I've owned my 3/4 Thoroughbred 1/4 Percheron mare ("Sophie") for 12 years now (from the time she was 3). During these years we grew a lot together. I showed her VERY successfully in dressage and a little low-level eventing and she could kick some serious butt! At one time while we were showing regularly I was offered $13,000 for her and I turned it down. I just wasn't ready to sell her. She produced two drop-dead gorgeous foals for me. One was sold at 7 months (he went on to be a National Top 10 Hunter Pleasure Horse and a multi-Regional Champion and Reserve in Hunter Pleasure) the other sold before she was born and although she was never shown I do think she was the nicer of the two.
I then had some major life changes and tho' I STILL wasn't ready to sell Sophie I decided that leasing her out as a broodmare would be an option (I wasn't willing to take the risk of leasing her as a riding horse). I received over 100 applications to lease her so I had plenty of people to choose from. I chose a lady that bred Performance Mules (dressage and jumping) because I thought that would be an excellent place for Sophie. Sophie left in the early spring 3 years ago. Well, apparently the lady who leased her "changed her mind" and bred her to a butt-ugly mustang stallion. Then, a year and a half later called me to tell me to come get my mare (and her foal) because she was getting a divorce and all the horses had to go. Sophie was skinny (after all, she had a weaning age foal on her) and was needing some foot care, but she wasnt' in horrible shape. One of the other applicants BEGGED me to consider allowing her to lease Sophie so I let her go once again. The exchange happened last fall. The foal was sold to a friend of the family for cheap (looked just like the stallion) and Sophie was slated to breed performance horses. Well, that too was not to be.
I recieved a call a few weeks ago from the lady saying that she was getting out of horses and I needed to come get Sophie. She hadn't attempted to breed her at all and had actually been boarding her (against the lease rules). I went to pick up Sophie last weekend and was APPALLED at her appearance!! To say that I'm angry is an UNDERSTATEMENT! When I questioned the leasee as to why she didn't contact me sooner she claimed that she was trying to keep her house out of foreclosure and didn't want me to take Sophie from her. WHAT!?!?! If her house was heading for foreclosure she shouldn't have MY horse!!
Because of my situtation (no longer have the funds to board her and don't have the facilities to keep her) I'd finally decided that selling her was probably the best option. I'd put out some ads before I picked Sophie up and had 18 people begging me to be the first one to see her because they all wanted her. Well guess what.......in her current shape they have all backed out!
So, here's the rundown:
1. Kick to the left buttock left a lump. I was told this was within the last week, but there is hardening already (some scar tissue development) so the injury is NOT new. There is some healing left to do and the swelling should go down but it will not go down completely. The result will likely only be cosmetic as there seems to be no muscle damage. She claimed a vet looked at this injury, but the owner of the facility said that she had tried to drain the lump herself the day before with a needle/syringe!
2. Left leg swollen down to and including the hock. I was really worried about this but there are no bony changes as I expected to see on the xrays. The injury is to the thoropin. She currently moves sound at the trot but does not pass a flex test on that leg as the injury seems to be pretty fresh. The injury is not a tear, but a seperation to the tendon sheath. It should heal with time tho' a bit of swelling to the thoropin will always be visible. The xray of the hock itself appeared as a normal 15 year old hock (the other hock was not xrayed as we had no reason to do so). Again, no vet saw this before......she claims it must have happened overnight.
3. This one is the biggie. A general swelling to the left front knee was xrayed revealing a bone chip. This injury too is not new as the chip has begun to fuse to the knee. I work for a vet and he quoted the surgery as $1000 (this is something he performs regularly.....his prices are far lower than most despite the fact that he's a VERY skillful surgeon). Without the surgery she will likely wind up with severe arthritis in that knee in anywhere from a year to 3 years. With the surgery she could possibly go back to being ridden and would likely have several good years use as a broodmare.
4. Despite the fact that the leasee's nephew is a farrier Sophie has not had any foot care in some time. Her feet are dry, cracked (superficial cracks) and broken. She'll see the farrier here next week, but it's going to take several trims to get her feet back in good shape. Her feet have NEVER looked this bad!!
5. Rain rot across her back and a fungus growth up her hind legs. There was a smallish shelter (about 10'x20') for 15 full-size horses Apparently, Sophie spent most of the bad weather time out in the rain/snow. She got a fungal shampoo bath and will get another in a week.....already it looks better.
6. Wormy appearance (dry coat, a bit on the thin side - she's an EASY keeper - with a big "hay belly and cow pattie-like poop). Fecal definitely showed worms......she's been wormed and will be wormed again in 10 days.
It's taking ALL I HAVE not to go down and strangle this woman. My $5000 mare is now basically worth nothing! NO animal deserves this!!
