Please seriously consider finding another trainer. It is a very bad sign that she won’t consider the possibility of there being a pain issue, when there’s heaps of evidence that it could be a pain issue.
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I am in Miami. One of the vets my trainer uses is based in Wellington and he has a good reputation. I’ve heard that many other barns use him as well, and the other boarders at my barn have only good things to say about him. Only downside is he is pretty far and hard to get a hold of. Is it okay to contact him? I’ll try to get in touch with UF.
You might start a new thread here on CoTH asking about lameness/sports medicine vets in the greater Miami area and also ask if folks here on CoTH are familiar with that specific Wellington vet and if they would use/recommend him.
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Why did you buy him as a jumper if you knew he didn’t like jumping before you bought him? Why did previous owner market him as a jumper? This makes no sense at all.
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Ok after reading through today’s posts, that’s quite a story.
You need to ditch this trainer. Either they are complicit in the fraud or they are so stupid they couldn’t source a decent horse for you. A competent experienced trainer would see issues and red flags in the back story and exercise caution dealing with a crap western sales barn.
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The fact that your trainer is denying that your horse is in pain is yet another red flag, IMO. Why would she deny this basic fact? As someone else suggested, she was either complicit in the deal with this horse or is too stupid to realize that he is likely broken. Either/both are reasons to get away from this “trainer.”
You’ve been getting a lot of very good advice, and are probably pretty overwhelmed. I’d write a list for yourself to start with a vet who is in no way associated with your trainer. Do not tell your trainer when this appointment is or ask her to be there, you don’t want her skewing opinions or testing options.
Show the Facebook posts to the vet, tell her or him about the bolting, resistance to jumping, etc. Ask for back xrays.
Once you have gathered your evidence, develop a treatment plan to help your horse start to feel better - turnout, vitamin E, previcox, etc.
Then an decide if you’re going to keep him and slowly rebuild (as in over a year or more, if he’s going to be rideable) or if you are going to return him and get your money back, using all of the evidence you’ve gathered.
Finally, but not last, get a new trainer. Start looking tomorrow morning. Ask the vet, the tack shops, ask on here, look on the website of the local schooling show association to see which barns are members and hosts of the shows.
Good luck. Karma is on your side. This will all end up being okay because you will be doing what is best for the horse, and that will be the kindest thing that anyone has done for it yet.
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OP, he’s a cute horse and I understand why you don’t want to sell. I get very attached to my horses too.
Your current trainer doesn’t sound very trustworthy, so be careful how you leave. You sound like a trusting person (I’m one too, so I get it) and you’d be surprised how trainers can undermine a client who intends to leave. This is why I disagree with bringing a vet to your current barn…I would get out first, then get a new vet.
This isn’t an emergency, so you’ve got time to make an exit plan. After you find a new trainer, make a plan when to move your horse. I would move my horse immediately after giving notice to the trainer and barn. For example, tell them on Friday that a trailer is coming to pick up your horse on Saturday to move to a new barn. If your board agreement requires 30-days notice, pay that money, but move the horse asap. You may have to pay double board (the current place and the new place) for a month, but it will be worth it to avoid potential aggravation and awkwardness.
PKP mentioned checking with local tack shops, and I love that idea. Your area is a huge place, and I’m not sure where you are, but there’s a great little tack shop in in the metro area. I live in another city, but I visit my mom in your area quite often and I always stop in there. They’re super friendly and would be a good resource for that area.
Best wishes for a happy outcome.
And to answer your original question, some horses do not like to jump. I’ve had two horses that I hoped would be hunters and they are both living happily as dressage horses now.
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USEF/Centerline scores show the horse only showing at Training Level not 1st.
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This, 100000x this. OP, I know you’re attached to this horse. But he’s got a lifetime of vet bills and disappointment sitting in front of him. You board, you don’t have a place to just have him live out his happy days in a pasture.
I’d disinvolve the trainer right now and serve whomever you gave money do (J, or the trainer) with a demand letter for your money back.
I wouldn’t spend a red cent on any additional vet care for this horse. You’d get more out of literally lighting the money on fire.
This horse has got to GO. You were lied to about known issues. That is absolutely fraud, regardless of if it was your trainer or J.
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Coming in late to this one. I skimmed the Facebook posts, and I’m not getting what other posters apparently got about the horse’s history. The farrier’s talk about posture modification and rehab all sound like elaborate snake oil to me; this month’s flavor of carrot stick. I didn’t see anything in those posts that pointed to a specific diagnosis or anything other than an uncomfortable, maybe overworked, maybe body sore horse?
I do get that this horse is currently in pain, is unsuitable for the use he was purchased for, and misrepresented.
What are you all seeing in the FB goggldegook that I’m missing?
