My new project horses...

[Chaos Ranch]

An ad came through on one of my local email lists about 3 horses that were for sale for $25.00 each. First reaction was... hm.... typo 3 times in a row? Nope. I emailed her concerned that these horses would get bought by children, or kill buyers and that maybe since they were priced so low, they might not be in a good living situation.

Well I talked to the lady, then her sister in law, then the man that owns them. Come to find out, they have 14 horses on 4 acres.

They were supposed to be a 6 year old leopard appaloosa stallion w/blue eyes, his 2 year old son w/blue eyes, and an 8-10 year old snowflake appy mare.

After a good long conversation, and loads of questions, I got off the phone and talked to my husband about the situation these horses were living in, their prices, and my concerns. He gave me the go ahead to buy them all 3 sight unseen to get them out of there, get them back into shape, evaluate them, and rehome them. I told them my plans with the horses...that I would keep them only to get them into good health and to evaluate them and work with any bad manners they might have and then find them good homes. They were fine with that, they just wanted them gone. We paid them an extra 25. to bring them to us because on our way to get them Donnie hit a curb and threw our axel back on the trailer and busted the spring.

Well, after some consideration, I started to really worry about bringing the 6 year old breeding stallion to my pasture. These people had 5 stallions in one pasture with cycling mares... I have NO idea how they pulled that off without serious injury or death. But they did. I have my pasture divided into 3 sections. A 20 acre section I run my horses on. An 8 acre pasture I keep my 16 month old stud colt on, and a 2 acre pasture I put "extras" on when needed. I was worried that the 6 year old stallion would tear through my fences and get my stud colt, or get to my pasture of mares. And I do NOT want my mares bred, especially by a grade appaloosa stallion when I have registered Peruvian Pasos and MFTs. So, I called the guy and told him my concerns and he agreed, it probably would be better to skip over the stallion for now and just work with the first two.

They brought them to the pasture today. The two year old colt looks like a yearling, he's very skinny, no tone to him at all, and I checked for testicles and couldn't fine either of them. I was hoping to take him and get him gelded next weekend, but I'm going to have to put some good weight on him and see if he drops on his own once he relaxes at the new place and gets to feeling a little more healthy. He's a very gentle colt, not the least bit spooky. I believe a few months of good food, he'll be a whole new boy! I think he has a lot of great potential. His blue eyes are very nice with that black eyeliner!

The mare who was supposed to be black with snowflakes, and an Appaloosa, and 14 hh turns out she's actually an 11-12 hh grey flea-bitten small arabian looking mare. I'm pretty sure she's a small arabian. If you could see her expressians, and the way she carries herself you'd think the same thing. Has an arabian hip, tailset, and all sorts of stuff. She likes women and girls. Not guys. We'll work with her on that... but for now we'll just let her settle in and get some good groceries in her and she'll do fine.

I honestly believe I have stumbled upon a couple of little hidden gems. I believe they will become great looking horses in a few months and I see a lot of promising potential in them. I can't help but worry about that 6 year old stallion though. Maybe I should use the money I was going to geld the 2 year old with, and go ahead and get the 6 year old and have him gelded on the way home from his sellers house and just keep him apart from everyone else.

Will a stallion that is the dominent stud (breeding rights) in a pasture of 5 stallions and cycling mares settle down and not hurt my mares or colt once he's gelded? They said he's not violent, but he will show out to the mares and insist that HE be the only one to breed them.

OH...almost forgot. I went over and grabbed a few pictures of them after they settled in a little bit. Please don't mind the flowers, we're waiting on our bush-hogging man to get out of the hay field so he can mow our pastures. You can see the pictures I took on my MySpace album...

Here's the link to the first page, they're near the bottom (Bella & Jazzy)

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?...6718&page=2

And here's the second page

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?...6718&page=3

 

[Lacie]

o___o the ignorance of some people is baffling. A lady contacted me about a free horse - in his photos he looked cute, but in person he is gorgeous. He needs alot of work, but sometimes the best horses are the free horses - IF you know what to look for! It's a buyer beware kind of thing.

The vets I've spoken with and when I've witnessed geldings say a 30 day minimum for the hormones to chill out - and it might still take longer before they figure out they've lost their precious jewels. It really depends on the individual ex-stallion, as to whether they'll settle down or keep trying to get a girlfriend. It's risky though. If I were in your position, I know it's hard - but I think I'd have to pass him up - especially when it's in the best interest of your other animals. You know that you dont need knocked up mares from a grade stud, or for your stud colt to get hurt - or for the grade stud to hurt himself. I would say, keep the money and geld the two year old. You'll have much better results with him most likely.

 

[Chaos Ranch]

You're right. I really don't want to risk my mares, or my colt. And I don't want the stallion himself to get hurt trying to do something he's naturally born to do. It's not his fault that he would try to do those things, but I know how stallions are and I just can't take that risk.

