Unridable horse - looking for companion home

*hic*

*hic*

village idiot :D
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3 March 2007
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Having seen so many of these threads recently where the main worry is that the unscrupulous dealer-types will get hold of said horse, put some work and/or drugs into them and then sell on as a rideable schoolmaster, family friend or indeed competition horse I wondered whether there would be a chance of persuading one of the freezemarking companies to do an easily affordable "unridable" brand that could be put very visibly on those horses who have to be rehomed.

With appropriate advertising (IPC could perhaps help?) people would not then be caught out by buying unridable horses from dealers and dealers would not be able to buy horses that the original owner thought were going to a good permanent home and pass them off as sound and safe.

I am, of course, aware of the "loss of use" mark but this would be something else entirely that the owner chose to put on to safeguard their horses.

Apologies if it's already been done or is in the pipeline but I've never seen it mentioned on here as a safeguard.
 
Good idea - one of ours was sold a while ago as a non rider due to various issues and we discovered her up for sale a fortnight later through a dealer as "suitable for all riders". We really did want to let people know what the issues were but didn't know how so we just had to satisfy ourselves in the knowledge that if something did go wrong, a purchaser might have some recourse as opposed to if they'd bought privately.
 
ANyone have the energy to put this to a freezemark company or charity. I'm good at ideas but not so hot on carrying them through
 
That's a really good idea :) I took on a horse that's unrideable and luckily the old owners would be willing to take her back if I had to give her up so she's one of the lucky ones! Dread to think what could happen to a pony like her if she got into the wrong hands so a freezemark would be a good idea to make it clear. Could be registered with all the details of why they are unrideable too!
 
This is exactly what I posted on another thread, it seems a golden opportunity for the unscrupulous dealers, they appear to do this rather too often if the many threads on here are a good guide, there are so many unrideable horses, either through unsoundness or behavioural issues and the owners feel they are doing the right thing by passing them on to a "good" home rather than pts.

The freezebranding could be a really good idea provided it becomes standard practise and people become aware of its use, there are still some who do not recognised the L as lou, a few years ago I met someones new horse complete with a L brand, they had no idea what it meant and just thought it was a normal freezebrand.
The other issue would be the horse in the wrong hands branded as a difficult ride that genuinely comes right, it would be branded for life as a bad'n.

If only the passporting system actually worked there would be no problem, a passport could be stamped lou/ non ridden, in the knowledge that the passport would stay with the correct horse for life, not just get a replacement issued whenever it suits.
 
Excellent idea. And the loss of use one, unless its changed, just means its purpose is no longer the same, not unrideable necessarily.
 
Good idea except for greys. I turned down a lou payout on a white grey as she would have had to be freezebranded. Having cared for a grey with a bald mark, I'd never do it to a horse. It weeped in summer, sunburn constant problem & flies, caused her no end of discomfort.
 
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