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Sooooo. I’m in the general area of Milton FL. One of my barn mates went and tried this horse several months ago. She was almost conned into buying him by that “farrier” until our barn owner went with her for a second visit. All four hooves were trimmed differently. Looked like poop. I saw current pics of hooves at that time. The “farrier’s” sales tactic is to ride the horse into the ground immediately prior to potential buyers arriving. Any “coach” that went and looked at that horse and recommended buying it is either ignorant or in on the scam.
Sorry OP, hope you are able to get out of this situation
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Somewhere it said that the horse came with severe back pain that caused bucking fits.
Should I really not talk to my trainer about this? I’m so confused and desperate for answers.
When I decided to buy a horse, it was because I knew I had the funds and the time. But having a nearly unrideable horse with many vet bills is something I can’t afford… He’s such a sweet horse, I want to give him the life he deserves.
He will have to stay at my trainer’s barn until the end of the month, I just paid board. I don’t think I have it in me to return him to Jim. I really would like to give him to someone who will take his issues into consideration and love him.
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Talk to your trainer about this and show her the FB posts from “Jim.” By all means I would see what she has to say. She has some responsibility for recommending this horse to you.
The problem is that homes for unrideable horses are few and far between. If you can give him back, do it. This is NOT your fault and you don’t want to waste years on a broken horse you were scammed into buying. It is a hard lesson to learn but most of us older posters have been there at some point. I regret the years and $$$$ I threw down the drain chasing after solutions that were never going to be there for a horse.
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I understand that. Can you take the purchase price of him and literally light it on fire and be ok financially? Because if not, you need to get your money back. You were duped. Your trainer was complicit in this.
Assuming no one told you that this horse had issues…
Other than asking in writing for the purchase price of the horse back (who did you actually give money to?) once, politely, with a timeframe for doing so, I wouldn’t be saying a word to anyone. At the end of the given timeframe, they would be served with a demand letter.
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This is probably also worth mentioning. My trainer had a horse she was looking at at Jim’s (JC) barn. The horse’s name was __, a supposed paintxwarmblood, you can see a few photos of her on JC’s Facebook, though I haven’t scrolled down far enough to check if she has had a “makeover.” That is the horse my trainer bought for her program. I believe that the reason she encouraged me to buy my horse probably has to do with that. __ doesn’t show the same signs that my horse does as far as I’m concerned. Doesn’t seem to be in any pain, she just had trust issues when she arrived. Anyway, because (that barn) is about a ten hour drive, my trainer decided we should book a flight. And, just as we were about to, JC called and said someone else was looking at Star and he wasn’t sure he would have him by the time we got there. I said it was fine, because there were obviously other horses I was interested in. My trainer really fought for it though, said that she thought he was the perfect horse for me, and so I ended up getting a last minute flight. It wasn’t cheap, and I had to pay for my own flight and my trainer’s, because she said she wasn’t going to charge me a fee for helping me look for my horse if I payed for her flight. Just to check, trainers do charge a fee for helping students look for horses, right? I’ve known this trainer for two years, and I have done a lot of volunteering at this barn and would stay later than I was supposed to just to help out. I really trusted her.
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OMG. This story gets worse and worse for you, OP. She clearly took advantage of you and pressured you to buy a very unsuitable horse so that she could get a deal on her own. That is a breach of so many agency and ethics rules…I am livid for you.
Do NOT trust her any further! I know you are a legal adult but just barely – can you get your parents involved? This is a serious problem you are facing.
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OP, I am so sorry this is happening to you and the horse. I totally agree that you can not trust your trainer one iota. She has done you soooooo wrong, in sooooo many ways. Sorry, the hurry up and get here is to be questioned as well. And since you met Jim in person, it is very odd that he did not mention any of the horse’s past or problems to you the buyer. So I would NOT give him a free pass either.
You need to break ties with your trainer. I am sorry, I know it’s hard to leave a barn you are comfortable at and know. But you cannot trust her. Do not believe anything she says. How can she say your horse is not in pain? Especially knowing his history.
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Florida has an equine lemon law:
“Additionally, the FELL requires that the sales contract contain a statement by the buyer or agent acknowledging awareness that any warranties or representations have been stated in writing. This includes the horse’s age, medical condition, prior medical problems and treatments, as well as any liens or encumbrances. In an auction sale for licensed Thoroughbreds, the issuance of an auction receipt may substitute for a bill of sale. However, it must state the horse’s identification, date of purchase, the purchase price and contain the signatures of the buyer or buyer’s agent. Additionally, the receipt must state or incorporate by reference all conditions of the sale including any warranty terms. The FELL also gives buyers the right to inspect the horse’s veterinary records. Horse sales made through claiming races at licensed pari-mutual facilities are exempt from the Florida Equine Lemon Law. Failure to comply with the provisions of the Florida Equine Lemon Law will be considered deceptive and unfair trade practices.”
More info below:
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Thank you! I have a relative studying law, she might help me make more sense of this and what I should do.
