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Post EPM; WWYD? Update!

Horse Care
#1

I had a horse that had EPM he was treated, and it was caught early enough on that he is sound enough for riding and is just a little weak in the back end.

I was boarding him this spring and the lady who gave lessons at that barn fell in love with him and he enjoyed being ridden in an arena. Little kids were taking lessons on him and it was a better fit than my house. So we gave him to her to use as a lesson horse / light use and it seemed like the perfect fit.

Long story short (fast forwarding over the summer to now) winter is on its way she is downsizing and he is the first to go. We gave him to her for free and she is selling him now for $1200. We have two horses that are perfectly healthy and could take on a third horse but it would be a squeeze.

We can’t afford to buy him from her but it is possible for us to take him back if she cannot sell him. Just curious what other COTHers would do.

TIA, just looking for some outside opinions. Are we crazy for wanting him back? :frowning:

#2

You should have had a contract that specified she give him back to you if she no longer needed him. Definitely ask her to give him back to you. She got him for free, made money off of him in lessons, so she should be willing to give him back to you. Good luck and keep us posted (and no you are not crazy for wanting/being willing to get him back).

#3

I would offer to take him back, but for free not for $1,200.00. She’s got a lot of crust to put a price like that on him to the person who let her make money all summer with him for FREE. Just thank your stars you’re in a position to take him back because you might not like where he could end up otherwise.

If you get him back, you might consider offering him to another school situation, or to a low level Pony Clubber or adult ammie dressage rider who would use him the way he seems to enjoy–but THIS time please lease him so nobody pulls this on you again.

Sorry you have to go through this; that woman needs a knuckle sandwich. :mad:

#4

[QUOTE=sdlbredfan;7784801]
You should have had a contract that specified she give him back to you if she no longer needed him. Definitely ask her to give him back to you. She got him for free, made money off of him in lessons, so she should be willing to give him back to you. Good luck and keep us posted (and no you are not crazy for wanting/being willing to get him back).[/QUOTE]

In hindsight we should have, but the contracts are only as good as the person that signs them in my experience. I am just unsure how to to word a friendly message to her.

#5

[QUOTE=Lady Eboshi;7784832]
I would offer to take him back, but for free not for $1,200.00. She’s got a lot of crust to put a price like that on him to the person who let her make money all summer with him for FREE. Just thank your stars you’re in a position to take him back because you might not like where he could end up otherwise.

If you get him back, you might consider offering him to another school situation, or to a low level Pony Clubber or adult ammie dressage rider who would use him the way he seems to enjoy–but THIS time please lease him so nobody pulls this on you again.

Sorry you have to go through this; that woman needs a knuckle sandwich. :mad:[/QUOTE]

We thought that this was going to be a permanent home for him, at least longer than a few months. But he isn’t an easy keeper, I have never leased a horse out either. We just have a 2 stall barn with an outdoor round pen and no indoor / place to ride in the winter unless you trailer.

Right now I am just hoping we can get him back. :frowning:

#6

The OP gave away the horse. The new owner has no obligation to give it back and has every right to sell it at any price this horse might be worth in its new owner’s eyes.

If you want to have a permanent home for your horse, keep it.

To the OP, you can always ask the new owner but be ready for a negative answer.

#7

Did you have a contract transferring ownership to her in the first place?

#8

No there was no contract. When we sold him we were not in a position to buy him back sadly.

I am not whining saying that she will not give him back, I understand I gave him away and what she does with him going forward isn’t my business. I am wondering what other people would do in my situation. :slight_smile:

#9

[QUOTE=kkmrad94;7785176]
No there was no contract. When we sold him we were not in a position to buy him back sadly.

I am not whining saying that she will not give him back, I understand I gave him away and what she does with him going forward isn’t my business. I am wondering what other people would do in my situation. :)[/QUOTE]

Ok I ask because I read “we gave horse to trainer for use in lessons” to mean you were providing horse to trainer as a free lease for use in the lesson program, not “gave” as in “sold.” Without a bill of sale, I’m still a little fuzzy on whether or not the horse was actually “sold”…

#10

Call her and say (without being accusatory) that you can’t afford to buy him back but will give him a home if necessary. I would add something like, I would love to be able to keep track of him in case he needs help down the line, please give buyer my contact info and let them know that too.

