Horse I worked with now being sold again

This is related to my previous posts where I was working with a freshly green horse for someone over months. After discourse with the owner and discovering some issues that I felt conflicted with, I had decided to back out of working with the horse for a remainder few months before sale.

The horse went to a good home, but I see the horse has come up for sale again less than a year later! I was curious so I took a peek at the sales ad. It appears they may be selling due to the horse being on the reactive side due to the terminology used, which does pan out as the new owner is a young rider (However with really good guidance it seems). However, I also see the price is low even with additional training, which raises my concern that my primary reason for my backing out may be cause.

I have to say I am conflicted. I feel sad that this horse is having such a high turnover rate so early on. Part of me wants to reach out and inquire as I really did love working with this horse and she worked great for me. Maybe no serious health issues were found and this horse has just been paired with riders that aren’t a match. However, I do feel that probably isn’t the case in this market. Part of me is concerned there are underlying health issues, as I had concerns with that the owner would not hear. It ultimately led to my leaving and the issue was never seen to by a vet. I am in tentative search for another horse, but I also don’t want to take one on with possible issues (especially such a young horse) having had retired my current horse, as much as I want this horse to have a long happy life, I can’t afford to take on two unrideable horses.

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What did you suspect to be the problem?

If you like the horse, you can always inquire about it and follow up your suspicions during a PPE.

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I didn’t know what the exact problem was but suspected something was amiss following increasing stiffness to the left post-hock kick that worsened over time with increased behavioral resistance. I should mention that the horse was 3-4 years at this time. Despite relaying concerns onto the owner, the horse was never seen to the vet and when I noticed an an ossification on the proximal part of the cannon bone and accelerated sale, I decided to step away. It could have simply been a splint, but I didn’t feel comfortable being involved in the sale given it had never been looked at by a vet and was against my own ethics. Sale was initiated by owner as the horse was too much for them and they realized they wanted something more laid back.

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Been there, done that in multiple situations that follow along these same lines. It’s really hard to watch and be a part of. I took myself out of the picture a few times since I had no control over vet care etc. As frustrating as it is, I think once you step away it might be best to stay away no matter how curious your are and how bad you feel for the horse. But, on the other hand, if you’re willing to take on a potentially lame horse feel free to step in! You may not get real answers until the horse is in your hands, under your ownership. Unfortunately I suspect you know what the issues are already.

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At the risk of stating the obvious, why not reach out, ask for radiographs (if they have them), or do your own PPE? Sounds like you have a possible problem area in mind, so your PPE wouldn’t be a “wild goose chase.” What’s stopping you from pursuing it? Is it because you think the issue may not be treatable, and the horse needs to be retired?

For what it’s worth, from personal experience, I had a trainer waste a lot of my time and money working with my horse. She did nothing but in-hand work for months before declaring some mystery lameness prevented her from making any real progress. I pulled my horse out of her program, had two vets perform independent lameness evaluations (which turned up nothing), gave the horse some time off, and then, miraculously, started riding again. Made it a year riding without incident before I moved to a different barn to pursue h/j lessons. In a matter of months, all the issues came right back.

I enlisted the help of a different trainer, who connected with my former trainer through the grapevine, and then came back to me saying “[former trainer] says horse has a physical issue you never looked into.” Now, it’s true, I didn’t trailer to a vet school and pull out all the stops, but I did make a good faith effort to have the horse evaluated—even getting a second opinion—and the reason I stopped was that: 1) neither vet identified an issue worth pursuing further, and 2) the horse’s problem behaviors stopped. What rational person would keep digging for a diagnosis after that? Anyway, that trainer balked on working any further with my horse. And before long, I ended up throwing in the towel and moving her to a different barn with a different turnout situation. What do you know, she’s a different horse. Night and day. She’s back in work and going well.

All that to say, I would hesitate to assume you know the owner never looked into the physical issue you identified as a potential problem. And I would hesitate to assume that’s the reason the horse is being passed off. I know in my case, I already had hard feelings toward the first trainer, and now I’ve only got more reasons to regret crossing paths with her.

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Walk away. Horse has known behavioral and physical issue following a known accident with clearly visible changes to the joint afterward. If you can’t afford another lawn ornament you’re setting yourself up for heartbreak. It’s really hard to see people not make the right choice but you also aren’t in the position to retire this one.

