Long story short, I bought a young gelding a couple of years ago with the intention of mostly trail riding and dabbling in obstacle courses. It’s been a whirlwind year for me, and I’ve rediscovered a love for showing and also found a love for a couple of other disciplines. My gelding went lame this year and we found out he has some moderate arthritis from an injury. It did not respond to injections. However, we haven’t tried other maintenance to see how he feels, because he stays sound on 2-3 rides a week, walk trot lope, and I believe he would be sound trail riding if it was mostly walk/trot. I think he’s going to be great for someone who just wants to do low level, easy things, which I assumed was what I wanted but now I am thinking I will move beyond that. My path feels like it’s diverging from his at this point, but I bought him with the intention that we would grow old together. Thinking about selling him for something more appropriate for my interests feels bad. I truly love him but I feel he may be happier with someone expecting less out of him, and I may be happier with something that can handle the things I am enjoying. How do you deal with these feelings? Unfortunately I can’t afford two horses.
Yep I didn’t understand the different horse phenomenon until I had 2 teenage daughters whose abilities and learning needs I had to keep up with. Our starter ones were all easy to find good homes. One got a little boy and she also packed grandma out on the trails. Another took a 4Her to state fair and did some wins. One got shipped states away to breath life into a teen who had just lost her father in a motorcycle accident so he had his calling . Bless them for their sainthood.
It’s passages. Life grows and changes.
Somewhat of a tangent, but this is why I hate any sort of agreement or contract where they expect you to keep a horse for life.
People change. Life changes. You shouldn’t feel guilty about that.
It’s okay if a horse no longer suits your needs. It’s okay if you can’t afford two horses.
An owner’s responsibility is to network to find an appropriate home for a horse they cannot keep. There are any number of ways you can do that. What matters is that you don’t dump the horse as quickly as possible. No, you can’t guarantee nothing bad will happen to the horse down the road, but so long as you give the horse every advantage by trying to do things right, there should be zero shame in that.
Sorry for the soapbox tangent.
Luckily my trainer knows everyone here, and she loves my gelding to pieces like I do. I believe we can find him a great home. I just hate it, thinking it won’t be with me.
If it is truly unbearable you can look for a full-care lease, where someone else pays all his expenses but you retain ownership. Just remember he could come back to you at any time if the leaser changes their mind, has financial trouble, or he gets too lame to ride.
Grey
I’m unsure if I could get the horse I “need” without the funds from selling him, but a care lease is a great idea.
It doesn’t help that he’s not 100% sound. It feels awful to sell a horse who can only tolerate light work. He’s a sweet boy, he’s willing and able to work up to 3 days a week. He’s even willing to work more than that, but then he limps for up to a week after. The vet thinks he would respond well to Equioxx but since he’s sound with fewer rides and I’m busy like most people, I just had my trainer stop riding him and I ride a couple times instead.
I understand --in my view, horses have fates. Sometimes a horse’s fate isn’t to be with you, but with another person who is a better match. But the expected guilt is problematic. However, I found that once I had done the best I could for the horse, I was ok with my decision. I had done the best I could. I don’t control the world.
I had a blind mare that came as a companion to a lovely hunt horse. I kept her for a long time, but then had kids and they wanted to ride, so . . . I donated her to a living history museum where she was “the horse on the farm.” Her only job was to be kind to children who patted her. The museum was affiliated with a veterinary school so I am certain she had the best of care. It helped that she was a snow white mare with a long mane and tail. Kids loved her.
Next donation was a jumping horse --at 15 he began to have a little hock trouble. No more jumping. I donated him to a handicapped riding program where he walked around being ridden by children with special needs. He lived a long time there. I loved the pictures I saw that children made that said, “I love Red,” --and a picture each had drawn of him.
A horse who could never jump was donated to a college team that only did dressage. Win-win.
A horse with early ring-bone (age 11) went to a rescue who promised to find him a home as a pasture companion. While I did see him on their website for about 5 years, I believe he was eventually euthanized with other horses that could not be placed. Guilt? no. I did the best I could for him.
A lovely all-around kids horse that had bad knees and was only suitable for trail riding went to a nice lady who had a farrier for a husband. The horse only lived about a year after (she wrote to me), due to a bad colic. Guilt? No, I did the best I could for him.
Do the best you can. No one can do more.
Could you do an Equioxx trial to help set him up for sale? Being able to say he’s sound with maintenance is going to make a big difference from his current questionable status and may land him a better home. Otherwise I don’t think I’d feel comfortable selling this horse, the risk of him ending up in a bad situation is too high. Even a care lease would be a stretch - 3 days of riding a week is a typical half-lease, so taking on full expenses for a horse that can’t work is going to be a tough sell.
On one hand, I agree 100% with the posters that selling a horse to a less ambitious home isn’t unethical. I think some attitudes nowadays are crazy–that a young pony who has been outgrown, or a middle-aged person who realizes that their green horse requires more time that they have to train, or a junior moving up in their career with a sound, sane, older unfancy steady eddie horse are somehow ethically obligated to keep their horses forever seems absurd. A good match of a rider for a horse is the best thing for a horse.
But I honestly also have reservations about the ability of you to sell your horse to a decent home. Even the most basic riders I know who really don’t do much more than walk or a little trotting a few times a week usually want a horse who can at least theoretically canter. And sometimes people who are strictly w/t don’t have the knowledge, budget, or desire to keep a tricky horse sound–i.e., they think they can stick a horse in a field and just hit the trails on weekends with their friends. And trail riding isn’t always “easy” on a horse, depending on the trails and the rider.
