmare and I absolutely wouldn't have taken her on if I'd know there was an issue.

If you sell on with a known wind problem then the next owner won't be able to get it covered by insurance, so I think you need to discuss the operation with the vet personally.

I’m waiting for a call back from the vet, but it won’t be until Monday. Do you know how long they have to stay in hospital for and then how long they need to be on box rest at home? I could hire some temporary stables I guess, but then that’s yet more money I don’t have. Nightmare! I’m so stressed.

 

[ihatework]

I bought a horse with, at the time, an unknown wind issue.

I suppose in my case it was a little different as the horse was turning out good, but still he was purchased with eventual sale in mind.

So there was a time point when I asked myself a similar question about cutting my losses (the horse wasn’t insured), but in all honesty I felt I owed it to the horse to deal with the wind before passing it on.

The horse actually ended up having 2 operations, 12 months after each other. Initially a hobday (which is cheap & easy), then a GA for a tie back. So overall in the region of 3.5k for the vet work.

Selling him on was easier than expected because I wanted a knowledgable home for him and as I was able to provide vet reports and a performance record I did have my choice of buyers. BUT it did impact what I could ask for him. It was still well into 5 figures mind.

The thing that made it work for him was he was proven to do the job. A just backed youngster doesn’t have that tick box. I think you would need to do the op, bring him in for a year and then if he was performing it will be less of an issue (but still an issue, will still mean a reduced price and will rule out a % of buyers). So I appreciate you may not be in a position to do this.

I think at the bare minimum you need to have him scoped do you know what you are dealing with.

 

[SEL]

I’m waiting for a call back from the vet, but it won’t be until Monday. Do you know how long they have to stay in hospital for and then how long they need to be on box rest at home? I could hire some temporary stables I guess, but then that’s yet more money I don’t have. Nightmare! I’m so stressed.

My pony is healing well but I was told to allow 5 nights in hospital - that actually isn't particularly expensive in the overall costs. I will have spent more than IHW above but that's because we needed steroid inhalers to get on top of the pollen allergy in the summer before we realised it was more serious. Operation costs to date are around £2.5k

I'm working on about a week's box rest, but she's an incredibly easy pony to look after so we'll see how she does. You might find a local livery yard has a spare stable you could use for DIY for a week or so if you need to.

Scoping with a camera isn't particularly expensive as a first stage. I think that was about £300 including vet visit, sedation etc and then at least you'll know what you're dealing with.

The showjumping yard that are backing him for you - how much do they think the wind issue is affecting his way of going at present? Does he have enough talent that its worth doing?

 

[ihatework]

Another thought - is this horse definitely not going to work for you long term?

Whilst it wasn’t the case with mine, I have heard that some horses with wind issues can be quite stressed/unsettled by it and are much happier/easier after it’s sorted. It may be the case that with an op and a bit more training he becomes more suitable for you?

 

[Pink Gorilla]

My pony is healing well but I was told to allow 5 nights in hospital - that actually isn't particularly expensive in the overall costs. I will have spent more than IHW above but that's because we needed steroid inhalers to get on top of the pollen allergy in the summer before we realised it was more serious. Operation costs to date are around £2.5k

I'm working on about a week's box rest, but she's an incredibly easy pony to look after so we'll see how she does. You might find a local livery yard has a spare stable you could use for DIY for a week or so if you need to.

Scoping with a camera isn't particularly expensive as a first stage. I think that was about £300 including vet visit, sedation etc and then at least you'll know what you're dealing with.

The showjumping yard that are backing him for you - how much do they think the wind issue is affecting his way of going at present? Does he have enough talent that its worth doing?

that’s not too expensive then. I just keep saying ‘oh I’ll just pay a bit more, than a bit more’ and before I know it I’ve wasted a fortune. The vet said that if he has the surgery and it’s picked up at a vetting that’s he’s has surgery, then it will still invalidate any respiratory issues on the new owners insurance. But I guess that’s not as much of a gamble for them than buying a horse possibly in need of the op. He is quite lazy, but I’m not sure how much of that is due to him temperament as he’s been backwards when being lead to the field.

 

[Pink Gorilla]

Another thought - is this horse definitely not going to work for you long term?

Whilst it wasn’t the case with mine, I have heard that some horses with wind issues can be quite stressed/unsettled by it and are much happier/easier after it’s sorted. It may be the case that with an op and a bit more training he becomes more suitable for you?

Ive lost my confidence with him and even if I could put my brave pants on, I have no arena and only open fields to ride in. Also no help or guidance with how to produce young horses. I just want something easy and fun I’ve now realised.