Buying a problem....or gamble?

[Wally]

If you were offered a pony to buy, price at first glance is reasonable for the pony.

Then you went to meet him and found a sweet pony, with a HUGE big bale of hay in a sea of mud. Little friend along side him. A bit shy of strangers but leadable by chin hairs and once a headcollar was on happy to lead and be handled all over.

The only problem is he is stick thin with a condition score of about 1.8 to 2.0 (2.0 being generous!) All the wrong bits sticking out, spine hips and got that big head look about him that skinny ponies often get.

Do you spend a heck of a lot of money on a vet to tell you if there is an underlying problem (We don' know when the big bale of hay arrived) or do you take a gamble on it being worms and teeth and no hay until the day before we saw him? Negotiate the price down to a level where you don't wince at pumping 24/7 food into him and an aggressive worming regeme??

Or 6 weeks down the line will I be paying the bills for the digger to dig a hole after atttempting all the above? Pay out if you do pay out if you don't!

One thing is for sure someone has to do something about the condition of that pony..........if they won't we may have to call the cruelty man.

Edit to say....forgot to mention the feet.......if he has had a foot trim in the last two years, I'm a monkey's uncle! That alone will take me 12 months to get right.

 

[Filipowicz Farm]

I would not be able to leave the pony at this place. I would gamble have the vet come see what could be done or if in bad shape have the vet put him down. You would have least seen if he could be safed or not and maybe a new life.

 

[Karen S]

HI Wally,

We have been in that situation before with a large appaloosa horse:

Dad saw this very skinny two year old in the same condition that you described except he didn't have any hay. He was eating oak leaves and acorns. Dad paid the man $75.00 for the horse taking a chance that he wouldn't die on him on the way home.

Got the horse home, called out the vet who went over him very thoroughly, check his teeth, felt of his legs, and tube worm him with a small dose of wormer. If he lived he would be back in three weeks to worm again with a small dose. That poor guy (he was still a stallion at the time) was so full of bots it would have made you sick. His entire manure pile was red from the worms. He was actually wormed about three times before a fecal count show he didn't have any more.

We slowly started him on feed being careful not to founder him. That horse knew we were trying to save his life. He obey, stood still when the farrier came (he had never been touched) and we all fell in love with him. He eventully pulled out of his horrible condition and blossomed into a beautiful animal. He was a dark bay, with black points, black stocking on all four legs up to his knees, black mane and tail, and the most beautiful white blanket across his hips with big bay spots the size of quarters and half dollars. We left him as a stallion for two years fearing that if we didn't, due to the conditions he had endured he might had his growth stunted.

He did grow to around 14.3, a perfect size for us girls.

I rode him in parades, we play-day on him, did precision drills and I even tried out for our district queen on him in riding events. My mother even learned how to ride on him because he was so gentle. If he's still alive today he would have been 34 years old.

So take a chance on him as I wouldn't leave him in that condition for he deserves someone who would love him and treat him with respect. Like a diamond in the rough, once his conditions gets better he may be that champion pony underneath.

Karen

 

[Wally]

I think we will take him so long as the bloke comes down on the price.

What it will cost me to get him right can be offset by lowering the price.

 

[Filipowicz Farm]

Wally, Let us know if you get him. He might turn out to be a beauty and pull your new cart.

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

I hardly ever post on this forum, but have started to read it. If it was me, I would be buying that pony in a heatbeat...just to get him out of the situation he is in. I hope you do get him, and he turns out to be your best pal for many years to come. Its truly remarkable what a little bit of TLC can do. Corinne

 

[Wally]

Apparently I was mistaken and ALL ponies look like that at this time of year!

Don't get me started...just don't the depth of ignorance is unspeakable.

seethe, seethe.

Anyway someone has offered him a lot more for the pony and he's sold it...to someone who thinks his condition is acceptable.

 

[Wally]

I think there is an amount of silly games going on here.

Several folk in the near vicinity have had a scorched ear tonight!

I have been told that the pony has just been sold for 4 figures and rising. Suffice it to say the person who told me has been left with no illusion whether they were to treat me like a complete fool!

