How would you price this mare?

[Paige]

Just curious how other people would price a mare who has a slight case of upward fixation of the patella (little catch as she walks/some popping noise but has never fully locked up) but otherwise healthy and beautiful. She came from a top farm and has great bloodlines and I'd hoped she'd outgrow the issue but at age three I don't think it's going to happen. She has a wonderful people loving personality and has been in parades, done class visits and even been to a few shows. She's kid safe and is broke to drive and is just so easy to work with. She's not currently listed for sale but I do have someone who contacted me about purchasing her after hearing about her from a friend. Since we are more into showing and I'm looking for a new show gelding, I am considering selling her but am not sure what would be a fair price. I know I'll never get what I got into her, but I don't want to give her away either as I know she has a lot to offer despite the stifle issue.

 

[Jill]

I think I would not place any more importance on her bloodlines than I would on the bloodlines of a gelding since with a stifle issue, she maybe shouldn't be bred (?). Do you know if it is genetic or the result of an injury? If not an injury, then I would look at her and price her as a non breeding / non show animal... I do like to have geldings with nice bloodlines, but I know they're not passing them on and if I didn't like them in the flesh, it wouldn't matter who's their daddy

 

[Ashley]

Well with out seeing a pic of her, I would say about $500. She is a pet and that is about what pet price is. Also be sure they know not to be breeding her.

 

[Bluerocket]

I sent you a pm

JJ

 

[wantminimore]

Why wouldn't she be able to show?

 

[Jill]

Why wouldn't she be able to show?

Because horses should be sound to go in the ring. I know from halter, they would be excused for unsoundness and I would think so in driving as well.

I may be confused / poorly informed, but I'm also thinking it is possibly not a good idea to drive a horse w/ locking stifle(s) because of the issue that horse will have backing up, which is a safety factor in my book. It's important to be able to back them.

 

[nootka]

IF she can be made sound for showing, she might make a good horse for a youth or whatever for performance.

BUT there are no "gelding" classes for mares so if you go in halter, they assume she's being bred and it will count against her (we showed one w/a bad underbite that was just a pet but she was always at the bottom of the class for that reason though we never intended to.).

I am agreeing w/Ashley that she would go for around $500, that is what I sold my double reg. palomino 3 year old mare for to a "pet only" home.

Liz

 

[Casnos Minis]

[SIZE=18pt]My mini mare has the same problem. I paid $1000 for her as a baby. She didn't have any problems until she was a year old. She shows no signs when she running and galloping, just when she walks. I was told by the people that i bought her from they would buy her back for what I paid, but I said no way. We love her way too much. She will be 3 next year and I don't think she'll out grow it either.[/SIZE]

Christy

 

[ThreeCFarm]

Why wouldn't she be able to show?

I may be confused / poorly informed, but I'm also thinking it is possibly not a good idea to drive a horse w/ locking stifle(s) because of the issue that horse will have backing up, which is a safety factor in my book. It's important to be able to back them.

I have never had a horse with stifle issues, but I believe driving would help. I know for sure you don't want to keep the horse locked up, they need to be able to move. And don't you have to back one to "unstick" it? I wouldn't think that backing would be a problem, then. It would be one thing if this mare actually does lock up on a regular basis, but this mare hasn't locked up, according to the OP.

 

[Bluerocket]

Hey - you can drive a horse with 2 locking stifles - ask LEIA -- Hobbyhorse23

I have one I am working now --

JJay

 

[Joyce]

If you know for sure the stifle problem is due to an injury, the Vet can do a simple operation and she can go on to breed without problems. Personally I would have that checked out first before pricing her.

 

[Littleum]

From the way you described it, this sounds pretty minor- she pops/clicks/hitches from time to time. No full locking, just the click/pop and a wee little hitch from time to time.

Is she in really good shape right and clicking/popping/hitching, or is she kinda pasture-loafish? If she's pasture-loafish, getting her nice and strong behind could very well clear it up.

I'd rather buy a mare who needs to be kept in shape for her mild stifle condition then one who's colicked 3 times in 2 years.

I'm fairly sure that the clicking/popping without the hitch is actually considered a blemish, not an unsoundness. You cannot be excused/DQ'd for a blemish.

 

[blufftonteaco]

Sometimes the stifles can be corrected with surgery or blistering. We had our gelding blistered and it has worked fantastic for him. There has been no locking or popping since then. Driving also helped tremedously. I have found the more he was worked and active the better he got and the longer he stayed that way. If he sits idle for over three days now you can begin to see it coming back. Turn him out though and there is no problem. We have just moved to Va and it is really hilly. In the 3 weeks we have been here he has gained muscle and stamina just from being in the pasture and his movement is much much smoother.

All this to say, I have a heart from the stifle issue ones and I think pet price of 400-500 is good but I would really take the time a place her with someone who will use the discount to try the medical procedure of blistering. Even if she is a pasture ornament it makes it much more comfortable for her.

Hope this helps.

Kim

 

[Charlotte]

Please check the angle of the hoof on the hind feet and also the levels of ADE in the diet. Both of these can contribute to a problem where there otherwise wouldn't be one.

Charlotte

 

[Matt73]

I leased a 17.2h five year old Oldenberg gelding who was absolutely stunning. However, almost every morning when I brough him out of his stall his stifles would lock. Working him wasn't an issue. He was fine once he started moving. He turned out to be a very successful jumper...even doing some mini prix's. And, to be honest, I'm not aware of how he's doing now. But in terms of showing a horse with a stifle issue in obstacle or something like that, as long as it's not severe, I can't see why one couldn't show a horse with an issue like that. Now breeding is another story. I don't know if I would classify a locking stifle as a lameness. Maybe I'm wrong on that.

 

[Jill]

As far as stifles locking being considered unsoundness or a "blemish", I just cannot see a horse locking up or even "clicking" like that in halter and not getting the gate. I think it would be a huge issue in Halter class.