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OP --some horses just need to find their way through life —Will was a cutting horse in AZ years 1-7 --then given as a gift to his farrier who kept him for a year or two then gave him to his girlfriend for trail riding (farrier was a big fellow who liked to ride cutting/sorting horses --Will is a small horse) --Girlfriend got pregnant and married another fellow (all of Fb) and sent Will to an auction (ranch horse --the good kind of auction) --and I bought him there at 10 years old. He’s a great horse and we have lots of fun together --he’s 18 now.

Bob was specifically bred to be a stud who threw blue roan --after three tries he was gelded at 3 years old (no color in his babies), saddle trained and used as a trail horse (maybe, or maybe he just sat for another two years). At 5 he was sold as a barrel racing prospect --but that owner described him as “fat, lazy, and slow” so after 2 years she traded him to a (very honest) broker who made a great video of him w/t/c and doing trails, then after 60 days, sold him to a friend of mine as a trail horse. My friend discovered Bob needed to be pastured alone (not really fair since she dry lots 4 horses on 2 acres --with great hay, but still pretty close quarters) --I am set up that Bob can have his own 5 acres and a shed --so anyway, he bounced to me and we are having a blast --he’s now 10 --I bought him when he was 9.

Horses, I think, find their person.

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OP if this horse is tugging on your heart strings and you want to help her and have the means to do so (but can’t afford to keep her) and if you’re worried about where she’ll end up, you could buy her and donate her to a reputable horse rescue if her issues prove she’s unable to be a riding horse?

This sounds nice on paper but very very VERY few rescues have room for anything at all - let alone horses that aren’t on death’s door or pulled from neglect seizure cases. Unless you(g) have a personal contact and know for a fact that a particular rescue has room and resources, don’t depend on them to be able to take anything.

OP, you said it yourself - you don’t have the means to retire this horse. Walk away.

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You walked away before. You can’t afford the horse now. Walk away again.

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One of the hardest lessons I learned in college was that I couldn’t save them all and just had to walk away sometimes. It is hard but I learned it by going to an auction every week during the summer and longing to just save all the sad critters…

I think you have two choices - either decide to take on the responsibility of this horse or walk away.

In my opinion, even just pretending to want to buy and doing a PPE is a disservice to yourself, whether or not you find something; and a disservice to the current owners, who may be selling for reasons unrelated (or not knowingly related) to any undiagnosed physical ailments.

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Thank you. I’m sorry to hear you have gone through this as well.

Honestly, what has me hesitating knowing the horse’s history is that this horse’s breed + age should mean a higher price tag given the time and training the new owners are selling her at. But they are selling her for the same price they paid, which tells me they are willing to take less. That makes me question why.

Yes, I know. It’s just hard to see this happen, as thought the horse found a good home. I honestly think I’d be taking on a risk here knowing what I know. I really hope my suspicions are wrong, but it just seems too coincidental that they are selling so fast given their circumstances.

It could be that the familial circumstances have changed and they need to sell quickly. Personally, if I were very attached to the horse I’d inquire and then make a decision. You have few of the facts right now and mostly speculation.

If you were interested in the horse I’d get my own PPE and find out what is wrong.

I’ve taken on more than one or two in my lifetime that had a very manageable issue on the X-rays. Few horses with any serious amount of riding are perfect, and as long as I know what the issues are (and that they are not seriously progressive), I can work with them.

Any horse can have a career ending injury tomorrow. It’s a gamble to buy one in the first place!

To me, it doesn’t strain credulity that they are trying to get the horse sold as fast as possible. Selling virtually any other piece of property, you have little to lose by sitting on it and waiting for the perfect offer to materialize. Not so with horses. Every month she sits in the barn, that’s a hefty expense they could do without. It doesn’t take long before paying board month after month eats into whatever margin they’d stand to gain by holding out for a higher price. Especially if they know she’s quirky and they’d be lucky to find someone skilled and motivated enough to take her on.

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Late on here but unless you are going to make an offer, you need to let this go. Too much time, energy and emotion spent on something you cannot do a thing about other then buy him.

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