Thoughts on this horse...and questions to ask when phoning up

vallin

vallin

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As title really, this is the horse: http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/107650233/stunning-rising-5yo-16hh-grey-mare.html

Am after something to bring on and do some low level BE with, maybe aim for grass routes in the (very!) distant future but don't have a massive budget. Also, what question do people normally ask when they ring up about a horse? The main things I can think of are:
-What type of living arrangement are they used to? (i.e. out/in, herd/on own)
-Are they open to vet?
...and then I go blank!

Thought appreciated!
TIA :)
 
It's personal of course, but I'd be really put off a grey which already has sarcoids as a 5yo. Greys are predisposed to cancers anyway, so I can't help but feel it would only go one way. That alone would be a deal breaker for me.

As I say, personal choice though, and if you're happy not to make money if you sell on, then perhaps worth a look.
 
why selling? details of breeding so you can look at parents comp records. What like in traffic, clip, loading? Been in trailer and lorry? tack and rugs inc or seperate? What does horse do at its worst? had it seen vet for anything at all whilst owned? What for? Who had ridden it? (1 rider or several? ) who broke it in? Any professional schooling? had it competed at all?...
 
Agree with Spotted Cat, NEVER buy a horse with sarcoids. I know from personal experience that they can spread from one horse to another. They really affect re-sale value and if they spread to sensitive areas then the horse cannot be ridden.
 
With the greatest respect, a new horse will give you plenty of problems as you get used to one another without buying one with sarcoids.

I would not even consider looking at it.
 
I think its back end looks very poor in the photo, I would ask for a decent photo to be sent before going to look, I agree re the sarcoids but have bought one in the past for very little money and he is now clear of them with only thuja being used but they were tiny.
 
Funny how people's opinions differ. I'm rarely put off by one with sarcoids for myself so long as they're not enormous and not in a tack area. I won't buy them to sell on - the reactions above have justified my decisions! Out of the last 8 horses I've had of my own 6 have had sarcoids. Not all were present when I bought them. I don't think they're any more troublesome on greys than any other colour - and I see a LOT of sarcoids ;) - but I wouldn't touch a grey with melanomas, either for myself or to sell on.
 
She does nothing for me I'm afraid, even without taking the sarcoids into account. It could just be that they are rubbish piccys but I think you could get something nice for her price.
 
I think she looks lovely, but the sarcoids issue is a deal breaker for me purely because a lot of livery yards won't accept a horse with sarcoids, which can make things very difficult.
 
It's not a great photo but her back end does not look great.
I have bought several horses with sarcoids ( but not in difficult areas ) I just factor in the cost of treatment into my offer price .
I am however the end user of my horses I rarely sell any so I can be relaxed about that sort of thing.
I am very careful with the horses while I have one with sarciods I keep a barrier cream covering them in the fly season and am mega careful with keeping barrier cream on wounds n the other horses.
I would however never consider a five yo grey with melanomas.
 
DabDab said:
I think she looks lovely, but the sarcoids issue is a deal breaker for me purely because a lot of livery yards won't accept a horse with sarcoids, which can make things very difficult.
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I've never heard that before...do you know what the reason is? my knowledge of sarcoids is limited :)
 
That they can spread to other horses if the owner doesn't really keep on top of them.
 
I guess that's the main part of my issue Gamebird - I can't guarantee I won't want to sell a horse, especially a 5yo who may or may not turn out to be what I want, so I wouldn't touch one with sarcoids.
 
I also would not buy a horse with sarcoids, especially a young one. But even if this horse didn't have them I still wouldn't buy her; not a great example, poor conformation, and looks nothing like either a selle francais or a Dallas. In fact I'd say she looked more like a poor quality Irish draught. No.
 
Cortez said:
I also would not buy a horse with sarcoids, especially a young one. But even if this horse didn't have them I still wouldn't buy her; not a great example, poor conformation, and looks nothing like either a selle francais or a Dallas. In fact I'd say she looked more like a poor quality Irish draught. No.
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It certainly doesn't look like a 5yo Dallas :). I had a Dallas a few years back that that looked very similar when he was 2 , but by 5 he was very true to type.
 
Shes very meh.
What I think is mad is that they think she would have been worth 5 grand before the sarcoids!
I think shes worth 2 grand normally and then sarcoids bring her down a bit more

Of course some decent pics and a video might change my mind quickly!
 
