Posts Tagged ‘how to sell your horse’
Let’s Make a Deal!
My friends at Rein Magazine asked this on their Facebook, and I’m totally stealing it because I think it will be a VERY fun question here: What is the strangest thing you’ve ever traded for a horse/traded a horse for? My favorite was a polo pony who was the payment for the lawyer who did the former owner’s divorce (heck of a nice mare, too!) Rein’s thread was a hoot…one gal traded a horse for a hot tub and noted that she was still using the hot tub! So tell me…what have you traded for?
This mare at Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue in Maryland is the epitome of “TOO CUTE!” She is only four and super sweet (note how well behaved she is in a huge field)…and that cute, bright expression! Go and get her, you know you want her.
Count the Fail!
How many ways can you FAIL in one photograph with a horse? Thanks to the Internet, we have answered that question. It might be easier to evaluate what is not wrong here: The horse is well fed…woohoo! One tiny element of sanity in what is otherwise just a great, big, huge WTF???? picture.
Now, most of you already know these things, but in case there are some beginners reading today, I’m going to explain everything that is wrong with this picture:
NEVER, no matter WHAT, get on a horse that is tied to something. This is one of the most dangerous things you can do. Why? Because horses are a prey animal in nature, and when something frightens them, their overriding instinct is to escape. If you are mounting or sitting on a tied horse and something startles him, his natural instinct is to pull back and thrash around trying to get free. This often leads to the halter breaking and the sudden release of pressure causes the horse to flip over backwards. Even if they don’t break the halter, they can lose their footing and wind up underneath the trailer, under a gate, etc. If you are in the saddle, where do you think you wind up? The answer is: In the Emergency Room if you’re lucky, if you’re not lucky, the morgue. And in this case, baby and all.
Even the wrong person holding the horse while you mount can cause a similar accident. A ground person must always hold the horse with “give” in the hold, particularly with a young horse. Having a horse take a few steps to balance himself as you get on is highly preferable to winding up underneath the horse, and trust me, those flipping incidents can happen in a split-second and with horses you do NOT expect to do such a thing. I hate it when people say “but s/he would never do that!” What are you, a fortune teller? Read stories from people who have lost a loved one to a horse accident and they pretty much always say “but Brownie never DID that before.” Yes, because Brownie is a horse, not a golf cart, and predicting equine behavior is like predicting the weather – no matter your skill level, sometimes there will be a big surprise!
Now let’s go on to the obvious example of Bad Parenting. Come on, how many brain cells do you need to rub together to figure out that hanging on to your baby like a sack of groceries while you sit on a horse YOU describe as one for an experienced rider is phenomenally, epically stupid and irresponsible? If the horse does the slightest thing, you are in no position to react to it while protecting the child. The child isn’t wearing a helmet, so he is one tip of a hoof or bad landing angle away from spending the rest of his life at the same developmental level he is currently at, diapers and all. Or you can spend your life visiting his grave – what do you think about that idea, Mom? Sure, accidents can happen no matter what but that doesn’t mean you let your baby play in traffic or leave your cleaning cabinet unlocked. There are many ways to minimize the risk of a catastropic accident whereas you, Mommy Dearest, seem to just be inviting one to come and get you and your child. It’s NOT cute. It’s NOT proof of how safe the horse is. It’s scary and cringe-worthy.
Then we have the fit of the saddle. Even from here, I see that it is not built for this wide-shouldered Icey pony, and it’s certainly not built for your butt. Yes, Iceys can carry weight, but be fair to them with a properly fitted saddle and a quality pad. Don’t park your behind up there in your kid’s saddle – it’s not safe for you and it’s not at all comfortable for that poor pony!
Now, since I always like to give examples of how to do it right, here are some good ads showing How To Sell A Pony (same general price range):
Honest ad explaining what pony does, rider level required, with nice (expiring) picture
OMG the cute…Very, very cute pony, priced right and looks good! (Nice web site too – probably homemade but has well-chosen professional pictures and woohoo they can SPELL.)
Another rockstar pony for the price – how fun does she look to ride?
