Would you buy/consider this horse?

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ShowjumpingPrincess

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Hello everyone,

I'm aware that the responses to this situation will vary hugely depending on people's experiences and i'm aware that the person I should be (and will be) consulting is the vet, but what would you do in this scenario:

I'm looking to buy an eight year old eventer that has gone novice in his second season with potential to go further and is absolutely everything I want in a horse. I couldn't believe my luck when I found him!

However, last year he did a front suspensory (it wasn't blown apart, but I don't yet know the exact severity) and after extensive rehab he is coming back into work with, to the best of my knowledge, a relatively positive prognosis.

Is this something that I should completely steer clear of or is the horse worth seriously considering? Is there a high success rate in the rehabilitation and return to work of horses with suspensorys or is it a case of not touching one with a barge pole?!If it wasn't for the injury he would be well into five-figures so if he is likely to stay sound he would be an absolute bargain.

I want a horse to event to be100 with the possible potential to go novice (though this depends largely on whether I have the guts to face a novice xc course so it isn't a deal breaker if it ends up not being able to go novice!) What would be the best course of action to take to vet this horse- ultrasound or something else? Also, will insurance shoot through the roof?

Thanks :-))
 
I wouldn't, we've got one that didn't even have a clear hole just wonky fibres, perfect rehab albeit later after original injury than ideal (she wasn't really lame) who will only hack now, she can't stand up to flat work.
 
I think it would depend on a few things.

If he is at a completely knock down price, and I could afford to loose the money, fund further treatments and had the facilities to retire then yes, if he is perfect in every other way.

I wouldn't bother with vetting or insurance, but I would want my Vet to look at the scans etc.

How long has he been back in work?
 
Don't touch even with someone else barge pole.
You would end up spending your entire time worrying about the leg and as a result the enjoyment would vanish.
 
I feel like a big factor would be how deep your pocket is if it doesnt go to plan and whether you're willing to take responsibility of the situation if, as above, the horse doesn't rehab to a level you want.
 
Horse is in light work (due to obviously being unfit, not because it's still lame) and i'll have the opurtunity to see it plenty before committing to anything as it's coming to the yard i'm at for sales livery in the next couple of weeks. I've been told that it's been given the best possible treatments with no expense spared for rehab.

I have the money to afford to have to rehab me it if something goes wrong, but don't have the facilities to retire it myself.
 
No expenses spared rehab doesn't always mean success though, ours was insured so had PRP etc.

If you don't have the facilities to retire are you prepared to loan him to a hacking only home or PTS?

Until the workload is increased it is impossible to say whether the horse will cope with it or not, our issue is not actually with the affected leg but she'll go lame on the other one so obviously still compensating somewhere.
 
At the very least you'd want your vet to speak to the vet who treated him and see all his records. If they allow that, go with your vet's advice. If they won't, run away.

He'd also have to be cheap enough that if he did have to be sold/loaned to a hacking home you wouldn't lose too much money.
 
How much is the horse? Personally I wouldn't, under any circumstance.

Like PM said, you'd spend all your time with it in the back of your mind, and kick yourself if something goes wrong again.
 
Personally I would not. Suspensory lameness can be a ghost of a lameness to feel, and if rested the horse can go sound for a while, only to go lame again when the work is increased. The trouble is, often there is often no external sign such as heat/swelling. My horse had a suspensory injury, and it was hard to diagnose as there was nothing to see externally, it only showed when changing from right to left rein, for a few steps, in trot only. He was still happy and willing to jump etc, and as soon as you saw it, it was gone again.

If the horse has your heart then I would not have a vetting as he will have exclusions on insurance anyway, so I would not insure. I would have a vet check eyes, heart, lungs, examine suspensory, do flexions, but it can be cheaper if you are just asking for an informal chat rather than a certificate (depending on the relationship you have with your vet).

Even then I would only buy if it is VERY cheap, and I could either square it with my conscience to PTS if lameness recurs, or retire.
 
PaddyMonty said:
Don't touch even with someone else barge pole.
You would end up spending your entire time worrying about the leg and as a result the enjoyment would vanish.
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^^ this for me too I'm afraid. I've had my fill of leg injuries, not only the heartbreak of seeing your precious horse broken, but then hours upon hours of rehab, the season drifting past while you are sat about worrying, and then no guarantee that it won't go *bang* again.
Not unless it was a second or third horse in your string, and with very limited expectations of what he would be able to do.

You won't get insurance cover on that leg and chances are they will exclude the other front leg too at least to start with, seems quite common.
 
I wouldn't completely dismiss the horse but would ask the following:
- how did the injury happen? If unknown are we talking conformational issues leading to pre disposition?
- what has the rehab schedule been?
- how long has the horse been back to full work/fitness? Id ideally like the leg properly tested.
- what do the scans look like now?
- how much is the horse?