I agree with trying to get him more reliably sound to make sure he ends up in a better situation, or, not to sound crass, is more marketable to someone who can give him decent care.
I think you have two separate issues- selling a horse that isn’t suited to what you need? No big deal. I recently sold a mare that was a wonderful trail horse and loved to plod around the ring with kids but was a terrible endurance horse for me. She’s much happier with her new job.
Selling a lame horse though? I’m not sure about that one. Give away maybe, care lease maybe, but I don’t know that ethically passing your lameness problem on to someone else is the thing to do.
I have routinely used Equioxx on my horses who had needed it as they have aged, with great results. While any drug can have side effects, the potential of those caused by Equioxx seemed worth the risk.
I would start with putting him on it and see how he feels in 30 days. If he is not working out for you then, sell him with the full disclosure he requires maintenance and provide his vet records to potential buyers.
He can canter without issue. I have been struggling for years with my confidence after a bad fall, so I am the one causing us to hold back on cantering. I am finally getting to the point of being able to do it without fear, and he’s been fine adding that into our rides. He went lane with my trainer riding 5-6 days a week, and then was still sore about 50% of the time with her riding him 2 days a week and me riding 2 days. She really works the horses and we just decided to stop with her consistently riding him. She puts a tune up ride on him a couple times a month now and he’s fine for that. He was perfectly sound as a trail horse before I bought him. The previous owner regularly rode him 10+ miles without any issues at all. I can certainly see about putting him on Equioxx, but at his current level of activity, he doesn’t need it. We’ve used it leading up to shows since I usually ride more then and it has helped him, so I do believe he could be sound with it. I have x rays of his knee too, that I’d be willing to share with a potential buyer. All of these things are definitely concerning to me. I love him to death and if I hadn’t just tried something he can’t do (sorting and cutting if you’re curious) that was quite literally the most fun I’ve ever had in my life, on a horse or off, before or after my bad accident, I wouldn’t even consider it. But despite having some enthusiasm for cows, it’s not likely he’s going to be able to do that kind of thing for long with his level of soundness.
I think you have an obligation to see how the equioxx can help him prior to sale.
That doesn’t obligate you to keep him, but you need to tie up that loose end before you list him so you know what he’s capable of, and can list him as such.
Many cutters stay sound enough to do their job with maintenance. Equioxx is about the lowest level of maintenance out there.
Selling a horse with lameness issues is a tough sell.
Selling him to fund a new horse likely isn’t going to work. This isn’t 'serviceably sound", he’s lame. I’d say more like a giveaway.
I’ll also say he would be much happier as a trail horse. He’s a good boy so he listens in the arena, but he doesn’t like it. On the trail he’s super happy, moves out much better, is just overall more engaged. He’s great on the trail too, isn’t spooky, I’ve taken him through rivers, over bridges, up and down steep hills, etc. He’s also pretty good at obstacles. I truly do think there is a wonderful home out there for him with someone not interested in showing or cow stuff, where he can live a sound and fulfilled life.
I have a lesson today so I’ll ask my trainer about putting him on a trial of Equioxx and see if she could ride 1-2 days a week again. He could probably use a tune up before selling anyway!
Yes, I’m sure that’s part of my hesitancy with all of it. Some of my friends are acting like it’s not a big deal but they’re not the ones selling a horse with issues.
I can afford another horse without selling him. It would just be tough paying board on 2. We do have a very nice therapeutic riding school here that takes horses on donation. I think that could be a great life for him. But, I think they have a long wait list for rehoming.
If his knee is that much of an issue in the arena, the type of trail riding you mentioned here is going to be an issue as well. He will not stay sound for that type of riding, possibly even with some sort of maintenance.
I know because I do that type of trail riding. Mountains, hills, rivers, picking our way through dead fall or large amounts of rocks. Hills are hard on both knees and hocks.
To say this kindly or politely, I am not sure your expectations with selling this horse are realistic. I understand you want to change disciplines and need to sell this horse, but I am not sure you fully understand his uses sound like they will be very limited.
Well, I have had 2 vets tell me he would be sound as a trail horse. I guess I’m going off of that as well. And he was sound doing that job before I bought him. Seller didn’t know there was anything wrong with him and neither did I until he went lame in training. I even had a PPE done, although no x rays because the vet felt they were unnecessary.
I also don’t know anyone who rides more than 3 days a week, unless they’re a professional. Maybe it’s the area of the country I’m in, but most people with horses here are riding maybe once or twice a week and then doing a long trail ride or fun show a couple times a year. Maybe not the best for keeping a horse in shape but certainly he can handle something like that.
Definitely hear what everyone is saying! My instinct was not to sell originally, but everyone is telling me I need something different. I’m not going to dump him on the first person who comes up with some money. It would have to be a perfect situation. I know they’re out there. Another horse at my barn was just sold to a guy in his 70s who just wants to walk around once a week on a horse, and comes to the barn to groom him and hand graze him often. If I can’t find a good home, he’s going to stay with me and I will just borrow a horse for fun stuff if I can.
It’s just that I have been afraid for so long I guess, and never expected to find something that made me feel so confident and happy in the saddle again. I guess I assumed I would always carry some fear. But now I found something that doesn’t make me afraid at all for some reason, and I am just so happy to feel that way. So if I can pursue it, I would like to try.
