Should I shoe to sell?

SNORKEY

SNORKEY

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I took my boys shoes off as he kept going unsound about 7 months ago, he was X-ray'd and the vet said there was nothing wrong he just has no heel and was sore footed. Since then he was turned away for the winter whilst I had a baby and he's now been back in work a couple of months. If I only ride in the field and on the roads he's fine but he can't go on the bridleway as its so stoney he's really uncomfortable.
His heel has grown down a bit and he's quite happy apart from being on the bridleway.
I need to sell him now, but I don't know whether to re shoe him in his natural balance shoes, if someone comes to try him are they going to want to ride on the bridleways etc or will the roads and field be enough?
 
I would shoe him so that any buyers can try him down the bridle ways but let them know he's happy shoeless if they were to ride on ground that isn't stoney!
 
If he is not sound he will fail a vetting, you are unlikely to sell without one unless he is very cheap, if you restrict people to how they try him they will be suspicious as to why. I would shoe him so you know he can be tried properly and if required vetted with more chance of passing and selling.
 
What are you selling him as? If prospective buyers are likely to want to hack him then yes I would shoe him :)
 
Normally I would say no but in this case I would shoe so they could try properly or buy a front pair of boots but if your selling him you prob won't want to. But I would also worry about him going unsound again? I had that with one.
 
He hasn't been unsound since he had his shoes off. He kept going lame but when I took him to the vets for X-rays last year two vets lunged him and they couldn't see it. But the vet said take his shoes off and change farrier and see how he does. And he's been fine since. The farrier I had was letting his toe get too long and he was on his heels. He's also been on a low starch and sugar diet which has helped.
He will be being sold as a show horse/ all rounder.
 
Shoe. Mention he has been barefoot and managed ok, if the buyer considers that a plus (shows he has good feet) but shoe to sell.
Most buyers are suspicious of buying an unshod horse.
 
I wouldnt shoe him. Whats the point, they may well not need him shod if they buy him. Just explain he cant go on stoney ground without. You could try boots?
 
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Oberon said:
Shoe. Mention he has been barefoot and managed ok, if the buyer considers that a plus (shows he has good feet) but shoe to sell.
Most buyers are suspicious of buying an unshod horse.
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This. I have sold several barefoot horses but I was always able to point to two others and say "all my horses are barefoot". If you only have one to sell I would shoe it so as not to raise questions as to why it is unshod.


I do worry for the future soundness of the horse and for the new owners and what grief they may encounter though. There are horses who just don't cope with shoes on, I hope he is not one of them.
 
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from what you have said my main worry would be that if you shoe him he might be unsound, then you wont be able to sell him anyway, i would maybe explain to anyone interested and say you are willing to shoe. i understand though that this may put some buyers off
N&F
 
Il make sure he's ok with shoes on before i advertise him, and if he's not he'l be staying and seeing the vet. I've had him since a foal so I'm not going to just get rid of him or hide any problems.
I could just do the fronts, that would save me a bit of money.
 
one horse i bought i went to see was very footy when we viewed him and everywhere was stony tracks, so no where to try him on soft ground. He was everything we wanted so asked the seller to shoe him in front which they didnt mind and went to see him again, didnt stop the sale but did make me hesitate a bit as didnt know on first viewing if there could have been anything else possibly wrong. Seller was fine about it and he is now with me unshod and happy now
N&F
 
Oberon said:
Shoe. Mention he has been barefoot and managed ok, if the buyer considers that a plus (shows he has good feet) but shoe to sell.
Most buyers are suspicious of buying an unshod horse.
Click to expand...

Are they? I've not yet shod my horse as he has been great in field, hacking and school.
 
It's the total opposite over here to in England. Most horses are not shod therefore if a buyer turns up to look at a horse which is shod many are highly suspicious (as am I), however in England the mentality is different and most buyers would think it a little suspicious if the horse were unshod, therefore I'd shoe him for the sale to give him the best chance of finding the right person. If, after buying him they want to take his shoes off that would be up to them.
 
If horse is sound and working then no i wouldn't. My last two were purchased shoeless although the previous owner of the gelding did shoe him for me the day I picked I'm up as she had messed me about a little with collection/delivery :)
 
Personally, I would rather buy a barefoot/unshod horse than a shod horse but appreciate I might be in the minority.

It sounds like you have come to.a decision - so good luck selling him! x
 
If horse is fine (albeit needing a bit of toughening for harder ground) unshod wont the important thing be that he is shoe-able (as in good for farrier, which I assume you can say he always was) more than that he is sound shod?

You could spend a while getting new farrier to get new shoes right (sounds as though old shoes/farrier weren't right) only for it to have to happen all over again in new home, no?

So, perhaps only worth doing if you have the time to be able to try a few different things if the first set aren't good?

On the trying thing: bridleway = good plan. I'd be reluctant to try a horse on a road first time unless i knew them previously.
 
For the sake of the horse it's probably worth getting him shod by a (better) farrier, just so you know whether he can cope or not. It's not fair on the horse or the new owner to sell him on to a home than might want or try to shoe him in the future if you know that might not work for him.

I wouldn't necessarily be suspicious about a barefoot horse if I was buying, but I would walk away if I wasn't able to try it hacking out on roads and tracks in case you're covering up something other than footyness!
 
Shod. If you are selling a show horse/all rounder chances are they would want shoes on. I would not look at an unshod horse in case this was to hide a real issue. The difference would be if I say, went to buy a dressage horse off someone like Lucinda Mcalpine as know this is how she keeps and competes her horses.
 
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