See, it is not THAT hard to sell a pony without looking like a knuckle-dragging MORON. Learn from the FAIL shown in the first picture, and don’t let that be you (especially if you have a baby!)
(FYI: It actually took a bit of work to find good examples. Why do people post video on Dreamhorse of lame ponies? Seriously? You seriously don’t know it’s lame? I know it walks over tarps and all kinds of cool shit, but it’s REALLY FREAKING LAME.)
What happened to that core value of responsibility?
I know that I have taken this topic up before, but I like to revisit it from time to time as I know that some of you may still believe that donating your horse to your college is a great thing for the horse. You believe that an institution of higher learning will act more responsibly than a backyard breeder whose unemployment just ran out.
Wrong. In the vast majority of cases, totally wrong.
Oregon State University Dumping Horses
Yes, as you can see, the research horses are being dumped right alongside other prized items like trucks that don’t run. They seem to have made an effort to evaluate them, but of course it never occurred to them to simply put them into an on-site program where students could train them to ride, and then have a show at the school to show off what they learned and place them at that event. You know, make a big deal out of it, like the mustang challenge. I came up with that idea within, like, 30 seconds. This school is FULL OF kids who did OHSET and are completely capable of putting some training on horses, and I’m betting they’d absolutely love to get involved in such an event.
But no. Heaven forbid. And I don’t want to hear about your budget, jackasses. If you told your alumni that you needed sponsorships to keep these mares long enough to train them and participate in an event, you’d get the money. You are just being lazy and dumping them. Most do not appear to have papers and most are untrained. Who do you think is going to get them, with your minimum bid of $150?
If your alma mater has an equestrian program or does research on horses, give them a call. Find out how they place horses they are no longer able to use. Ask that question before you write any more checks, or recommend that school to anyone else. If you don’t like the answer you get, make sure to note that you will not be writing any more checks, or recommending any students to their institution. Money talks with people like these, and it is the only thing that talks.
And remember – when you donate a horse, unless you put something very specific in the contract to prevent this, you lose ALL CONTROL of the horse. Some of the entities that we have found letting horses go to kill include colleges, therapeutic riding programs, kids’ camps (yep, even the “Christian” ones), Girl Scout programs, and 4-H leaders. Ask questions before you donate, and edit the contract, if necessary, to ensure that the horse must be returned to you if he does not work out for their program. Conduct follow up visits. If they don’t want to let you visit, don’t give them your horse. Your horse deserves to be safe and you are the only person with the power to ensure he gets it.
Now, if you’re near OSU and want to save a horse, I would note that I think #3 is really a nice mare. Wonder whose “I had the money to buy them but not the money to feed them” Arabian breeding program she came out of?
How to get on the Fugly blog!
Post conflicting ads and be unable to keep your own story straight!
Ad #1 for a seven year old stallion called Convoys Silky – and it was posted yesterday. Emphasis added:
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So then I went to her web site and found this monstrosity standing at stud. His name is Mind Ya Bizness. I am sure she is wishing I would mind mine, but I’m sorry, OMFG, LOOK AT THOSE FRONT LEGS! Why would you reproduce that…ever?  And he’s generally unimpressive from the knees up too…short-necked, downhill, and common. Her web site says he will be gelded after the 2010 breeding season. He should have been gelded before ANY breeding season. Really, I would love to hear this person’s explanation for why she thought this should ever breed on. I cannot imagine what goes through your head when you look at a horse like this and say, YEAH, let’s stand him at stud this year. The Second Race blog seems to think it’s a wonderful heartwarming story that he’s standing at stud now. Excuse me while I throw up – folks, being able to reproduce is NOT an accomplishment. It’s not like, yay, he came back from starvation and NOW HE CAN MAKE BAYBEEZ! YAY! Rehabbing him WAS an accomplishment, breeding him is a FAIL.  This is a completely mediocre stud that will never have a performance record. You cannot blame starvation for all of his conformational defects. If she had gelded him and decided to keep him as a pet to make up for his horrible past, now that would be a heartwarming story! But nope, she has to try to make a buck off of him first. Blech.Â
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This is just one of those WTF farms. She has some really nice horses, like Saressa, but she also has some hideous fuglies, and she does not seem to know the difference. Look, I found the worst set of posty hocks that I have EVER seen on a TB mare. And that’s a broodmare! Why? Why? Why? I mean, it’s nice that everybody is well fed and well cared for and I will give kudos on that, but like a lot of places, this person is just a breeding addict. This is a classic example of someone that just does not understand 75% of what she owns is “pet quality,” to borrow a term from the dog people. And the pet quality horses just aren’t finding homes these days – demand is down, so people can afford better horses and the better horses are what they’re buying. I mean, who wouldn’t take a BMW over a Hyundai for the same price? Use some common sense.
