Selling on broken down horses

wispagold

wispagold

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Right, appologies from the start...I haven't done this before so who knows what might happen and I can't spell!! Also quite a long story, this may go on for some time, sorry
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Bascially I was wondering if anyone had any advice or tips for me. I have a 15 year old, 14 hand pony who severely damaged her tendon on Aug 26th 2008, she has had stem cell treatment and is quite happy now, goes out in the field (at the moment with a sport boot on but hopefully in the summer will have nothing on) and can be ridden. She is always going to be lame because the tendon is no longer the same as the one on her good leg and her foot has changed shape because she wasn't weight baring on it for so long but she isn't in any pain. Unfortunately we can't afford to keep her because including her we have 5 horse on DIY livery. I don't know what do to with her because I think she would make a fantastic broodmare (although she hasn't had a foal before), she has good breeding and has done really well as a working hunter, around pony club pony (i.e open dressage teams, open hunter trials, hunting etc). I would quite happily give her away (we don't expect any money for her) but I always hear horror stories where the horse has been sold on. She is the kind of pony who would jump and be put up with being ridden even if she was in pain so we really need someone who will be honest and look after her. I don't know anyone who is in a position to have her. I am still in contact with the woman who bred her and I think she would have her back in a few years time to live out her days at her yard having foals etc but at the moment she has had a really tough year and I don't feel like I can ask her.

Anyway just wondered if anyone has had any similar experiences or could offer any words of wisdom?! Thank you very much!!
 
Personally I would put her on loan close to home so you can keep and eye, or have her PTS to avoid all of the worries you have mentioned....
 
Can i ask how she did it?
Is that her in your signature?

She sounds like a real honest horse! i would say i would take her but im still at college and have no job or money lol
Maybe if you cant find anyone who wants her even for nothing, then maybe sending her to a retirement home i no she isnt old but if you cant afford??

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Probably not what you want to hear but I would either keep her or PTS. There are just too many horror stories of horses like her being sold or given away ending up in the sales or being sold on in work. I'd personally ask her breeder and keep her for the year until you know she can go back to her.
 
I think you need to ask her breeder now as she will soon be too old to start breeding and if you need a home now ,she may be your only hope.
I feel sorry for you because you obviously love this pony, maybe a companion loan home might be found but as you said you would have to be careful.Good luck
 
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Unfortunately we can't afford to keep her because including her we have 5 horse on DIY livery.

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How many sound ones have you got out of the 5? My first thought is, if its more than one (I think everyone deserves at least one to ride!), sell one of the sound ones and keep the lame pony.
 
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Probably not what you want to hear but I would either keep her or PTS. There are just too many horror stories of horses like her being sold or given away ending up in the sales or being sold on in work.

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Ditto this.
 
1) she's to old to breed from.
2) could advertise her a) for loan with resticted work out b) happy hacker
3) as above posts pts
Me I'm just a happy hacker now, age wise, but if you could find someone near home that would take her on go for it.
Own my on stables so I know having 5 at livery is a big cost.
 
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Can i ask how she did it?
Is that her in your signature?

She sounds like a real honest horse! i would say i would take her but im still at college and have no job or money lol
Maybe if you cant find anyone who wants her even for nothing, then maybe sending her to a retirement home i no she isnt old but if you cant afford??

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No that isn't her in my sig, that's my eventer. I will try and post some pics of her (warning this might not work!!)

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She did it out on a pony club hunt ride. I have 3 younger sisters so when I grew out of her my little sisters had her. The youngest one had taken her out on this hunt ride and she had been fab all day then just as everyone was jumping the last fence we think she must have landed over the jump and put her foot down a hole. She was instantly lame to the point that she couldn't walk, we bought the trailer into the field and picked her up and took her straight to the vets. They put a Robert Jones bandage on (bascially a cast so she couldn't move it).

I have thought about asking the blue cross but would rather try and find somewhere myself first.
 
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What is her temperament like?

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She is lovely! Really kind, hasn't got a bad bone in her body, never puts her ears back, has never bitten or kicked anyone. Only thing is that is a competition pony, not a plod. She is good out hacking with traffic but she is sharp and can be spooky. I also wouldn't leave her on her own in a field because she would probably jump out. When she first came off box rest and we started turning her out (on vets instructions) we put her in a 12 x 12 paddock and she jumped straight out over 4ft electric fencing and that was after she had sedaline!
 
I wouldn't pass on the responsibility to someone else, if you sell then no matter what the buyer says, or agrees to, they can do whatever they like.