I like her and do not think she is over priced.
Flat sarcoids as described would not be a deal breaker, can be removed if necessary by laser about £1k, sarcoids are very common and a lot if horses will get them sometime in their life.
I have never heard of a livery yard rejecting a horse with sarcoids and if you totally wanted to avoid any risk you would never be able to go anywhere .
I would expect to pay less though however this horse price does to me take that into account.
Sf come in many shapes and sizes and are often very useful horses.
I would also be very wary about posting for advice here, I have seen horses I have known about slaughtered by the so called experts on h@h so I certainly wouldn't over go by the advice ( which also means mine lol) and would actually go and view to form your own opinion
 
I wanted a horse for dressage and the part advertising a 59% test would put me off a little as that is a fairly poor score for a horse that has been described as 'would excel in dressage'.
I echo the others that i would not buy a horse with sarcoids, i probably wouldnt even take a horse on for free with sarcoids.
Also they put that the horse would be 5k otherwise, i have just bought a horse with a great bd and be record for around that price so im not sure in reality that your horse would be worth that without the sarcoid issue.
 
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I agree about the dressage score. I got 67.8 on my mares first time out and she isn't destined to excel at dressage :rolleyes:

Sarcoids aside to me she is just a horse and they are talking her up to be more than she is, nothing special and has sarcoids.
 
I'd go and view if she's not too far away, theres some things to like about her and they're rubbish photos!
 
I would have no issue with the sarciod dependent on where it was, and what type.

Never, ever heard of a livery yard not taking a horse with a sarcoid.

If the horse is near to you - go and look. The only thing you can tell from the photo's is that the photographer is rubbish and they haven't thought about how to present their ad.
 
amymay said:
I would have no issue with the sarciod dependent on where it was, and what type.

Never, ever heard of a livery yard not taking a horse with a sarcoid.

If the horse is near to you - go and look. The only thing you can tell from the photo's is that the photographer is rubbish and they haven't thought about how to present their ad.
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It must just be in my area then - I could give the number of four yards around me that explicitly state that they won't accept a horse that currently has sarcoids, and if a horse develops them they must be treated immediately or the owner will be given notice. I only know this because there is a livery yard next to where I keep mine and one of the horse owners on that yard has another 5 days to leave (given notice because his horse developed sarcoids and they went untreated for a coupe of days), and is having a nightmare of a time finding another place - people are just wary, sarcoids can be a lot of hassle.
 
I think people on this thread are being a little harsh.

Personally- I have an bay 8yo that has two small 5p size flat sarcoid a under his belly. I've had him for over 18 months and they have never once caused a problem or grown (although I appreciate that they might) I so not put any creams or treatment on them.
I have also never ever heard of livery yards having issues with them.

I disagree that 59% would put me off. Surely the rider influences the score that you get too?! Do judges not all score differently?

Personally: if she's not too far away I would go and see and make up my own mind. Be up front with the seller that you are not sure but wanted to have a look. There is no obligation. In addition; it may give you a little experience of looking at horses that are for sale and what sort of things to ask etc.

Good luck in your search, there are lots of decent horses for sale at the moment, surely a lovely bargain to find!
 
Personally I wouldn't touch any horse with sarcoids. Having witnessed the physical pain they can cause for horses and the mental pain and stress they can cause for owners, I wouldn't knowingly put myself at risk of that, however benign they may seem at the time. I know there are others who disagree, and that's just my opinion.

Sarcoids aside, I still don't think I would go see the horse. The photos arn't great, but it's the advert itself that worries me. There's a few things in it that make me question the the sellers - why havn't they named these top bloodlines, why do they feel the need to plaster BARGAIN BARGAIN at the end of the advert (psychologically this puts pressure on buyers to act quickly). It could be totally innocent and simply a poorly written advert, but when it comes to buying horses I am very cynical.
 
DabDab said:
That they can spread to other horses if the owner doesn't really keep on top of them.
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That is not really true and needs to be clarified to prevent scaremongering.

Some horses are predisposed to them anyway and environmental factors can make it more likely. It is suspected that horses already prone to them and that have not been able to develop an immunity may develop then from fly bites if in close proximity to another horse with bleeding sarcoids, but they would most likely develop them anyway at some point.

My mare had horrendous sarcoids her whole life and no horse she came into contact with ever developed them.

Read this if you want facts not scaremongering!
http://www.liv.ac.uk/sarcoids/introduction/
 
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Sorry, the sarcoids would defo put me off - you should consider resale and also insurance.

I defo do not agree with the "it would be listed for £5K" comment on the advert - in my book a horse should be priced on what it can do, not what it might be able to do when taking into consideration breeding. I know plenty of well bred animals that are quite frankly useless under saddle!

Oh and as for the comments about it being contageous - sorry rubbish! You cannot "catch" sarcoids - they are a type of cancer.

Best of luck OP.
 
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