Selling Older Horses -Anyone Else Bothered By This?

[jaquelin]

I have noted these types of posts for some time, and boy, do they really bother me! I am sure I will be setting the cat among the pigeons here, but some people seem to collect horses without thinking through the consequences of when they get older, the rider's needs change, money is short, or whatever & then they post, asking advice on selling their older horse. I really think ALL owners need to accept responsibility for their horses. It is difficult-to impossible to sell an older horse, and to me incredibly sad to read these. When you buy a horse & keep him through his best years, you MUST make provision for his retirement -either keep him, find retirement livery, or if all else fails & you have no money, then have enough in the bank to put to sleep. Thoughts, anyone?

 

[Goldenstar]

It's simple to me I would never sell an oldie saw to many horses that someone had let down when I was a welfare officer.

 

[asommerville]

Absolutely totally agree! i have a 5 year old and a 17 year old. ive had the older one for 6 years and the young one for 2. the old one has taught me everything i know, shes done everything ive ever asked of her and i have always said shed have a home for life. shes not the easiest horse, shes had all sorts of injuries and foot problems but imo she owes me nothing and she deserves the best i can do for her. i would hate to get rid and think she wasnt getting the care she deserves. imo all the oldies were young once and they deserve proper care whether ridden or not!!!

 

[flirtygerty]

I hate these ads, we bought an 18yr old, who was a gem, sadly we didn't have him nearly long enough and we lost him to colic.
Seeing horses advertised in their 20's just depresses me, what happened to loyalty. I already worry about what's best for my 9yr old when I get even more decrepit. Our animals have a home for life.

 

[StarlightMagic]

I have my 26 year old mare, she is in a home for life, owned for 9 years and was retired for 6, has recently come back into work as i've got older and braver and realised she won't kill me!! she will never be sold, even if she was sellable (she has eye problems, mental issues etc) <3 Liz

 

[rockysmum]

Totally agree

I picked an oldie up for a charity yesterday. The owner had been trying to sell, then loan, then slaughter.

Poor poor old guy, thin as a rake, had shoes from last year still on, sores, teeth in need of attention and worse of all a bad stifle injury from a fall months ago. Of course he had never seen the vet or had injections or routine maintenance for years.

How I kept my mouth shut when the owner said the charity might as well take his rugs as they were ripped and would only fetch a fiver I dont know.

He walks sideways like a crab and was so weak at the back I was worried he would go down in the trailer.

He must have been a beautiful horse a few years ago too.

He's in a good place now and the vet is coming out to see him, so hopefully things will look up.

Breaks my heart, I have a 36 year old and a 22 year old who will never leave me alive.

 

[Littlelegs]

Agree entirely. If you really can't keep them then loaning is fine. I'm the opposite, the older mine is the more I want to hold on to her. I think selling a small healthy native first pony type at 20 is ok, slightly different to advertising a 28 yr old tb.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Totally agree

I picked an oldie up for a charity yesterday. The owner had been trying to sell, then loan, then slaughter.

Poor poor old guy, thin as a rake, had shoes from last year still on, sores, teeth in need of attention and worse of all a bad stifle injury from a fall months ago. Of course he had never seen the vet or had injections or routine maintenance for years.

How I kept my mouth shut when the owner said the charity might as well take his rugs as they were ripped and would only fetch a fiver I dont know.

He walks sideways like a crab and was so weak at the back I was worried he would go down in the trailer.

He must have been a beautiful horse a few years ago too.

He's in a good place now and the vet is coming out to see him, so hopefully things will look up.

Breaks my heart, I have a 36 year old and a 22 year old who will never leave me alive.

Aw, stories like this are heartbreaking, but this horse was one of the lucky ones.

I don't understand what's wrong with people: if an owner advertises something in its late teens/early twenties going for a stupid price, then what FGS do they think's gonna happen to it???

My boy will be 16 this year and if I'm ever in the situation of not being able to keep him anymore then I'll do the right thing by him as he's far too quirky to pass on to anyone else basically.

 

[jaquelin]

^^^^agree. the exception would be the pony schoolmasters who go from family to family well into their 30s - heartwarming, actually, but these aren't the adverts & posts that you see.