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A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Rehome Your Failed Racehorse!
I honestly do want people to learn how to rehome their failed racehorse (or other kind of competition horse!) responsibly, so let’s talk about how to do that today. We’ll start with racehorses, but I’m totally open to discussion about how to find new homes for other kinds of competition horses in the comments. A lot of the advice will be the same.
For racehorses:
I. Is your horse sound? That is the first question. Please have a vet (not your trainer’s usual vet) come in and evaluate him. If he’s sound, proceed to step I.a. If he’s not, proceed to step I.b.
- I.a. Your horse will need 3 months of layup time before he is ready to enter another type of training. This time period is necessary so that he can “come down” off of whatever your trainer has given him (and if you think your trainer does not do that, you might be surprised!) I once had a trainer warn me flat out, “be careful, we’ve been pumping him full of hormones to keep him going.” THANK YOU! Her comment saved me a lot of trouble wondering why this otherwise nice gelding wanted to eat other horses for lunch. It told me that the behavior was not his true self, and it wasn’t. He is a happy amateur hunter in Seattle these days, and no longer has any aggressive behaviors. So at this point you can proceed to either step I.a.1 or step I.a.2.
I.a.1 – Send your horse out for 3 months of pasture board. You will want to choose a facility with safe fence (no barbed wire, and hot tape is not usually enough to hold a fit racehorse). Horse fence (the small mesh), wood fence, panels, etc. are all good choices. If it is winter, your horse will need to be blanketed and may need to be stalled at night. He will need shelter in the pasture (not just trees). The barn owner should be experienced with detoxing Thoroughbreds and be able to evaluate your horse and figure out who he can safely be turned out with. Pull the shoes and have a quality farrier trim him every 8 weeks during this time period.
I.a.2 – Donate your horse to a reputable Thoroughbred rescue with a substantial donation ($1500 – $2000) to provide for their costs in rehabbing him. I’m no accountant, but this MAY be tax-deductible. Ask your accountant! Now, how do you find a reputable rescue? Visit in person, and also do your internet research. Read their web site and their contract. Make sure they do follow up visits! Look for one that can put you in touch with former adopters, and account for where their horses have gone after the track. Avoid any place with unsafe facilities, any place that seems to be desperate for money or cutting corners (low quality hay, long feet on the horses, etc.) and anybody who gives you the creeps. Listen to your instincts. If you do this, guess what, your job is DONE! You can wave goodbye to the horse and he’s no longer on your tab. If he needs a $5,000 colic surgery tomorrow, it’s no longer your problem.
Now, if your horse isn’t sound? Then we have step I.b – call a vet, get x-rays if necessary, find out what is up. The vet or vets (second opinions are always great!) will give you an idea if if your horse is going to come sound (proceed to step I.b.1) or isn’t (proceed to step I.b.2).
I.b.1 – Get the horse off the track and, depending on the vet’s recommendation, to where he can be on pasture or stall rest. This does not have to be wildly expensive. I know many places in the PNW where you can find decent full care board for $250-$300 a month. This is true in many parts of the country. Just make sure the staff can do whatever your horse needs, whether it’s wrapping, hand walking, cold hosing or whatever. And yes, those things will cost something extra but not as much as you’d pay for them at a high end TB lay-up facility. I understand that we all have bills to pay. You don’t have to go for the highest end option if you can’t afford it. Get the horse rehabbed and sound again and then you can bounce back to choosing between options I.a.2 or option II.