I already know before asking that the people that have him won't pay to get him gelded so that I could then buy him once he settled down. They're only asking 25. for him, why would they put another 120. into him just to sell him for 25. ? At that price though, I'm really worried that he'll go to a kill buyer or a bad home that can't afford the actual costs of a horse. Maybe I need to call them back and tell them to raise his price to 150. and put him in the state-wide newspaper. You can run a free ad in there, so maybe that would get him into a better home.

 

[Littleum]

That colt can settle your mares- testicles down or not! Better have him gelded ASAP, no matter his age, dropped or not or if he's too gentle. Seen it happen. Too bad about the 6yo stallion though.

That's a toughie.

Colt doesn't look too terribly rough in the photos. Maybe the vet will greenlight gelding him.

And that gray mare is beautiful- that's a nice mare.

 

[Miniv]

I think you're right, all three are little diamonds in the rough.......and definitely need some groceries.

I love Bella's head. There's no question she has Arab in her!

Sending you all the best with your new horsey project.....

 

[Chaos Ranch]

Thanks. I have a very good feeling about the outcome for these horses. From what I understand on the grey mare she used to be a little girls horse. The little girl took care of her and did all the work with her, and rode her a lot. One day the mare got spooked and reared up, the girl fell off, and was afraid of her from then on so they got rid of her.

The colt is pretty underweight. I have photos that show it better than the ones I posted, but I don't think he's emaciated. Just pretty thin. His fur is dull and still has old winter hair hanging on. I'll purge him and I'm sure he'll be looking good soon.

I sure wish they were a little taller. I'll get a measurement on them and post how tall they are.

 

[RebelsHope]

The are nice looking horse. Can't wait to see what they look like with a little more food and fitness.

Do you have an indoor? Outdoor? Round pen? Stalls? I am just trying to figure out if you could keep him stalled and then turned out in one of those place during the day? It is not the best situation long run but if you gelded him and kept him that way for a few months until he settled down? Taking him out for daily exercise and or hand grazing? I really feel for you wanting to rescue them all.

Is there any way he would sell one of the others?

 

[Chaos Ranch]

I only have the one barn. Half of it is for hay storage and the other half is just basically a run in. I could block the entry-way with a fence panel, but I'd feel horrible if something were to happen that got him hurt. I don't get to live near my pasture. We lease 30 acres that's a few miles away. There is a very old lady (at or in her 70's) that lives there, and I worry that if the stallion were to get out, she'd try to put him back in and end up getting herself hurt.

We have to build a round pen. Otherwise I'd keep him in one of those. The only other option I have is a 16x20 catch pen I have made out of cattle panels and a 6 ft tall tube gate. But it doesn't have any kind of shelter attatched to it, and he'd be left out in the full sun all day...so that's not an option either. I have been trying so hard to think of a way to help him... but I just can't think of a way. I have not given up though... I am hoping I can come up with some solution for him.

I don't know if they would sell any others or not. It's sad that they have two foals on the ground, and they have 4 intact stallions in the pasture with a slew of mares. In a way I feel like buying these horses only encourages them to keep getting more horses... but if they only got 25. each out of the horses, surely they can see that it's not a profitable thing for them to do.

 

[Lacie]

Well they got $75 from you - so they could buy some cigarettes and cheap beer. Probably all they want? I mean... 14 horses on 4 acres?! Surely something is up - mentally or otherwise. I'm more curious as to how they've obtained all of these horses and the inbreeding that it probably going on - and still eating and I assume, living in a house? They're cutting corners somewhere. I know they're not feeding properly or even getting vet and I assume farrier work done - so they are skipping out on something major.

Have you tried your health department or animal control? Is the place unkept and disgusting (like, manure all in the pen, etc.) There has to be something you can do without endangering the stallion or your other horses.

Quick Edit: Another possible option is a quick corral with some T Posts and electric tape - 3 or 4 strands ought to do it. We have a 80X80ish area infront of our barn. Rizer and Cowboy have been on it pretty much every day and they haven't eaten it all down or overgrazed it. But you're still looking at no shelter, unless you get one of those little pop up carports that they sell at TSC - they had one at Tractor supply for $200. This way, he still gets bitten if he pushes on it - and he'll stay off of it - thus making everyone safer!

 

[Chaos Ranch]

I didn't get to go over to their place. We were headed over there and stopped by the bank to cash husband's pay check when hubby accidently hit the curb with the back tire on the trailer...that shot the back tire back into the fender of the trailer, and when husband got out to fix it, he noticed an old break in the sping on the trailer. Hus and his dad re-set the axle and chained them together so it wouldn't move and we had to pull the trailer back home. That's why we called them and offered them 25. to bring the horses to us.

I just tried to talk Husband into a couple of different plans I thought of, but he says no...we have the two and he doesn't want to over-load me with more than that. Realistically speaking, I don't have the facilities for him, he doesn't have a coggins, he's not gelded, it's a high risk to my colt, and my mares, and to the stallion himself should he deicde to try to go through the fences, and so on and so forth. Maybe I can find someone else who will buy him and put the time and money into him. That would still be helping the stallion, and getting him into a good home.