If he is a good honest horse in all other ways he is the type I may consider a punt on dependant on the above answers. You also should only spend what you can afford to burn. If the leg goes again do you have your own land or will you be paying g livery?
Will he have another job in him (safe hack?), will you PTS?

I've known plenty of people take on established competition horses, well below market value, with the goal to gain better competition experience. Myself included. I don't regret taking on either of the 2 horses I have had with known veterinary issues
 
Imagine you are sitting on him waiting at the start of the cross country.....knowing his history, are you going to feel super confident?
 
All I would say is that front limb suspensory injuries generally have a much better outlook than hindlimb injuries. In the forelimb they are often acute and can be caused by poor foot balance among other things, in the hind limb they tend to be more wear and tear injuries and prone to recur.

I'd want to have a very good farrier look at the horse and his gait analysed.
 
Depends on a few things.

What were the circumstances around the injury occurring?
Can you see the scans from time of injury and scan of now?
Can you speak to the vet in charge of recovery?
How much is the horse?
Can you afford to lose his purchase price?
Are you hard hearted enough to PTS if it goes again?

It's a horse I would definitely look at if he was cheap enough.
 
Nope no way not even if he was free. He won't be able to do the job you want him for that's what I am basing that on. Hacking only and maybe mild school work? Sure. Novice level eventing? God no.
 
Thanks for the replies, lots of points of view to consider and very helpful.

Forgot to say:

He is owned by a vet (hence why no expense was spared on his rehab) and they are very open when it comes to the horse's condition, history and prognosis. I haven't yet had the chance to speak to them yet though.

My dad is a vet so ensuring future treatments is certain and i'll be able to do any kind of scans/investigative work if needed.
 
Why is the horse for sale if his prognosis is so good?

I personally wouldn't consider buying him until he has been back in full work for some months.

Being able to do the scans is one thing, having a sound horse at the end of it is something else entirely
 
If the horse had been back in work for a fair period of time I might contemplate it. But still at the rehab stage absolutely not. Too much potential for heartbreak, never-mind the potential financial implications. Would the owner be open to a (substantial) loan period prior to buying to give you chance to get him fitter?
Front suspensories do better than hinds usually but mines never come sound from tearing her left fore suspensory despite all the 'right' treatment and rehab so I may well be biased into saying no, keep looking!
 
Oh absolutely if horse had been back in full work and proved soundness I would consider the gamble but not with it only in light work, will they lwvtb so you could see if it stands up?
 
Don't go for it was very tempeted with one of these when looking but glad I didn't! You really can't tell how well the leg will turn out.
 
Thanks all, I'll enquire tentatively about the horse (ie. how significant was injury and what is true prognosis, would they consider lwvtb etc) but atm no more than that. My budget is significantly more than they want for him (though less than his value before injury) so would probably be better off just going and buying something less talented but sound. :-)
 
ShowjumpingPrincess said:
Thanks for the replies, lots of points of view to consider and very helpful.

Forgot to say:

He is owned by a vet (hence why no expense was spared on his rehab) and they are very open when it comes to the horse's condition, history and prognosis. I haven't yet had the chance to speak to them yet though.

My dad is a vet so ensuring future treatments is certain and i'll be able to do any kind of scans/investigative work if needed.
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Well I think that changes things a lot if it's a foreleg .
It's down to price and if you can bring yourself to get out of it if it goes wrong .
It's also down to how suitable the conditions are were you keep the horses for managing a rehab good surfaces safe well drained turnout that sort of thing .
Get the detailed low down on what's going on and your dad can refer the scans to a specialist .
But if it's not pain free on palpation and flexion I would not take it on .
 
ShowjumpingPrincess said:
Thanks for the replies, lots of points of view to consider and very helpful.

Forgot to say:

He is owned by a vet (hence why no expense was spared on his rehab) and they are very open when it comes to the horse's condition, history and prognosis. I haven't yet had the chance to speak to them yet though.

My dad is a vet so ensuring future treatments is certain and i'll be able to do any kind of scans/investigative work if needed.
Click to expand...

Why are they selling now he is supposedly sound?
I wouldn't trust his soundness long term for what you want. Having cheap vet care doesn't make an unsound horse useable.
 
I wouldn't consider a horse with such an injury for eventing, I have a horse that did a suspensory I don't jump so he hacks and does light schooling with the odd ridden show, I constantly worry if his doing to much or will it break down again and that's no work really compared to whatever an eventer would be doing, walk away save yourself from the worry and heart break.
 
Yes, I'd look elsewhere.

I can't imagine a reason why a clearly talented horse would be given a no expense spared rehab and then sold just after they get an 'extremely positive' prognosis
 
I wouldn't and I would put it this way! I did the ligament in my ankle just over a year ago, my ankle has never been the same again! whilst okay now, its not perfect, I don't have as much flexibility in that ankle, so I am extra careful when jumping off the muck trailer. So would I want a buy a horse for jumping that has already had an injury? NO - big fat no
 
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