They saw me coming (again)....Sorry bit of a moan :(

redandblue

redandblue

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So , I don't have the best of luck it seems in the horse-ownership stakes. #1 was a veteran (23) gifted to me as a light hack - after six months - unrideable due to arthritis and a bad fall - now my happy little field pet:p.
#2 was a pyscho tb (turned out to be doped when I tried her out) and spent most of her time on her back legs when she came to me. I realised I was out of my depth and sent her away to be re-schooled and sold on (now happy as a broodmare).
Then came gorgeous #3. After being so shaken up by my over-horsing episode with #2 - about six months ago I found a lovely little cob perfect for happy hacking at a local dealers. She was an ex driving pony and was hugely out of condition due to her recent trip across on the boat from Ireland. She was advertised as 15 and a real plod. So I had her vetted (only stage 3) and brought her home where she quickly regained her condition and has never been sick or sorry (excepting a foot abcess - mud - argh!!). She has been a god send - helped me no end to regain my confidence and is such a character. I love her to bits <3. So, whats the problem you ask?
At the weekend one of the ex-employees at said Dealers apologised sincerely to one of my closest friends for being involved with #3's sale as she wasn't the 15 yr old she was advertised as she was actually 24! He passport was only issued prior to her tranport from Ireland (ICS Ltd) and does state her age at 15yrs 9mths at the time when I bought her - but tbh it was probably handed out at the sales and fairly unreliable - no that I'm a synic.
My question is how could a vet (my own vet actually) mistake a 15 year old (admittedly with a few miles on the clock) for a 24 year old? Would she still pass the vet?
Don't get me wrong I am cross as I have been duped by an unscrupulous dealer (with past history of similar it has now been revealed) and feel misled by a passed vetting, but ultimately, glad she came to me. She is my little gem and always will be - but with age comes other considerations such as vetinary care. What would I do if she ever has a colic episode for example? I wouldn't think twice about putting a 15 yr old through surgery if it was recommended but a 24 yr old?
I'm just gutted - but hey ho. I'm no spring chicken either and I'm sure we will be fine :rolleyes:
 
Who's to say who's right - the ex employer or the vet. Thinking about it logically the difference in appearance between the two ages can be huge. And it can be very, very hard to put condition back on a vetran once they've been allowed to get so poor. So I would treat what the ex employee said with a pinch of salt.

As for passing or failing a vetting. They don't. A horse is deemed fit (or not) for purpose. Although it's always worth getting a 5 stage done. Especially if you've been 'burn't' before. Also, did you ask for a full dental inspection? Were you present at the vetting?

A horse of any age can get collic.

So, unless you can get a definitive opinion on the age of the horse, I simply wouldn't worry about it.

However, if you did decide to get the age verified, you could probably chase the dealer for misrepresentation, if the horse did in fact turn out to be much older.
 
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Very difficult clearly the dealer is at fault and if you chose to demand he take the horse back he should do so however as you love the horse and it suits you that's not going to happen .

As for ageing its wildly inaccurate on mature horses to age them by the teeth in fact in all the older horses I have bought in the last few years the has put age ( by passport ) on the certificate .
Age would not affect if a horse passed a vet or not.
Next time check the issueing date of the passport when you buy .
And buy from a more reputable source.
Trading standards might be interested but all you know is a lot of here say at the moment.
 
Get her checked out by a good equine dentist who will be able to give you a better idea, rather than listening to tales from an ex employee who may have an axe to grind.
If she is in her twenties, she'll need her teeth checking regularly anyway.

That said, I'm glad she's with you, sometimes, these special horses just seem to find us, and she found you. Lucky mare.
 
Thanks for your reply. It's nice to hear an impartial opinion. I suspected as much with the vetting - fit for purpose - but thought vet may have queried the age if it he suspected her really to be 24. At the end of the day - she really is fit for purpose and looking fab coming through the winter:) Can't ask much more of her can I.
 
What the other's have said.

You love your cob; she's fit for purpose and doing the job you bought her for. Next time you get your vet/EDT out, ask them for their opinion but unfortunately doubt you have much, if any, comeback if she is older than advertised as you would have to take it up with passport issuer & original source rather than dealer in the UK.
 
What would I do if she ever has a colic episode for example? I wouldn't think twice about putting a 15 yr old through surgery if it was recommended but a 24 yr old?
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I'd think about putting a horse of any age through a colic surgery (in fact I'm convinced I wouldn't)......
 
