Hi everyone, I’m trying to buy a new horse after my heart horse unexpected early retirement.
I thought I found a perfect match, calm, bombproof big 6yo gelding, great mover with basic dressage training. My timid adult ammy heart fell for him immediatelly.
However, his PPE was less than perfect. Subtle navicular, thin soles and P3 rotation suggesting chronic laminitis on both front legs. No lameness, seller swears she had this horse in training for 6 months and he was never lame.
I’m torn because I really like the horse and his character, but my dream is to eventually show up to intermediate dressage.
Would you pass and keep searching, or is he worth the risk?
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Nope, nope, and nope.
I’d not take him for free.
Especially if he’s that young with those issues.
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Unfortunately that sounds like stepping into heartbreak long term.
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Agree with above posters. And FWIW (a lot in this case), Ghazzu is a veterinarian.
Also, if the PPE was how you learned about these issues, the seller might have had prior knowledge but withheld information hoping your vet might not find some or all of it. If so, what else aren’t they telling you?
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The seller’s 6 months has nothing to do with the horse’s long-term future.
Think about how he’ll be going after 2 years of schooling & showing. In 4 years, what will those rads look like. In 6 years.
It doesn’t sound as if you want to invest in the purchase and upkeep of a horse that turns out to be a future lameness burden. He’ll be hard to move on by then – as he already is, in fact. That’s what I’d anticipate.
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As others have said, No. I have one with rotation and thin soles and had he been a performance horse, it would’ve been a career stopper. He’s pasture sound and a pet.
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No. 3 whammy’s from the start in a 6 yo.
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Hell to the No!
Nope, nope, nope
Also a bit of cringe at them calling a 6 year old bombproof- I mean they can be really good and chill and all, but bombproof is a pretty big statement
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No way. We’ve all learned it’s hard enough to avoid the land mines and cliff edges life throws at our horses, let alone knowing upfront you’ve got problems already fully brewed.
No. No. No.
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One wonders if he’s in pain and thus doesn’t feel good enough to react.
Bilateral issues are hard to feel or see - the horse doesn’t limp, but may feel underpowered or lazy. I find some footy horses will fling legs around and look “flashy” in their attempts to avoid the more painful spots. And they aren’t head bobbing lame so people ooh and ahh…
OP - pass. Rarely does this board agree 100% on ANYTHING!
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Learned the hard way,
“A Lame Horse is a Tame Horse”
Definitely Run Fast.
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I once rode a mare who was purchased by her owners as a nice quiet thing.
She was intended to be a mount for the timid rider in the family.
As soon as the mare got her horrible feet taken care of, she turned out to be quite the pistol.
Apparently she just hurt too much previously.
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This x 100
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Rotation at 6yr old is on my list of nightmares. I wouldn’t take a horse like that for free, even if I had all the money in the world to try to keep it sound. Too heartbreaking.
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I was going to suggest this but you guys beat me to it.
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The only way I’d feel comfortable with buying is if the seller could show medical documentation that the horse had a laminitis event that had a known cause, was tended to by a vet, and the horse had not had a laminitis flare in at least a year.
This sounds like chronic laminitis in a baby horse. That’s scary.
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Exactly.
Count me as another pass.
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Oof, this would be a fast track to heart break. Another pass from me.
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I am curious as to what the breed is?
