Rehoming my horse

[swata]

Last year I bought an OTTB who I planned to show and jump on. Unfortunately, his previous owners apparently knew little about the horse. They failed to disclose he has a very old sesamoid fracture in his left hind, and claimed they didn’t know anything was wrong. This is extremely suspicious to me because although they they said they were jumping him for 2 years 4 times a week, I was only jumping him once a week for 2 months before I started to notice something was wrong.

We’ve had many vet opinions, and tried months of rehab, injections, and spent a lot of money before we finally decided he cannot jump. He still does flat work (I ride him 6x a week), enjoys trails, and is just the sweetest horse! It breaks my heart because I really love him, but still want to show and jump, but we cannot commit financially to another horse.

I need to find the best home for him possible, but have ruled out a therapy program or lesson program. Does anyone have any other ideas about what I could do with him?

[SMF11]

Obviously look for a dressage or trail home for him. I would look to a Pony Club family myself, as they tend to be educated horsepeople, with good values (that is, they put the horse’s needs/interests at the forefront). My Pony Club region (New York, Upper Connecticut) has an email list, and through it my trainer has placed a couple of horses, and I’ve free leased my own horse, so it is a good resource.

[cowboymom]

Ask your vet! Ask your trainer, local reputable contacts…

[Beverley]

I just read yesterday, maybe on Facebook, of ‘horse therapy’ establishments that will happily take horses that can’t be ridden, if they are good for grooming and such, on the ground, non-riding therapy. So that might be an option if he has the temperament. But otherwise I would tend to look for trail more than dressage, the less ring work the better I think, for that type of injury.

[Cherry]

Honestly, I wouldn’t count on a “non-riding” therapy group to take him in. Heaven only knows where he would end up.

I would speak to my vet and farrier to see if they know of an older pleasure rider that might need a partner. And don’t be afraid to call other vet practices and farriers too! They will know the people who keep their horses and which people who change their horses like people change underwear.

If I could afford to own a horse I would not count this horse out. I’m in my sixties and no longer feel the urge to jump. Never went on tough trailrides, just rode along the side of roads (not recently though as traffic has increased dramatically) and around the property where I boarded. The last five years of my horse’s life she could not be ridden so she was like a big dog–I’d feed her, hand walk and graze her, groom her, hose her down if she was hot or sweaty and spray her with fly repellent. Sounds like an okay life to me!

I think that’s the kind of home you’re looking for? Ask around–the very best way to find a horse like this a good home is word of mouth!

[red_mares]

So if I read you right, your ride this horse 6 days a week and he stays sound. And he’s safe on trails. That’s more than can be said for many horses.

That is a good bit of work, even if it isn’t jumping. Make up a sale ad, put it in Craigslist, your local tack shops, let your vet, farrier, know, etc. He’d work for any 40-50 something dressage queen who is happy doing intro or training level forever (which describes most I’ve boarded with ). I wouldn’t rehome him, I’d sell him.

[BuddyRoo]

I don’t think you need to rehome this horse. You need to sell him to someone doing lower level dressage or easy trail work.

If he’s totally sound whilst not jumping and is a good egg, he’s ahead of the game in many ways. Talk to your trainer, reach out in your local community. He doesn’t sound broken down, just limited to flat work–not that uncommon and not unwelcome for many reriders, beginners, and others not interested in jumping.

As a side note, If you didn’t do a PPE with rads at the time of purchase then I really do think it’s unfair to put this on the prior owners. He may well have been fine. I’d be careful there. Any time you start badmouthing others with no real proof, you just make yourself look badly. Especially when issues didn’t show up til 2 mos in to your owning him.

Good luck.

[racingrags]

[QUOTE=BuddyRoo;7664169]

As a side note, If you didn’t do a PPE with rads at the time of purchase then I really do think it’s unfair to put this on the prior owners. He may well have been fine. I’d be careful there. Any time you start badmouthing others with no real proof, you just make yourself look badly. Especially when issues didn’t show up til 2 mos in to your owning him.

.[/QUOTE]

Oh trust me, we did a PPE with xrays. Vet detected subtle lameness in LH (same leg as fracture) but the seller tried to pass it off as being sore from his saddle. Yes, we were stupid to purchase, but we trusted the people (they SEEMED nice enough) and got burned. Now the seller is not even in contact anymore and has made NO effort to help this horse who she claimed she cared about.
Also, the vets i’ve consulted seem to think its unlikely he was showing and jumping one day, then two months later lame (under a less strenuous regime) without the assistance of medication.

But thanks, anyway…

[saultgirl]

[QUOTE=racingrags;7664218]
Oh trust me, we did a PPE with xrays. Vet detected subtle lameness in LH (same leg as fracture) but the seller tried to pass it off as being sore from his saddle. Yes, we were stupid to purchase, but we trusted the people (they SEEMED nice enough) and got burned. Now the seller is not even in contact anymore and has made NO effort to help this horse who she claimed she cared about.
Also, the vets i’ve consulted seem to think its unlikely he was showing and jumping one day, then two months later lame (under a less strenuous regime) without the assistance of medication.

But thanks, anyway…[/QUOTE]

lol

you’re welcome swata

[HungarianHippo]

If your description of the horse’s ability to handle the current flatwork schedule is accurate, like the other posters I dont see why you can’t sell him with full disclosure to a flatwork home. Maybe a lesson barn? Have you tried advertising him? I’d price him sensibly given his limitations, but he seems like he’d be marketable.

I will agree with others that it does not seem justified to accuse the former owners of lying. Or at any rate, what is there to be gained? Your own PPE with Xrays did not pick up the old injury. It is not absurd that they believed he seemed sore due to saddle fit-- lord knows that is the COTH diagnosis for nearly every major health problem that is posted :lol: And clearly you also felt confident in that potential diagnosis, enough to disregard the vet’s finding of lameness. So why is it impossible to think that they genuinely believed it themselves? Maybe they were riding on softer footing, and maybe their farrier trimmed him differently – there are other explanations for why he stayed sound there but not with you.
I’d just focus on a positive solution, which seems quite possible in this case. I wish you the best of luck in selling this one to a great home, and finding that jumper for you.

[hoopoe]

enlist the help of a good dressage trainer and see if he might make a nice horse for someone.

[GraceLikeRain]

If he is sound doing six days a week then he may be suitable as a dressage mount. His injury may rule out suitability at the upper levels but realistically that is not where most people are riding. If you put the time into giving him a strong foundation on the ground and under saddle he should be able to find a good home.