Unfortunately, it's unlikely that I'll even get vet bills paid out of this woman much less the $3500 she owes me according to the contract due to her negligent care of Sophie.
I guess you live and learn......I'm just sorry Sophie had to suffer for it.
Okay.......end of rant.
I then had some major life changes and tho' I STILL wasn't ready to sell Sophie I decided that leasing her out as a broodmare would be an option (I wasn't willing to take the risk of leasing her as a riding horse). I received over 100 applications to lease her so I had plenty of people to choose from. I chose a lady that bred Performance Mules (dressage and jumping) because I thought that would be an excellent place for Sophie. Sophie left in the early spring 3 years ago. Well, apparently the lady who leased her "changed her mind" and bred her to a butt-ugly mustang stallion. Then, a year and a half later called me to tell me to come get my mare (and her foal) because she was getting a divorce and all the horses had to go. Sophie was skinny (after all, she had a weaning age foal on her) and was needing some foot care, but she wasnt' in horrible shape. One of the other applicants BEGGED me to consider allowing her to lease Sophie so I let her go once again. The exchange happened last fall. The foal was sold to a friend of the family for cheap (looked just like the stallion) and Sophie was slated to breed performance horses. Well, that too was not to be.
I recieved a call a few weeks ago from the lady saying that she was getting out of horses and I needed to come get Sophie. She hadn't attempted to breed her at all and had actually been boarding her (against the lease rules). I went to pick up Sophie last weekend and was APPALLED at her appearance!! To say that I'm angry is an UNDERSTATEMENT! When I questioned the leasee as to why she didn't contact me sooner she claimed that she was trying to keep her house out of foreclosure and didn't want me to take Sophie from her. WHAT!?!?! If her house was heading for foreclosure she shouldn't have MY horse!!
Because of my situtation (no longer have the funds to board her and don't have the facilities to keep her) I'd finally decided that selling her was probably the best option. I'd put out some ads before I picked Sophie up and had 18 people begging me to be the first one to see her because they all wanted her. Well guess what.......in her current shape they have all backed out!
So, here's the rundown:
1. Kick to the left buttock left a lump. I was told this was within the last week, but there is hardening already (some scar tissue development) so the injury is NOT new. There is some healing left to do and the swelling should go down but it will not go down completely. The result will likely only be cosmetic as there seems to be no muscle damage. She claimed a vet looked at this injury, but the owner of the facility said that she had tried to drain the lump herself the day before with a needle/syringe!
2. Left leg swollen down to and including the hock. I was really worried about this but there are no bony changes as I expected to see on the xrays. The injury is to the thoropin. She currently moves sound at the trot but does not pass a flex test on that leg as the injury seems to be pretty fresh. The injury is not a tear, but a seperation to the tendon sheath. It should heal with time tho' a bit of swelling to the thoropin will always be visible. The xray of the hock itself appeared as a normal 15 year old hock (the other hock was not xrayed as we had no reason to do so). Again, no vet saw this before......she claims it must have happened overnight.
3. This one is the biggie. A general swelling to the left front knee was xrayed revealing a bone chip. This injury too is not new as the chip has begun to fuse to the knee. I work for a vet and he quoted the surgery as $1000 (this is something he performs regularly.....his prices are far lower than most despite the fact that he's a VERY skillful surgeon). Without the surgery she will likely wind up with severe arthritis in that knee in anywhere from a year to 3 years. With the surgery she could possibly go back to being ridden and would likely have several good years use as a broodmare.
4. Despite the fact that the leasee's nephew is a farrier Sophie has not had any foot care in some time. Her feet are dry, cracked (superficial cracks) and broken. She'll see the farrier here next week, but it's going to take several trims to get her feet back in good shape. Her feet have NEVER looked this bad!!
5. Rain rot across her back and a fungus growth up her hind legs. There was a smallish shelter (about 10'x20') for 15 full-size horses Apparently, Sophie spent most of the bad weather time out in the rain/snow. She got a fungal shampoo bath and will get another in a week.....already it looks better.
6. Wormy appearance (dry coat, a bit on the thin side - she's an EASY keeper - with a big "hay belly and cow pattie-like poop). Fecal definitely showed worms......she's been wormed and will be wormed again in 10 days.
It's taking ALL I HAVE not to go down and strangle this woman. My $5000 mare is now basically worth nothing! NO animal deserves this!!
Unfortunately, it's unlikely that I'll even get vet bills paid out of this woman much less the $3500 she owes me according to the contract due to her negligent care of Sophie.
I guess you live and learn......I'm just sorry Sophie had to suffer for it.
Okay.......end of rant.