 

[Goldenstar]

Agree entirely. If you really can't keep them then loaning is fine. I'm the opposite, the older mine is the more I want to hold on to her. I think selling a small healthy native first pony type at 20 is ok, slightly different to advertising a 28 yr old tb.

Yes thats a good point many first ponys swop homes many times and the pottering around they do is not stressful for them.
But selling a 28 yr old TB ugh .
Loaning of oldies should only be considered when you know the home it's close and you must keep an eye on them.

 

[justforfun]

I have a soft spot for taking on eldery dogs and giving them fantastic twilight years, I wish I could offer the same to a horse.
So sad that some people see horses as a 'ridden' pet only, my horses are with me for life.
I guess it all depends on how we view our horses, mine are pets.

 

[Littlelegs]

Goldenstar- agree re the loaning & the 20 year old first pony types usually have prices way way above meat prices.

 

[Ladydragon]

Yep...there's an advert on Preloved for a 22yr old TB x riding horse that I keep checking on... Too far from me but something about her photos tugged at my heart...

Mine have got homes for life and if that ever changed I'd only consider a loan to the right home or pts... My 16mth old was going to be staying put after a horrible stifle injury even if she was a field ornament for the rest of her life... A gut torsion a few months later put paid to those plans but they're my responsibility as much as my house pets or kids are IMO...

 

[sarahrees]

Weve just bought my brothers sec a x back.
they were selling her as a riding pony at the grand of age of 27

 

[Parker79]

Totally - I find it really hard to read the ones that talk of the horse needing a quieter life....so they have past their 'use'! arghhhh makes me mad!!

Its one thing when an older horse is found a home within its livery yard -or via word of mouth perhaps..but to advertise to the open market after years of loyal service!

I saw an advert yesterday for a 20yo advertised at 1500, advert says that this gelding has stiff back legs but will loosen up after a while

 

[mightymammoth]

Totally - I find it really hard to read the ones that talk of the horse needing a quieter life....so they have past their 'use'! arghhhh makes me mad!!

Its one thing when an older horse is found a home within its livery yard -or via word of mouth perhaps..but to advertise to the open market after years of loyal service!

I saw an advert yesterday for a 20yo advertised at 1500, advert says that this gelding has stiff back legs but will loosen up after a while

totally agree

 

[sophiebailey]

I brought Bailey aged 19 but he's a hardy welshman. I hope I can offer him a home until he dies as I owe him so very much. I would like to say should the situation arise that I can no longer keep him that i'd have him PTS to avoid having to sell him, but I couldn't imagine i'd ever be able to do that to the love of my life should he still be perfectly healthy.

I'd hope that I could loan him as a companion or field mate so I could still see him/know where he is/know he's ok as opposed to selling him. But who can predict the future, and who knows the circumstances behind the adverts ... it's all speculative until you're actually in that position ..... xxx

 

[Goldenstar]

Weve just bought my brothers sec a x back.
they were selling her as a riding pony at the grand of age of 27

Well done you

 

[jaquelin]

SophiBailey - but that's just it - when you take on a horse, you must plan for any contingency. It could include PTS! although I imagine a loan home could be found for am older horse that is healthy. I started this thread after seeing a post about someone wanting to sell a somewhat lame older horse -so sad!

 

[Littlelegs]

I think if you've ever been to an auction you'd realise why I'd be able to pts my healthy oldie if the only other option was sell.

 

[sophiebailey]

of course I understand all points of view and do agree that if you can't guarantee a horse a future then you shouldn't buy them. things change so quickly though and with how emotionally involved people are with their animals I can imagine a lot of people convince themselves their oldies will find a nice retirement home to avoid having to make the PTS decision.

I have no idea what i'd do if my financial situation changed, but I would try my hardest for a loan home or even put him on my Grandad's farm just to graze out his golden years with some cows. I don't think I could ever sell him on as like you say, you can't guarantee a safe future and the idea of him ending up at a horse sales or on his way for meat would break my heart more than making the decision to euthanise him at home in my arms. It's a difficult decision and some people don't have the 'heart' to be cruel to be kind.