I would have serious problems with the fact that she is, in fact, crippled if her legs and feet don't match, she may not be in pain currently, but she may be in the future as she will compensate for the shortened leg. I couldn't pass her on and I certainly wouldn't ride her again.

Personally, if I couldn't keep her myself then I'd have her pts, she won't know, or care.
 
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I wouldn't pass on the responsibility to someone else, if you sell then no matter what the buyer says, or agrees to, they can do whatever they like.

I would have serious problems with the fact that she is, in fact, crippled if her legs and feet don't match, she may not be in pain currently, but she may be in the future as she will compensate for the shortened leg. I couldn't pass her on and I certainly wouldn't ride her again.

Personally, if I couldn't keep her myself then I'd have her pts, she won't know, or care.

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Well she would never be in hard work. Our vets are quite happy for her to be ridden. Lots of horses have different shaped feet, our farrier makes sure her feet are balanced, she doesn't have one leg longer than the other! Our vets have told us to start riding her because it helps strengthen her tendon. They are amazed with the progress she has made and her scans look really good. Having her PTS would be our very last option, she has a good quality of life and isn't in pain. If I could afford to keep her I would. I don't want to pass on the responsibilty which is why I want to find somewhere where she would be wanted and not a burden.
 
think you should try loan her as i think she'd loan easily. How long ago did the injury happen? If fairly recently the it is quite likely her foot will change again if she is now weight bearing and she will become sound.

We took on an ex racer aged 19. He had broken down racing years previously although was brought back to race again but only once i think before they decided not to bother. He was then owned by a lady who did all sorts on him, jumped etc. At one staghe though he was tied to a gate and ws started, pulled back, gate came off and off he galloped still attached - damged his tendons even more - you can still see the scars!

After several failed loan homes he ended with us as he was going to be PTS due to not having anywhere for her to put him.

He is now 26 and fit and healthy and still rideable, although he's not really ridden. His tendons are terrible REALLY obvious damage. Our vet always bring students to have a good feel whenever they come out so they know what really horrendous bowed tendons are like!

I would try loan locally but would also make sure you do have somewhere for her to go should she be returned. At 15 she's not over the hill quite yet and potential has plenty of years left in her and for another child to enjoy. I don't like the idea of having her PTS just through lack of room and I too would suggest selling on of the sound horses and keeping her. After all it sounds like she has given your family lots of fun over the years.
 
Though she is older to be a maiden mare, she is a pone which goes in her favour - she sounds an absolute superstar & as her injury was an accident then not unsuitable to be bred from. I'd pursue that first.

If not, would she be suitable as a trekking pony? I know it doesn't sound great, but I know of some horses which have been sent to a centre near us who have limited soundness and are thriving, and the spookier ones are normally ridden just by the girls in charge of rides so a little sharpness might be of benefit to her well being.
 
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I wouldn't pass on the responsibility to someone else, if you sell then no matter what the buyer says, or agrees to, they can do whatever they like.

I would have serious problems with the fact that she is, in fact, crippled if her legs and feet don't match, she may not be in pain currently, but she may be in the future as she will compensate for the shortened leg. I couldn't pass her on and I certainly wouldn't ride her again.

Personally, if I couldn't keep her myself then I'd have her pts, she won't know, or care.

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Well she would never be in hard work. Our vets are quite happy for her to be ridden. Lots of horses have different shaped feet, our farrier makes sure her feet are balanced, she doesn't have one leg longer than the other! Our vets have told us to start riding her because it helps strengthen her tendon. They are amazed with the progress she has made and her scans look really good. Having her PTS would be our very last option, she has a good quality of life and isn't in pain. If I could afford to keep her I would. I don't want to pass on the responsibilty which is why I want to find somewhere where she would be wanted and not a burden.

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There you are then, vet is happy for her to be ridden, then say no more, you hadn't mentioned that fact. I still wouldn't RIDE a lame horse, regardless of what ANY Vet said. You did say in your original post that she was always going to be lame, sorry, but, in pain or not, to my eyes that IS a crippled horse.

Apologies for presuming (presumption being the mother of all cock-ups) that a mis-matched hoof and tendon would be, or could lead to a problem.

All the Best in finding her a suitable home.
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Unfortunately we can't afford to keep her because including her we have 5 horse on DIY livery.

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How many sound ones have you got out of the 5? My first thought is, if its more than one (I think everyone deserves at least one to ride!), sell one of the sound ones and keep the lame pony.