Its so difficult to age a horse. i bought a gelding from a dealer, was told it was 12, passport said 12, but dentist was adamant he was in his twenties. I got really upset and het up about it, ony for his original, and only other owner to get in contact with me, and showed me proof he was only 12. ( still got done over by the dealer though, in other ways!!!) In the end, if the horse is what you want, and you are doing everything you wanted to, is it such a biggy?
 
No you can't ,a horse that you love and suits you if worth its wieght in gold and you never know how long they will be with you no matter what age you buy them at .
Just enjoy every day and read up on the care of the older horse.
 
As a consolation to you my old lad was sold to me at 14 though I suspect he was much older. He was the best and most fantastic companion and riding horse ever so honest and tried his best. He passed last year at the age of at least 32 having hacked until his late twenties , when he went he was as muscular fit and vital as ever until the day the tumour took him.
 
My gelding would pass a vetting as long as he wasnt flexion tested on his hocks, he has arthritis. not sure if a stage three does flexion. He is 22 :)

I would get a good dentist as others have suggested, and just take some precautionary measures like joint sup and keep doing what your doing :)
 
Thanks guys, my girl's not going anywhere :) I have just got frustrated over all this and feel a bit daft. With age comes wisdom (sometimes) :rolleyes:
 
Just to answer a couple of the questions asked ... her vetting cert had her age listed on it as 15 yrs +, she was flexion tested to the extreme and passed with flying colours (trotted off like a 5 year old).
She's been on a joint supplement since day one but has no sign of any arthritis or joint issues thankfully.
Her teeth were done within a week of her coming to me as the vet said he doubted they'd ever been done in Ireland.
I have no intention of contacting the dealer - thats a hornets nest I am not prepared to disturb - and honestly, I feel a bit silly now making such a fuss as like many of you have said, does age really matter? Not one jot if she's happy and healthy - tbh I'm forty now but feel like a thirty year old - who's to say 24's not the new 15 anyway;)
 
if I was you I'd be angry too! at the dealer and make sure you tell people what happened so they can be aware, the price you paid may have been different should her age have been correct, even if you still chose to buy her. I bought a 13year old pony and had her vetted, vet said yes she was probably about that age but it was harder to be accurate from that age onwards. I have no reason to believe she is not but I think it is harder so I wouldnt be too upset with vet. maybe she's got really good teeth for her age!
anything can happen to any horse at any age (My friend recently had a 10 year old diagnosed with severe arthritis) so yes enjoy your horse, get it off your chest to anyone you can about the dealer. you are talking fact and so doing no wrong!
 
What a nightmare

Def get to the bottom of it if you can...

I have an old boy and regularly play a game when visiting dentists and vets are visiting of "guess the age of the pony"...

Not one has put him over 20 - he's 26. Its been explained to me countless times that after a certain age it get incredibly difficult to age them if they are working and in excellent condition (as he is)....

Doesnt mean I dont feel your pain x
 
When I was young we had a pony which was bought as [apparently] an 18 year old and was later aged at mid to late twenties. I recently got in contact with his breeder who told me he was foaled in 1969, making him 18 when my family bought him after all.
 
I suppose the only question would be, do you have her insured? What would the insurance company say about the alleged age difference? If she's not insured then no problem; you love her and so you'll keep her and have fun.
 
amymay said:
I'd think about putting a horse of any age through a colic surgery (in fact I'm convinced I wouldn't)......
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Really? why Amymay?
I've luckily only had to make the choice once and I didn't go down the surgery route simply due to the fact the horse was 38, a very bad traveller and hated new places etc. It was the easiest decision.
However I'm not so sure it would be so easy if god forbid one of my current horses needed it.

Op, sorry for slight hijack!
The horse I've just mentned was supposed to be 13 when I got him. Dentists all agreed over the years I had him he was significantly older (all agreed which is where I get the final age of 38!)
I had the best time with him and many many years of fun. If I'd known his age I wouldn't have even gone to see what turned out the worlds best horse! I'd not worry overly if I were you just make the most of what sounds a fab little horse. X
 
Look you've been bloodly lucky to find a lovely horse who you really can enjoy riding. Forget the age and everything else - just enjoy your good fortune. If you are woorried about colic then just make sure that you keep your horses feeding regime exactly the same, always dampen the feed and you should have no problems.

My other advice is get teeth checked twice a year by your vet (not an equine dentist).

Enjoy your horse and good luck.

(I owned my first horse from age 8 - 25 and second horse from age 7 to age 29) Had loads of fun with both of them. They were both ridden to their last days.
 