I've already decided that when Bailey's too old to be ridden as he is now, I'll only think about buying another horse if I have the space/money available to me to keep Bailey and another horse. I'd never sell him because he's too old to ride. If I don't have the space or money for two then i'll just pamper him until I have. I think more people should plan this way to avoid those adverts where people have 'run out of space' etc and someone has to go to make room. They should live out their senior years with the dignity & respect they've earned during their ridden career

Poor lame horse, i do hope someone takes pity on his poor soul xx

 

[jaquelin]

Yes, SophieBailey - you have planned & thought it through - well done! But too many don't.

 

[TheoryX1]

I have a 19 year old irish git, sorry cob. Have owned him about 8 years and he owes me absolutely nothing and has a home for life with me. However, if I was to die, it is written into my will that he will go to Horseworld for the remainder of his life, and have left them a substantial bequest in my will. My OH knows this and carry out my wishes.

I think these oldies do deserve the dignity of a safe home in their old age, if you cant or wont do that, then dont pass on these poor creatures, have the guts to end their lives to prevent further suffering. After all, if you own an old dog or cat, you dont just advertise it for sale so that you can have a younger one, do you?

 

[Copperpot]

It really annoys me. I think if a horse gives you the best years of his life then you owe it to him to repay that. People that get rid of them when they can no longer be ridden really annoy me. When I one day have to retire my boy, I will keep him til he dies. If that means I can no longer afford another horse to ride, then so be it, it will be the least I owe him.

 

[temple_jessica]

A youngster can "break down" easily too. My 22 year old is fitted than most 10 year olds. Never comes out of stable stiff or un level and very
Forward going and keen to work.

 

[PeterNatt]

I am afraid that some people just have no feeling for their horses and treat them as a commodity. They are there to do a job. When they get old they are simply disposed or discarded with an attempt to get as much money for them as possible and let someone else pay for their care in their old age. This is the sad hard fact of how some people think of horses and why we need the charities to pick up the pieces.

 

[LadyRascasse]

I was in this situation a few years ago I had a 9 year old and a 22 year old and enough money to keep one horse. There was no doubt in my mind who had to go. put the 9year on loan for 2 years and they sent her back in October however in August we made the decision that my old boy had to many health issues to have quality of life so he was PTS in September. I have seeing theses ads for older horses it breaks my heart poor things

 

[The_snoopster]

I bought my mare when she was 13 although paper work shows she could be older, I had her vetted mainly for that reason. Turned out she was around 16ish, I still bought her has she was perfect for what I wanted. I have had her now over 7 years, she has taught me everything about riding a more forward going horse and bred me a mini me filly.
At the age of 23ish now and still going strong and only yesterday went on a group hack and she totally lost the plot and jogged and pulled for 2 hours , it appeared she fell in love with the huge 17hh TB, who also fell in a big way for her. I will never sell her now or in the future, especially not when she retires from being ridden, she will need me the most then and I owe her for all the fun she has given me.
I get very sad when I see horses in their 20,s for sale, I imagine the owners have their reasons like cashflow, cannot afford to buy another whilst keeping the old one, do not want the responsibility of owning a veteran, or being chicken about PTS.

 

[Lolo]

21yo, advertised as needing a quieter life. He was the best horse I ever owned and I'm glad his owner decided to move him on to a rider like me rather than have him PTS (if he wasn't in work, he'd drop weight very rapidly and lose all his sparkle and generally be miserable- she tried, we tried. He didn't like retirement!). I got him for free.

What people don't see is his owner vetting every home thoroughly and when she found us and let us have him coming to see us compete and laughing at how naughty he was. What people don't see is the back story and it's really important in these cases.

FWIW, quieter life in this case meant 'not teamchasing round intermediate/ open courses'... It just didn't say that in the advert!

 

[guido16]

I have made provisions that if I die a horrible (obviously heroic) death then my youngster gets given to a good friend to sell and my old girl I have had since a foal will be pts. Couldn't imagine her going elsewhere. Only oldie I have given away was to a friend as a companion. It was because he needed her, not because I needed rid. She was a companion with me so no change of job role for her.
Just better grass! Happy girl.