As a shopper... How do you feel about a bowed tendon?

[Hey_Mickey]

So, tell me…

IF you were shopping for a prospect and came across one that had a small, set/cold bowed tendon that had a recent ultra sound and was cleared by a vet, had been let down and properly restarted, was a nice character, maybe gone to a show or had atleast been out and about a little and priced reasonably (under 5k) would you consider it even though it had the bow?

Obvisouly, it depends what you are looking for and all that but something that was appealing to the eye and a pleasant creature to be around and was honestly marketed as what it is (not an upper level prospect but a nice all around horse).

Thanks!

[Jleegriffith]

Absolutely!!! I have rehabbed so many bows and had no issues selling horses with bows that have been rehabbed and horses back into work. I have not found any vets who won’t clear them for prelim and below if the ultrasound is good.

[Dutchmare433]

I think in that price range I’d consider it, particularly if I were looking for an all around good citizen/lower level packer and he fit the bill.

I’ve ridden and hunted a few with the above description and old bows, and at least the ones I rode were never bothered by them.

[Xctrygirl]

I would definitely consider it, I would ask for my ppe vet to do a scan, but if that was ok I wouldn’t worry too much.

People think they have to have perfect and the thread I posted last week showed that a lot of us have accepted lots of imperfect horses. Be great if we could start getting the imperfect horses great homes also.

Emily

[Gumby80]

As long as they were good conformationally otherwise, and it was a very minor bow, I’d consider them. Knew a horse as a kid who bowed a tendon, rehabbed him for a year, brought him back into work … 3 months later he bowed the other one. He had generally long, sloping pasterns, I don’t know if that contributed.

[Hey_Mickey]

Thank you for your insight!
I’ve actually known a couple of advance ottb’s that have had old bows, so it doesn’t scare me!

I have the option to get a couple of ottb’s for free who have been rehabbed and turned out. If one or both seem like solid citizen/s and the legs ultra sound well, then I might take one or both as resell prospects.

The second problem is that I live in an area that is saturated with ottb’s but there still seems to be a market for the lower priced good egg.

I’m trying to not get too excitied. Haha. I love projects.

[Xctrygirl]

Ok now for resale… you’re still in 1980.

People are scared to death of imperfect horses.

I would pass for resale (within 12 month needs)

I would grab it if I was going to bring it along for at least a few years and any possible future resales would have the weight of 2-3 years of soundly doing their job behind it.

~Emily

[CiegoStar]

I agree with xctrygirl, except to say that in the price range the OP mentioned it could be ok. As long as you are going into this for fun and not because you need the money. Reselling OTTBs is really not a moneymaker UNLESS you 1. have a farm where you don’t have to pay board, because board eats your profit margin within a few months; 2. you already have a reputation as someone who produces good quality horses; and 3. the horse is in perfect condition.

I have watched too many friends think they are going to flip OTTBs for fun and profit get a crude reality check. Doesn’t have to happen to you.

[EasternMkt]

I bought one like that w/ 2 old (mild) bows nearly straight off the track 7 years ago now. Best decision I ever made. I did walk away at first, not because the horse had bows but because the seller refused to talk about them, even when I asked. Left. Stalked the horse. Went back and bought the horse w/ the caveat that I would need a current ultrasound. They’ve never been a problem to date and i’ve popped around Prelim courses w/ her.

[judybigredpony]

[QUOTE=Xctrygirl;8725268]
Ok now for resale… you’re still in 1980.

People are scared to death of imperfect horses.

I would pass for resale (within 12 month needs)

I would grab it if I was going to bring it along for at least a few years and any possible future resales would have the weight of 2-3 years of soundly doing their job behind it.

~Emily[/QUOTE]

Odd…I have aquired more than 1 youngster with a mild bow…1 had bowed n re bowed same leg…All had proper rehab with stall,rest etc, good farrier work and then turn out. I do a baseline UltraSound an 6 month follow up scans…Everyone Of those horses resold and sold well,into good sports horse homes.
Now a Big Honking Banana hanging off the back of a leg…No…My 2015 RRP horse Your A to Z s had a “Bow” which upon proper UltraSoun revieled it actually was a strike…it looked like a fat banana bow and once cooled and rehabbed it’s virtually invisible…Get a scan look at conformation and don t count the horse out for resale…But also really look at what you costs will be and what a horse of equal is bringing in your target market…

[Xctrygirl]

The keyword there is “acquired.”

You took bowed horses that came as the ‘part 2’ of a deal with a big flashy horse. Or at least a horse you wanted more. In most of your cases your connections at the track gave you the bowed ones. Maybe not all. So in your instance it wasn’t a “Do I buy a horse with a bow or not” it was a "Ok cool I get the big gelding if I take a bowed gelding. Yea that’s fine. Ok ship them both.

The people on this board are looking and asking for themselves and not as a large sales business. The folks here with resale businesses already know how to determine whether or not to get a bowed horse.

So yes folks if you can be given a nice one with a bow that has a good scan and you can afford to lay it up and see what you have in 6 months or so, sure do it. But if you pay board or need to make money…maybe look at getting one who’s recovered and already back in training from it’s bow. Far less risk than having to sit on an unknown eating and bill producing machine.

~Emily

[Hey_Mickey]

Thanks for your thoughts!
Didn’t really help me decide what to do…haha
I do have a reasonable place to keep them, a very good reputation and a pretty good eye. But I don’t want to hang on to them for very long.
I still need to actually go look at them in person. I know one had got PRP and all that and went back to the track but they decided he was too slow and then turned him out and is definetly sound.