I.b.2 – This is a tough one. We would all LIKE to believe that someone wants to take our broken down horse and give him a good home, but in reality about 99% of the time, the horse will not have a good, permanent home. Kill buyers are VERY sneaky. They will send everything from little old ladies to 14 year old girls to try to get your broken down horse for free. The only way it’s really safe to place a horse as a companion horse is with someone you know VERY well, personally, at a place where you can visit and check up on his well being. If retirement board is an option or you have a home farm, awesome, it’d be great to see your horse enjoy that. But if it’s not, I will NEVER fault anyone for euthanasia. Euthanasia is much better than the auction or giving the horse away to someone who “seems nice.” People, I could have my readers post 500 stories of people who seemed nice who were either fronting for kill buyers or who starved their horse to death or nearly to death. I am NOT exaggerating. PLEASE believe me on this.
II. Okay, now, If you chose step I.a.1 or I.b.1, and the horse is detoxed and sound, it is time to do something with your OTTB. If you can’t do the work yourself of starting him in a new career, you will need to choose a quality trainer. Do some shopping around and ask questions. Most Thoroughbreds are going to be best suited for a hunter/jumper or dressage home, so a trainer in one of these specialties who can point to OTTB’s they’ve retrained is a good bet. Look for “success stories” — their OTTB’s are happily showing with their students. Look for a barn where the horses are good weight, the stalls are clean, fresh water is plentiful and horses do not seem stressed or crabby for the most part (one barn crank, sure, but not twenty). Ask your vet for a recommendation. Your farrier may also have some inside scoop on this. So will your local Thoroughbred rescue. What you are looking for is someone to put 30-90 days (whatever you can afford, more is better) on your horse and market him for sale. Typically the trainer will get paid for training and get a commission when you sell the horse. However, if the horse is tall and attractive, they may sell them for quite a lot and you may both be very happy! It is not unusual for a few months of training to turn a horse who had zero value the day of his last race into a $5,000 or even $10,000 horse, if he’s tall, attractive and a good mover. If he’s a sensible sort who will be amateur friendly, even better. This can be a very good investment, although as with everything, there are no guarantees. You may have to get personally involved in marketing the horse yourself – get good video, post him on all the “for sale” sites, and perhaps pay for some shows to get him out there so people can see him.
Yes, all of these things cost money but wouldn’t you rather be on my blog as a good guy/girl who put in the effort and now has a happy amateur or junior hunter or dressage horse out there to show for it? Look how good that makes your chosen sport of racing look when that happens. You guys all want racing to survive and thrive, right? So make a little investment in its image by doing as I recommend and you will see the payoff down the road!
Speaking of good owners, today I want to plug Keith Swaggerty of Swag Stables. When he heard that his homebred, Bucky B Lucky, was not so lucky and was in the kill pen at Enumclaw, Keith stepped right up with cash in hand to help a few others get Bucky to safety A.S.A.P.! Bucky was not on that lot for 24 hours after Keith found out. Now Bucky is a Second Chance Ranch horse, appropriate because now he has that second chance. I’m told he is a sweetie pie and should make a great horse for someone. Soundness, etc. all yet to be evaluated but this is one horse that did not go on the truck, and imagine how good the folks at Swag Stables feel knowing that they were able to rescue him even though they had not owned him for three years! A huge thanks also to his other donor and friend, Jeannette Parrett – who has a very cool horsey blog, Hoofprints Across My Heart.
UPDATE: He was a SCR horse this morning. Now I have an update that Save A Forgotten Equine decided to take him on because their volunteer coordinator, Jeannette, loves him so much! So Bucky will be available through SAFE.Â
Here’s another nice, already retrained OTTB for anyone looking. Her name is Tapatia and she’s 14 years old and out in Kennewick, Washington at SOS Equines. Well bred, sweet and quiet under saddle with a very affordable adoption fee!
