horse buying question

[emjay]

Okay, right now, I'm looking for a family horse. One for my kids to learn on, and one that I can take on a leisurely ride.

I have found one, that I think is just beautiful. and I've been chatting with the owner, and I'm getting a good vibe from her.
I have had responses for other horses, but, just haven't had the same thoughts.

This is a gorgeous gelding. he is 19. Had laminitis years ago, which he has recovered fully from. and is on a thyroid med, which she thinks he might not even need anymore.

she is asking 1000.00. That is reasonable, yes??

 

[froggiesheins]

It is hard to answer your question without seeing the horse in question. $1000 is an appropriate price IF the horse is sane and sound. I would strongly suggest a horse savvy friend to help you OR have a veterinarian come take a look at the horse. Remember, being beautiful is great but you cannot judge the book by its cover alone.
Think about it this way, would you purchase a used car just by looking at it? Good luck to you.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Agreed with the above--have a vet check, and bring an experienced horse friend come along to check the horse out with you. It's much better safe than sorry with horses, especially because they get expensive QUICK if there's something wrong. I've heard a lot of sad stories about people not getting vet checks before buying a horse. Good luck, he sounds sweet! Keep us updated on what happens.

 

[AliciaM]

Not to be harsh, but you can get a completely sound, healthy horse of pretty much any age these days for almost nothing. Take a look at this site and you will see what kind of horses are being taken to the horse auction and ending up in the kill pens.

http://auctionhorses.proboards.com/index.cgi

Im not saying that the price is wrong... but you also dont want to pay more than you should.

Good luck.

 

[welsummerchicks]

I know, but whether one pays eight hundred dollars, or 2, or a thousand, really is not as important as getting a safe family horse. That, and the difference in purchase price will be insignificant after a couple years of monthly expenses for board, feed, care, etc.

And aside from that, auction horses just in general, tend to have more problems than those being sold out of a private home from an owner that's had them in a decent situation for a while(though that 'decent situation' can be a big assumption with some owners, LOL). The low price auction is often the destination of the horse the owner CAN'T sell because it has some serious problem - health, temperament, lack of training. In any case, kill auction horses are exposed to more situations in which they can get injured or pick up a disease.

And I hate to be a wet blanket, but I am not so enthused about the owner's assessment. An elderly horse on thyroid medication, that has foundered is, indeed, likely to have health issues while you own him/her.

And these horses don't really suddenly 'not need thyroid medication any more' unless they never really needed it in the first place. Not all cases of laminitis are even related to low thyroid. You do, very rarely, see someone put a horse on thyroid med after founder, without having actually had any thyroid tests done. But mostly people don't just go 'oh, I think I'll put the horse on thyroid'. USUALLY....people actually have blood tests done, find the thyroid to be rather obviously low, and start giving the horse thyroid. It is, however, cheap enough that occasionally, you do hear of people just giving it without any proof or diagnosis of low thyroid levels.

Thyroid medication dosing is not that easy. Too little, and the horse has metabolic problems. Too much, and they can get quite nervous. The amount they need (if they truly need it) can also, change over time and need adjusting.

To be honest, I would pass. I would ask around to see if a local horse wouldn't meet your needs, one that is well known to your friends and neighbors and instructor, and the history is more known. Pony club and 4h can be good sources.

I've just had a bad time getting cheated out of some money, so perhaps I'm a little more wary today than usual, but actually, I'm not so sure the story from the owner adds up. It is, at any rate, somewhat unlikely.

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
This X10

 

[Wisher1000]

Quote:
This X10

I agree with these... it aint called horse trading for nothing! Be super careful and if there is any issue -- PASS! Horses are cheap right now and there are younger, healthier, sounder, and gentle horses selling for a song. People are having a hard time keeping them up this winter and it costs just as much to feed a good horse as a problem horse. Keep looking ... the right one will come along. Put the word out that you are looking for a "made" horse and will give it a great home. People will come to you!

 

[welsummerchicks]

It is so sad, how many people have gotten into financial straits.

But...a lot of thse horses were 'on death row' for many years. How do I mean that?

I mean that when we keep horses, we have a responsibility to the horse, to the community, to the environment, to do the right thing by animals we own. It's a bigger issue that affects many people.

Keep horses trained, in work, and useful. If bad habits develop and you're lost as to how to address them, get a trainer to help you see how to correct the problems. Don't ever be too proud or too stingy to ask for help - get the problem resolved. Treat lameness and health problems aggressively. Get a diagnosis from a good equine veterinarian, don't guess or listen to the local 'expert' - get a real diagnosis - xrays, whatever it takes. Everyone enjoys giving advice on the internet, without seeing the horse or its environment(or just a blurry video or picture), but the person who should be figuring out what is wrong, is a professional who is THERE - a farrier, a vet, a trainer, an owner, hopefully all working together as an effective team.

The worst thing an owner can do to an animal is 'be too kind' - without training, without being fit, useful and cooperative, a horse is on death row. Eventually, something WILL go wrong - the owner will lose his job or get sick or there will be an economic meltdown in our country, and where will that horse be then? We can't rely on rescue organizations, there aren't enough good ones.

Besides, it is our problem, we owners, and we're not entitled to charity just because we ourselves create a problem and aren't responsible.

If a horse is lame and can't run barrels or gallop down the trail, don't have him sit idle in your back yard. Find him a job. Get him trained for it. Forget about what you 'planned' - find him a job he can do. If he can't do a job(therapeutic riding, baby sitting), if he's miserable in pain - do the right thing. Have him humanely put down. It is far better than suffering years of abuse and neglect.

Keep your horses fit, healthy and useful, keep them in work and trained up, and they will always have a good home, no matter what happens.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Quote:
I rode at a barn where their best lesson horse had foundered and she was fine afterward. However, this is not always the case. I would look at him and do a pre-purchase exam, letting the vet know. It might not hurt to even have your farrier look at him if the vet exam checls out.

He's worth looking it, but I would go into this leery and skeptical. Don't bring the children on this one.

 

[dutchhollow]

Get a vet check, ask for her vet records with last thyroid check and results. Thyroid problems don't fix (usually). The meds are cheap, so as long as you want to deal with it, I wouldn't let it be a deal breaker. If he passes the vet, offer her less. He could be the perfect starter horse for your family, but with the health background, people won't be jumping at the chance to buy him.