'Tis a good job BT don't monitor calls and radio proceedure is not mandatory on the phone!

I have my suspicions as to what is going on........

Apparently if you have worked for Robert Oliver and one of the Whittakers you are qualified to look at horse's teeth......in the dark......without a gag or torch!................ And if they have worked for an Oliver and a Whitaker I am not a monkey uncle...I am his bottom!

 

[Miniv]

Sounds like you have a con-artist on your hands. Do you have an animal control agent in your area?

MA

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

hmmmm...this sure dont sound good at all.

 

[CRERS]

What a shame, poor pony. I would bet that the pile of hay was put there for your benefit and not the ponies, especially considering that you say his feet don't look like they've been touched in years. If they're not taking care of the basics, that probably goes for all basics, including food. People are sick.

I see where you've said that the pony was bought, by someone who probably won't do much better by him that the original owner if they see nothing wrong with the physcial condition he is in. I would personally be making a phone call to animal control, and if I got nowhere with them, I'd continue going up the ladder until I got someone willing to do something for this poor baby.

If you were able to get your hands on him and into your barn, it would probably take some good food, worming and basic care to get him healthy again - sounds like it is just pure neglect and something that we unfortunately see often. What is amazing is watching the horse/pony blossom when you get it into your care - that is worth everything that you put out to get them there.

Keep us posted on how things go - I pray someone is looking out for him. :no:

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I have seen this before- the whole load of hay dumped in two minutes before you arrive.

Smile sweetly and call the RSPCA- they might as well do something for all the money they get.

If that does not work call the local newspaper!!!

Go Wally!!!

 

[Wally]

It won't be long before I find out where he is and if he's still in the same condition.

I just get so mad, where is the pride, where is the looking at your animals and being satisfied of a job well done? Happy, curious, healthy animals who play-fight and run and tumble about together.

Then you see the state of this poor fellow and nobody can see or care that he is so poor. :no: :no:

Sadly there is an attitude here, " if it was good enough for my father and his father and his father before him, it's good enough for me" The fact that the world has moved on and we are able to source feed cheaply and easily these days plays no part.!

 

[chandab]

Sadly there is an attitude here, " if it was good enough for my father and his father and his father before him, it's good enough for me" The fact that the world has moved on and we are able to source feed cheaply and easily these days plays no part.!

Unfortunately, that attitude occurs in many places. I'm surrounded by it. Luckily, the big round bales of hay do keep forage in front of them at all times, but sometimes they do need more or better quality.

 

[capall beag]

I don't post here often either but I think you said it best when you said "the depth of ignorance is unspeakable."

by the way Love your Christmas Present!!

 

[SuziB]

What about the "little friend along side him"? Another equine? Also in deplorable condition?

Sounds like TWO animals needed rescued!

SuziB

 

[ponyexpress]

We have been there done that too, and you might be surpized as we were, how fast they come around, without a ton of money either..just decent feed and worming, plus farrier work...I had one one time that was sooo bad, and his feet...wow...like duck bills...2 trims and he was incredilby better...We had gotten him in April and he was good enough to show in July that same year...Go for it, if you see something in his eyes

: that says take me out of here!!!

 

[Marty]

Hi Wally.

All horses come with some degree of problem and there will be no gaurentees with this one or with any of them no matter what. Just do the best you can.

I think your efforts in trying to get this pony is real nice of you.

Yes you'll be dumping money into her but she will reward you in the end ten times over and be sure to check for founder.

Just wanted to mention since you brought up that he had a "big head" that could be "big head disease"

I bought a pony like that for 25 cents who was being starved too. Her name was "Lil Darlin"

She had a little body but a horse sized head. It sure didn't hurt her any either. She ended up getting FAT at my place, and she sure was ugly, but very much loved by many children and had a long wonderful happy life. She lived to be a ripe 43 years old. I never regreted buying her and once she got fattened up, she was great and we never had any problems.

I sure hope the people quit messing around with you and let you buy her!

Big head is a calcium imbalance caused when horses graze exclusively on grasses containing high levels of oxalate; that locks up calcium making it unabsorbable by the horse’s intestine.