[Equisis]

For myself- I would buy the horse if it fit my other criteria and imaging was good. As a resale, the bow would have to be minor and the horse would have to be nice. People get scared off by visible flaws, especially if you are a smaller reseller. I have sold two horses with bows, but they were small enough that most buyers needed to be told they were there in order to see them. A small bow on a LL resale, especially if the horse is very appealing otherwise, is reasonable. Location of the bow is important too.

[chism]

I would not turn away an otherwise suitable horse due to a bow. Once they’re healed, they’re generally not a problem. I bought my first OTTB with a lovely bow 14 years ago, it was never an issue. Unless the horse was exceptional in every way, I would not buy one with a bow for resale because it really limits your options. Many people won’t consider a horse with a bow Two weeks ago I bought another OTTB with a bow. No big deal, he raced 75 times…he’s sturdy, I’m not concerned about it.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Some people will not consider a horse because it is red, white or a mare…or fill in the blank.

Yes a bow will scare away some…but not all buyers. So will if the horse is less than 16H or more than 16H depending on buyer.

Obviously…a horse with a bow has a ding…but OP that is why they are free at this time. If no bow…same horse would likely cost you more. It may depress the resale value a touch. But obviously…the more work they are in, show record etc will counter it a bit.

They also will more likely than not do something else to themselves that will impact resale!

So bottom line…whether you want to take the risk on ANY horse for resale, this is obviously one factor but it is just one factor you should consider in taken on a horse.

For me…far more important is do I think I will have fun retraining this horse, do I have the time and money to do right by them…and that while I will sell them, I will not be crushed to have them around for a while either.

[judybigredpony]

[QUOTE=Xctrygirl;8725371]
The keyword there is “acquired.”

You took bowed horses that came as the ‘part 2’ of a deal with a big flashy horse. Or at least a horse you wanted more. In most of your cases your connections at the track gave you the bowed ones. Maybe not all. So in your instance it wasn’t a “Do I buy a horse with a bow or not” it was a "Ok cool I get the big gelding if I take a bowed gelding. Yea that’s fine. Ok ship them both

~Emily[/QUOTE]

Emily “Aquired” has more,than 1 meaning…and guess what I NEVER took orwas given, or had. bowed horse,thrown in as a tag along…Before you dispense advise…can you please,share on exactly how many horses you have personally bought and resold? Not the ones you "represented " but the ones you sourced…PPEd and payed for…
The only horse I got as BOGO had zero issues just small skanky looking with Really Long Slung out feet and no as in NO Heel…and year later he was Bought by a 4* Rider who was in UK and is evening now! Feet self corrected with long winter turn out and proper trim he grew up into himself.
Pickle I “bought” with full knowledge of his leg and photos…
Wally I bought, and had no issues reselling him to another well know ReSeller.
Hutton I bought and again no problem reselling him…now there was a Big Bow that took a while to,reduce …
Marky I bought from his breeder and he went onto a very promising career only stopped by death from colic.
Do,I need to,go on…The big black horse I just sold…
…UltraSounds are cheap around $250.
I would not walk away from a Bowed horse for resale or my self.
As long as I wanted,the rest,of,the horse. If It had a recent UltraSound and I had the stall and paddock space and minimum of 6 month for the rehab. Could afford the time and expense. Only a potential Buyer can answer those questions. But should the horse be passed over if it is Sound, has the other qualities the buyer wants and they have the time and resources…NO.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

And just to be clear…a basic bow is very different from a suspensory. Many more will run from a horse with suspensory issues.

Me…depends on the issues and the scan. Horses coming off the track often have these issues from poor management (i.e. bad shoeing and bad conditioning). So in an OTTB…it really really really depends for me.

[beowulf]

me, depends on if it is for resale or personal… personal, a bow would not bother me - i’ve handled/rehabbed so many it really wouldn’t even make me bat an eye… however, it depends on the scan and where the bow is…

in my frank opinion so many of the issues TBs have coming off the track are related to their lifestyle and management; many work very hard with controlled or little turnout, they’re growing, they’re cooped in stalls, their feet are left long for better breakover – all of these things compound to make a very sore, very injured horse.

personally i’d rather take the horse with an obvious set of jewelry after a good run than the horse that purportedly retired sound after a long and lengthy career with no obvious injuries; that to me means the horse might be too stoic for its own good and in my experience you usually find some sort of long-lasting, ‘latent’ injury that is far worse than a bow or fracture.

most people i know with experience with off track TBs, a bow doesn’t bother them at all if it is in the right place.

[Saskatoonian]

Well, not to rain on the parade, but as a 1 horse ammy who loves TBs and as recently shopping for a prospect, have to say I wouldn’t even look at one with a bow. There are too many nice ones with clean legs in that price range.

Now, if he were running around T without issues and looking capable of P, I might overlook the bow, but that’s not what you’re thinking (and another price range altogether!).

I don’t think I’m one who’s insisting on perfection - by the time I vet a horse, my philosophy is that he passes unless the vet tells me he’s got a broken leg - but maybe sellers would see me differently.

[Pennywell_Bay]

My best, most advanced horse was one who came with an old, set bow. Never bothered him throughout his career.

Resale: it would depend on price range honestly. Lower figures, generally people may be willing to consider but then again, people searching in higher figures may have enough knowledge or at least a trainer with the knowledge to make that judgment. On PPE, an old bow perhaps isn’t a deal breaker as " bone chip at X" and can come with the territory in OTTBs. JMO