This makes me angry and sad at the same time

Angelbones

Angelbones

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 April 2008
Messages
2,294
Location
East Sussex
Visit site
Without in any way wanting to get into the whys and wherefores of people reaching such decisions, this ad makes me angry and sad.

If suspected sidebone is her only flaw then surely there is more out there for her than being a companion or worse? She looks a nice mare, obviously cared for from the pics, but free to a good home? I don't want to consider where she could end up :eek:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/marketplace/classified/details.php?id=265573&category=4
 
Forgive my lack of knowledge, what is a sidebone and how can this affect the horse? Is it like a splint?

Lovely looking mare, I agree
 
MsDingle said:
Forgive my lack of knowledge, what is a sidebone and how can this affect the horse? Is it like a splint?

Lovely looking mare, I agree
Click to expand...

it is ossification of the collateral cartilages of the coffin bone. It is usually found on front feet.. not to be confused with ring bone which is worse. normally side bone doesn't cause lameness. However it can get worse and then complications occur causing ligament damage or even coffin bone fractures which does cause lameness

Sometimes you can see it at the top of the hoof a bulge usually just on one side of the foot
 
My mare has sidebone in both of her front feet (driven hard when she was young) and it causes her no problems if managed correctly. She's been off of work for a couple of years for other reasons (pregnancy, time, muscle problem in her shoulder) but before this was a show jumper and had no lameness whatsoever with it. I was just very careful about doing a lot of hard roadwork with her and jumping on hard ground.. It was found through X-rays as she went hopping lame one day when I was jumping her (on rather hard ground!) and since finding out she's been fine ever since :)

Here's a couple of pics to show you! As I can't help but show her off :D

DSC01126.jpg


DSC01039-1.jpg


DSC00965.jpg


I do find it really sad though that she's being given away.. I don't understand why they haven't had her feet and legs x-rayed?!
 
Would suggest to me that there is either a behavioural issue or more to it! Maybe the advertiser wants to explain further over the phone! Agree though a very beautiful girl!
 
A 4 year old dales pony on my yard had to be put to sleep due to sidebone, he had only been broken a bit before and kept going on and off sound!! was given time off and it flared up within a year!! He had to be on really strong painkillers and was in serious pain!! :(:(:(
 
Daisydo said:
she looks lovely, would side bone stop a horse from doing a bit of light hacking?
Click to expand...

Absoluetly not. Trotting any horse on tarmac for any real distance will make them footsore. (Ponyfeet is my daughter BTW). The Occification in Jessie was discovered when she went lame being jumped on hard ground about 8 years ago a little while after we got her (she literally just started hopping after a jump). It was caused by her being driven by the gypsies who we got her off and percussion from trotting for miles does this - also common 'back in the day' with with dray horses.

We had the vet out for Xrays and they made the diagnosis. It settled down after about 3 or 4 weeks and she has never gone lame with it since. After it settled down, she was worked with it in mind and as she didn't show any more symptoms Ponyfeet started jumping her again (and she was bloody good at it, this was taken about 4 years after diagnosis)

I suspect that the owner is struggling to pay the massive field rents demanded in the North London area, and is looking to cut their loses as they haven't bothered to get the horse vetted to establish if it is indeed occification of the side bones (doesn't look like an ex cart horse to me from that ad though ;))

It wouldn't put me off given our experiences if it were indeed a side bone problem unless there were other issues there which couldn't be managed.

I can't see why or how a 4 year old horse only been broken in 12 months could develop this problem as it is one which comes from a lot of work on a hard surface NE ??
 
Last edited:
Its suspected sidebone, or it may be something more serious. also the mare is 15 and maybe not sound. Therefore the owners seem to be looking for a good home for her, maybe than can't afford extra keep and xrays.
It doesn't make me angry or sad as there are many horses far worse off than this. Hopes she finds the home she is seeking.
 
Sorry, but is it only me that thinks the 'free to good home' has more to do with her being a 15 year old thoroughbred than the sidebone? When you can get racing fit youngsters off the track for a few hundred quid, I think these people are being realistic in thinking that they will not get money for a mare like this. Sounds to me as though they are trying to make sure that they get her a good home, rather than looking to get any money for her.

Why is 'free to good home' sadder than 'for sale to the highest bidder'?
 
Angelbones said:
What bothers me about it, to be quite frank, as it can so easily translate to 'free to the meat man'.
Click to expand...

It can. There are a lot of worse things that can happen to a horse than that, however. You'd have to hope that the owner is as serious about the 'good home' bit as they are about the 'free', but ultimately, how can you tell?

I'd like to think I'd have the guts to have mine PTS if I couldn't rehome to someone I knew and trusted, but faced with a healthy horse of no realistic value that you can't (for whatever reason) keep, it's not that easy. You hope you can find the right person who can give them the home they deserve. Fingers crossed for this one...
 
again support that sidebone doesn't cause any long term problems. My boy was diagnosed after occasional lameness, had 3 months off to allow the calcification process to develop and harden and doesn't cause any problems- dishes slightly which he didn't do before but (touch wood) doesn't cause lameness
 
nosenseofdirection said:
It can. There are a lot of worse things that can happen to a horse than that, however. You'd have to hope that the owner is as serious about the 'good home' bit as they are about the 'free', but ultimately, how can you tell?

I'd like to think I'd have the guts to have mine PTS if I couldn't rehome to someone I knew and trusted, but faced with a healthy horse of no realistic value that you can't (for whatever reason) keep, it's not that easy. You hope you can find the right person who can give them the home they deserve. Fingers crossed for this one...
Click to expand...

We bought our TB mare Ebony for the value of her tack as a 17 year old (good Barnsby saddle, bridle and some nice rugs etc - £350)
The owner lost interest in her years before that and had her on loan to a girl who eventually handed her back when she got pregnant.
She was TBH at the time a very insecure basket case who had been pushed from yard to yard, had only been hacked by a rider who was afraid of her and let her know that, Didn't jump her over a stick on the ground, and it took time and work to gain her trust and for her to be happy again (which she is) 5 years on at 22 and she has been re-schooled and is jumping in competition as and when we can get out there (possibly looking to affiliate her this year)

People who would give up so easily have little vision to what can be achieved, and if looking to give a healthy horse at 15 to the meat man, only do so because they lack the ability to get the best from it (IMO) - So shoot me ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top