My old loan mare was most definitely at least 22 when I had her - her owner of 12 years had known her at a local riding school for most of her life before buying her. The riding school had rescued her from a campsite by paying a group of ne'er-do-wells £50, she had been broken to drive so would be at least 2 then... So her minimum age was 22 - she was aged by a dentist as around 15 and when she pulled a tendon the vet could find n sign whatsoever of arthritis or such-like. He said she would have passed off as a 15 year-old without question and therefore he was going to treat her as such! She was still jumping the last I heard of her at around 28 years old.

SO I don't think aging any horse is an exact science. Prior to passporting there must have been plenty who were older than their owners actually thought.
 
I bought my ex racer as an 8 year old ... my vet came to do his horrendous teeth and said this is deffo not 8, more like 20 and he's not the horse on the passport (as couldnt find his chip) I was mortified... but after emails and emails chasing race photos/old owners, it was deffo him and the vet was wrong ... needless to say we swapped vets :mad:
 
Your vet said she was 15+ ie, older than 15, which you still think that she is (24 is older than 15)
I would crack on and enjoy her for what she is (never look a gift horse in the mouth as they say) and she certainly is a gift horse if she's given you your confidence back!
 
The last horse I retired was 6 and diagnosed with navicular. The one before 16 and too wild to ride. The one before that was 31 though she took an easier lifestyle from 29 (aged pre passport so could be older, we always worked on the youngest she could be according to vet and dentist so she could have been as old as 35 when she retired!!

Sounds as though you love this horse and it's doing the job. Ex employees can be bitter things so I too would take with a pinch of salt and just crack on as you please.

My veteran lives on hay, chaff and sugar beet in winter (and not much of any of it) and just grass in summer. She has milk thistle for her liver issues (£16/month) and I disolve her bute in it in the summer to syringe it into her as she is prone to fat so no feed! No special or expensive feed or medication required. Only been on bute for about 6 or 7 months and it works out about £15/20 a month despite her having quite a bit in the winter. If I had kept her working light hacks she probably would still be up to it but she likes to gallop about or be left alone and her legs don't move as fast as her brain so we retired her - she had a hard life hunting in Ireland, then Hunting and BSJA in UK then riding school then me so not as if she's been carefully looked after and nurtured all her life - similar to yours if not harder ridden so I would expect to keep going till horse tells you otherwise then slow down a bit but not stop till he's ready. Sounds like a really lovely sort of a horse.
 
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amymay said:
I'd think about putting a horse of any age through a colic surgery (in fact I'm convinced I wouldn't)......
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^ This.

Age has little to do with anything imo. I will always judge the individual horse. My 21 yo share was in far better health than the 14yo girl I used to hack out.

And vetting is as said previously, fit for purpose. Age wouldn't make an odds to me and if you aren't competing and just hacking etc, there is no reason a horse in their twenties isn't fit for purpose. It's also fairly difficult to judge an age, there may be basic ways but it's a regular occurance to be almost a decade out using these!
 
I bought a MW mare from a riding school last summer. She was advertised as 10yrs but when I went to view her I thought her teeth looked those of an older horse. I was told oh she's 11 not 10. I still bought her as she did everything I wanted and was 100% in traffic. When they delivered her her passport said she was 13! Ok so not much difference but still makes you feel a bit aggrieved like OP. Difference was I suspected she was older than 10 at the viewing but she ticked all the boxes and I was more concerned about having a fun but safe hack ( I'm a grandma and have had spinal ops so safety is paramount for me). So glad I wasn't put off by the age query had she been advertised as 13 I probably wouldn't have gone to see her out of ageism! She's on a joint supplement as maintenance rather than necessity and I hope we have many years together. To the OP I'd say enjoy your lovely horse, live for today and don't worry about tomorrow.
 
But Passtheshampoo - had you looked at the passport prior to purchase, you would have known the age of the horse. So whilst the RS may have been a bit naughty - as a purchaser we have a responsibility to ourselves to ensure that we check all the paperwork prior to purchase (but like buying a car really).
 
For those that are interested I've uploaded a few pics into my album. Her condition was really poor in the early days but came back really quickly. We're still working on muscle but hope to improve fitness come the spring.
 
Beautiful, beautiful mare, Red. And I don't believe for a minute she's mid 20's.

Going to be cheeky - sorry. But she's porky, and is exhibiting plenty of muscle.

No wonder you lover her. She's stunning.
 
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redandblue said:
For those that are interested I've uploaded a few pics into my album. Her condition was really poor in the early days but came back really quickly. We're still working on muscle but hope to improve fitness come the spring.
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Just had a nose. She is lovely, whatever her age. Certainly doesn't look 'old' to me. Keep on having fun!
 
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