I am thinking of trading my 10 year old TWH that has squamous cell carcinoma and has turned unridable for me. I knew when I got him he would prob be to much for me to handle having no confidence. I am just getting back into riding for a 19 year old paint that is broke broke. She is 15 hands. The only thing that worries me is her age. How many more years of riding for me will she have? I have a 3 year old that loves to ride. We have her a pony right now, I know she’ll need something bigger soon. But I’m really wanting something I can ride now, I’m about 510 175. I know that horses live to be older but with her age but I’ll be too heavy for her to ride around, I’m not planning on doing any 15 to 20 mile ride. We mainly just ride around our farm in a little bit on the road so under 10 miles at least. Going to say probably around 5 max at a time.
I wouldn’t worry about the age so much, but that photo makes her look like she already has a rather sway back. Can you get a photo of her standing up square?
Older horses do get sway backs. That doesn’t always mean they are unrideable. As you have found, temperament is very important. Whatever horse you get, whether 1, 10 or 20, you might only get one day out of them if lucky. That is life.
Her back is pretty bad . Finding a saddle to fit her could be a real problem. That is a bigger concern than her age to me.
Your horse with cancer needs to be put down, not traded. Your horse will end up badly if you choose to “trade” it. An “unrideable” horse needs to either be retired with vet treatment or put down. The horse will end up at auction and shipped to slaughter. If you won’t or can’t afford to have vet care, put the horse down.
Is this the 5 yr old “rescue” horse on your other thread? Put him down if you don’t want to pay vet bills.
Do not get the pinto with sway back.
Find someone who knows horses to help you buy a few horses. Have you ever owned a horse before you bought your farm? Get advice from someone who knows horses.
Thank you.
Google “lordosis” when dealing with a sway back horse.
I would agree that with her back, this is probably not the best horse to get. However, in your situation, a 19 year old healthy horse with good conformation would probably be a wise choice. A 19 year old who is doing well will probably be rideable to at least 25, maybe longer. Don’t worry about your 3 year old’s next horse. It will be a long time before a kid that young needs to move up from a pony.
Thanks, I was worried about her back when I saw it.
Why would put the horse down? The vet that came out never said anything about him needing to be put down? He just said that we had two options, pay a lot of money and get 4 inches cut his penis cut off or keep a watch on it and cut it off when it comes back. He isn’t acting up bc of the cancer, he has been this way a while. He has always been scared of the saddle, I worked and got him to stand still but I think he buffaloed me and now he knows that. I was told when I got him that he had terrible ground manners. The lady I got him from said if she knew he had it when she sold him, that she would have sent him to kill sell. I don’t think I can put him down now, especially as healthy as he seems. I would love to keep him and be able to ride him. The problem is there isn’t many trainers around me and not sure how much money I want to put into him. That’s why I would rather find him a good home with someone that has more experience and can get him back and ride him.
The 5 year old rescue didn’t work out, I got him checked out bc I noticed a few things that worried me, back leg was swole, knot in neck, and refused you touching his face. Didn’t want to get into more health issues again.
So…why did you get him? Honestly, sounds like euthanasia would not be unreasonable - he is afraid of a saddle and has major health issue. Who else is going to want him? You would be kinder to euthanize him than to pass him on to someone that will neglect him.
I think you need to reconsider your goals and your budget. So far it sounds like all the choices are unsuitable - if you cannot afford a suitable horse, look for a lease or take lessons. Finding a sound horse that will ride out alone and be beginner safe is pretty tough, even if you’re willing to spend the money.
The problem with dangerous horses is the people with the skill set to fix them are not going to mess with them. So the horse gets passed around before being either abandoned in a field to die of neglect, or run through the sale barn and shipped to slaughter. putting a horse down is a quick, clean death. And the horse doesn’t know any different. they go from alive, to not.
If you don’t have the skill to fix a broken horse, how do you intend to keep a beginner friendly horse that way? Every Single Time you interact with a horse, you are teaching it good, or bad, habits. Period. If you don’t know what you are doing, you are going to ruin more horses.
Find the trainers. Ask at the feed store, the bank, down at the walmart. Somebody is going to be willing to teach you a bit, even if they aren’t a formal trainer.
The number of people who are going to take a horse that has serious training problems and also an expensive ongoing medical condition is about zero. Especially heading into winter, when horses get expensive to feed.
So do not kid yourself, this horse is very likely heading to the kill pen if you don’t keep him or put him down.
Cheap and free horses are cheap/free for a reason, almost always due to soundness/health and training problems. If you don’t have the skills to fix training problems, don’t have access to a trainer, and don’t want to spend a lot on vet care, you are not in a good position to get a horse.
His chances of going to a good home are just about zero. Sounds like he is not a beginner ride and buyers aren’t going to pay anything for a horse with cancer that will need surgery costing north of 1k?. What do you think dealers who take horses like this in on trades do with horses not everybody can ride with cancer???
Sure trade him in and you can wash your hands of him and believe the lies dealers will tell you about how they will carefully select his next home and maybe get the surgery…they can’t AFFORD to do these things, it’s a business, horse like that is a walking money pit. He’ll be sent to auction. Should lightening strike and they sell him, that owner won’t be able to afford the surgery either or they would be buying a more popular type easy to ride, healthy horse to start with.
Trading him in relieves your concerns but will end any sense of security in his life,expose him to considerable stresses and prolong his battle with a currently operable penile cancer you blow off as not bothering him. How do you know? Maybe that has something to do with his being a difficult ride???
Kicking him down the road to somebody else is not responsible ownership or acting in this animals best interests.
Thae sway back Mare is probably closer to 30 then 20. And was probably kicked down the road by her previous owners…and bet it does bother her or previous owners wouldn’t have dumped her. If you can’t ride her without hurting her, then what? Trade her in?
Horse trading, particularly on tne lower end with untraceable horses, is full of smoke, mirrors and lies. Upoer end horses are only better because it’s easier to trace the animals to prove fraud. OP needs knowledgeable help selecting horses and not trusting everything told to her is the truth.
This horse need an owner that realizes he needs to be put down at home surrounded by his family and not shipped off to an end no one wants to imagine. To trade this horse is to pass the buck…and honestly I don’t know of any trader who would take him or give you anything for him. That pinto mare needs to retire. You will spend a ton just to get a saddle to fit her but then again you probably didn’t know that.
I’d recommend you get some decent riding lessons and become a more knowledgeable rider. After a couple of years of solid riding search out a horse that will be with you for years and not ailing or ancient.