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Haha you make it sound so easy! The other 4 horses are sound but I have 2 younger sisters that also ride so they have a horse each, I have a horse and the one that is left is my 31 year old 12.2 who isn't going anywhere. This is the problem, we already have one horse who is with us for life (and she seems to be making the most of it!). We just can't afford to keep them all unfortunately. Please don't suggest having the 12.2 PTS because she is brilliant, she is still ridden once a week. She is the only one we have that behaves in all circumstances and she baby sits everything for us. Plus she has all her teeth, looks fantastic, can still see and isn't arthritic and in my mind is going to live forever!).
 
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Having her PTS would be our very last option, she has a good quality of life and isn't in pain. If I could afford to keep her I would. I don't want to pass on the responsibilty which is why I want to find somewhere where she would be wanted and not a burden.

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You won't like this, but you're annoying me. If you can afford your eventer, you can afford your pony. The eventer is sellable, so you could sell the eventer. If you want to carry on riding and competing, that's fair enough, but if that means you can't afford to keep your knackered ones in retirement, it is your responsibility to PTS.
 
Personally i would not ride a lame horse, whatever the vet says. And a sharp, spooky, lame horse is not suitable for many people anyway, thats even if you could find someone willing to risktaking her on as a hack.

She looks like a lovely mare but at 14 that is late to start breeding and may only breed a couple of foals. And then what?

She is too old for the blood bank and at the end of their use there they are returned or pts.

You have a slim chance of re-homing her as a companion but there are 1000s of horses out there looking for homes as a companion. And she wont stay on her own.

If it were me i would keep her. If this meant i had to sacrifice my riding and sell another horse as flame suggests then that is what i would do. I prefer a horse to be pts than passed around but personally i would never do this if the horse still had a quality of life and was happy in the field. Im sure plenty of people will disagree but i think its selfish to pts if the horse is ok to live, just of no use to me.
 
Not Trekking!!!!!She has a tendon injury and at 15 she is too old to breed from as older mares first foal have weaker foals and I know from experience.
Go for a good loan home.
 
I know you said she can not stay in a field on her own, but what about grass livery - cheap and cheerful. There are many places where retired horses live in herds
 
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I know you said she can not stay in a field on her own, but what about grass livery - cheap and cheerful. There are many places where retired horses live in herds

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I have retired horses on pasture board with me, I charge exactly the same keep for a lame horse as I do for a sound one though.
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Look for a good loan home - we are out there! It goes without saying you would have to check out the loanee thoroughly, but you sound pretty experienced. Then make sure a contract sets out your expectations for her care. Any loanee with her best interests at heart will surely be willing to come to an agreement. I'm not talking through my bum - I'm a loanee whose current loan has been with me for 10 years and he's not going ANYWHERE even though at 35 and with dodgy ligaments he's reluctantly been retired.
 
Looks like you are very lucky to have five wonderful horses, Would putting her on loan to stay at the current livey yard be an option. There ARE people out there who are happy hackers and experienced with horses to. Then you can keep an eye on her and monitor what the loaners are doing.
Or could you fnd someone who wants to possibly share her and some of the costs? Im sure if you advertise her there will be people lining up for her.
I dont know that i would trust her to be loaned away from home people would be to tempted to make the most of her abilities. ?
I have been on a few big yards and there are always happy hackers whos horses enjoy a quiet life and always a few on loan / share.
 
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Look for a good loan home - we are out there! It goes without saying you would have to check out the loanee thoroughly, but you sound pretty experienced. Then make sure a contract sets out your expectations for her care. Any loanee with her best interests at heart will surely be willing to come to an agreement. I'm not talking through my bum - I'm a loanee whose current loan has been with me for 10 years and he's not going ANYWHERE even though at 35 and with dodgy ligaments he's reluctantly been retired.

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Thank you, it is nice to know there is hope! I would be very careful if that is what we ended up doing. Unfortunately though I think people like you are few and far between!
 
I don't know if this will help
or not but I will tell you my story, my first horse after growing out of ponies was a ten y.o ex p 2 p horse.
He had spent a year and a half in a field doing nothing after breaking down.
His tendon would be permenently twice the size of the other one.
He ended up affiliated sjing, hunting and pony club eventing. Tendon never caused any trouble and I think it was due to all the time off, time really is a great healer and realisticly your pony could still be going in 15 years time!
For what it's worth I think 14 is not to old to breed from but think pony could teach a youngster alot .
Find a suitable loan home where u can keep an eye on her and hopefully have years of joy seeing her do a job for someone else.
Good luck what ever you decide to do

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