#11

[QUOTE=IPEsq;7785366]
Ok I ask because I read “we gave horse to trainer for use in lessons” to mean you were providing horse to trainer as a free lease for use in the lesson program, not “gave” as in “sold.” Without a bill of sale, I’m still a little fuzzy on whether or not the horse was actually “sold”…[/QUOTE]

Excellent point! I’ve bought several horses over the years for “$1.00 and other good and valuable considerations.” That’s how it’s written on the Bill of Sale, which makes the sale legal.
I actually DO hand over the dollar bill.

Failing anyone’s signature on a bill of sale, I think it is quite arguable that your intent was to free-lease him as long as the trainer could use him.

We need a lawyer to chime in here! :slight_smile:

#12

I sent her a message nicely saying that I couldn’t afford to buy him but if she couldn’t find a good home for him that we would take him back. Of course my mom and I are now prepping for just in case because we aren’t set up for three horses going into winter.

She apparently had a problem with her landlord and he kicked her out so she doesn’t have a place for him. She was going to try and sell him so that he would go for a good home. I talked to her on the phone and she sounded relieved that we offered to take him.

I’ll keep everyone updated on if he does come home / what happens. :slight_smile:

#13

http://tinypic.com/r/in4s4l/8

Here is a picture of him taken a few days ago. He is doing really well and seems to be back to his spunky normal self. We are back to trying to find him a home but are extremely hesitant to let him go again. He is a very willing guy but needs more work and time than we are able to give him.

Back to where we started. He has the potential to be a great horse for someone if they work with him. Someone offered to take him and put time on him to resell him. She checks out and has a decent facility but I am unsure if she will just take money from the first person who offers it or if she will try to give him a good home.

The only reason that I am considering this is because I do not have enough experience to train a horse. Just wondering what others have done when trying to sell a horse like this. I’m not looking to make any money off the sale just to find him a good home where he will be worked with consistently.

#14

If he is good schoolie material, I don’t know a good riding school that would turn him down, especially for free. Lesson horses sell all day long here for around $1-3k depending on their abilities (lead changes, etc).

#15

[QUOTE=kkmrad94;7933753]

He is a very willing guy but needs more work and time than we are able to give him.[/QUOTE]

I’m confused–isn’t this a horse that was giving lessons to little kids?

After your last experience, would you really want to be in that same spot again? This is a horse who will always have the risk of relapsing into EPM again, and will probably always have at least mild neurological issues. That is not a horse who has great potential for ending up in a good home. Personally, if I could not keep him, I would euthanize him. And I am saying that as an owner of a post-EPM horse myself.

Again, why would the horse need training if it was a kids’ lesson horse?

#16

He knows basic w/t/c, nothing fancy.

Frizzle -

He was giving lessons to little kids but that was after he had been consistently worked. He hasn’t been consistently worked for a few months so at least an intermediate rider would have to work with him for a little.

He will crow hop and bunch up when you ask him to trot / canter. He knows basic w/t/c, nothing fancy. He was cleared by the vet as sound and she said he had a mild case. The only issue that he has is that he doesn’t do as well on rocky terrain.

#17

When lesson horses are all used up, they are the 1st for auction…his own person would be ideal

#18

HealingHeart - That’s what I believe as well. We gave him to a lady who used him as a lesson horse but didn’t feed him correctly so he became unreliable since he was so underweight.

#19

A post-EPM horse is always going to be a difficult (if not impossible) sale because of the high risk of relapse. My horse was a 1/5 on the neurological scale and was treated with a full month of Marquis, but he is still a post-EPM horse. I would honestly be surprised if you are able to find a good forever home for this horse, even if you sell him for $1, if you are up-front about the EPM. It can be such a devastating, expensive disease and most people do not want to deal with it. Best of luck.

#20

Just wanted to post a little update about how he is doing. :slight_smile:

We sent him to the trainers to be worked with 3x a week to see how he holds up. Initially he dropped a bit of weight (stress of moving and being separated from his woman). Trainer said he did w/t/c in a round pen with deep sand and said his left hind was unsteady. Was extremely willing to do what was asked but did trip a few times when trotting. Trainer has also been working on his ground manners and said he is doing a lot better there.

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