Dad looking to buy this horse for his 8yr old girl... but is it a Stifle injury?

[burrben]

Hello. My and my daughter are new to horses, and we are both loving our lessons. I'd like to get her a horse for Christmas so we can ride more often. She wants one that has "good energy" and "get up and go".

I found this sweet gelding for sale, and he's beautiful. BUT it looks like his rear left leg may have a stifle injury. Should I stay away?
Unfortunately I have until 12pm PST to decide or he will go on the truck.

5810- “Heated By The Sun” 2011 AQHA Dunalino Gelding - Bowie Livestock

https://youtu.be/Ma13yKZmzXo

www.bowietexaslivestock.com

At the end of the video you can see the leg, and how he's gingerly holding it.

TY in advance!!!!!
Shawn

 

[Mary Poppins]

That poor horse is literally hopping lame! I'm not sure what is going on, but he isn't sound or comfortable. I'm not sure what you mean by 'go on the truck' (i hope that doesn't mean go to slaughter) but if you are looking for a horse your daughter can ride anytime soon then this isn't the one.

 

[burrben]

That poor horse is literally hopping lame! I'm not sure what is going on, but he isn't sound or comfortable. I'm not sure what you mean by 'go on the truck' (i hope that doesn't mean go to slaughter) but if you are looking for a horse your daughter can ride anytime soon then this isn't the one.

Thank you very much. I was posting as a last ditch effort for someone to change my mind so I could buy him to save him.
Unfortunately yes, that's what I meant by the truck.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

Thank you very much. I was posting as a last ditch effort for someone to change my mind so I could buy him to save him.
Unfortunately yes, that's what I meant by the truck.

Poor boy off to Canada or Mexico I couldn't see the video so can't comment

 

[Trewsers]

I dare not look. Sorry no help but the poor horses like that. It makes me so sad.

 

[burrben]

Poor boy off to Canada or Mexico I couldn't see the video so can't comment

The video is in the link. Here is a direct link:

 

[Jessey]

Hard no from me, he’s clearly lame and shouldn’t be ridden while like that. Unless you’re willing to sink potentially $10k into vet bills in the hopes of getting him sound, and risking that he will never be sound enough to ride then he’s not the horse for your daughter.
For future, you will definitely want to get any horse you are considering put through a Pre Purchase Exam by a registered veterinarian (and not one the seller recommends) to ensure that you are aware of any potential issues before you hand over any cash

 

[burrben]

Hard no from me, he’s clearly lame and shouldn’t be ridden while like that. Unless you’re willing to sink potentially $10k into vet bills in the hopes of getting him sound, and risking that he will never be sound enough to ride then he’s not the horse for your daughter.
For future, you will definitely want to get any horse you are considering put through a Pre Purchase Exam by a registered veterinarian (and not one the seller recommends) to ensure that you are aware of any potential issues before you hand over any cash

Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Question, since where I live there aren't many horses, I was looking into auctions as there is way more selection. But how do you do the vet inspection if it's far away? I'm in Northern CA and this place is in Texas.

 

[Jessey]

Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Question, since where I live there aren't many horses, I was looking into auctions as there is way more selection. But how do you do the vet inspection if it's far away? I'm in Northern CA and this place is in Texas.

I’m in the uk, so not entirely sure how auctions work there but perhaps @horseandgoatmom or @Lollykay can assist as they’re that side of the pond definitely if buying from a private seller you could look up veterinarians in their area and they will arrange with the sellers to go and do a PPE.

 

[carthorse]

That horse is crippled and from the uneven muscles I'd say it isn't a short term problem. He should have been quietly pts at home - shame on the owners. However much as I feel sorry for him I will also say stay well away, and don't look at places like that for horses.

How long have you and your daughter been riding? You say you're both new to it, and that being the case I would say you're better off continuing your lessons and learning more before you buy, particularly if your daughter wants a horse with "get up and go" - horses like that are often unsuitable, or downright dangerous, for a novice. When you are ready to buy talk to your instructor about it and be guided by his or her advice about what to look for and where to look, but for now if she wants more riding time my advice would be buy her some extra lessons or book a trail riding holiday for both of you.

 

[burrben]

That horse is crippled and from the uneven muscles I'd say it isn't a short term problem. He should have been quietly pts at home - shame on the owners. However much as I feel sorry for him I will also say stay well away, and don't look at places like that for horses.

How long have you and your daughter been riding? You say you're both new to it, and that being the case I would say you're better off continuing your lessons and learning more before you buy, particularly if your daughter wants a horse with "get up and go" - horses like that are often unsuitable, or downright dangerous, for a novice. When you are ready to buy talk to your instructor about it and be guided by his or her advice about what to look for and where to look, but for now if she wants more riding time my advice would be buy her some extra lessons or book a trail riding holiday for both of you.

Thank you. I'm so glad I posted and asked for advice. When you're new, you don't know what you don't know! (and I know that)
Good point on the uneven muscles, I didn't notice that, nor did the trainer I'm working with.

We've been riding for about 2months now. We take two lessons a week together.
She's been doing cantering in the arena, and I'm just trotting (but the horse I'm riding needs a longer runway to get cantering)
We have taken two trail rides together with a group and that was fun, but basically the horses were just walking/following each other.

We have access to beautiful trails around a lake right from the stables we train at, so my purpose is to eventually buy two mid-age horses for us to go out on together once or twice a week. Then she would continue lessons, and maybe do some jumping.

 

[Jessey]

I was in southern Cali (Thousand Oaks) visiting friends a couple of years ago, it’s beautiful, is it similar in the north? I love the mountains and the views

 

[burrben]

I was in southern Cali (Thousand Oaks) visiting friends a couple of years ago, it’s beautiful, is it similar in the north? I love the mountains and the views

CA has every changing topography depending where you go, but yes it's very pretty. Mountains and Lakes all around. The North is much less dense, esp north and east of Sacramento.

 

[Jessey]

CA has every changing topography depending where you go, but yes it's very pretty. Mountains and Lakes all around. The North is much less dense, esp north and east of Sacramento.

Enjoy that riding, it sounds fabulous keep us updated on your horse journey too, we like following people’s stories

 

[carthorse]

@burrben I think your eventual plan is a very good one. With the experience you've both got so far I would wait a while before buying, if you bought now the sort of horse you'd need would be something that in a year or two would probably seem a bit dull but if you got something with more get up and go it could go badly wrong. Learn some more and enjoy the school horses, once you've more experience maybe try some trail rides at places that do rides for more experienced riders, and I don't know if people look for sharers where you are but if they do maybe consider that. A horse for a Christmas present sounds wonderful, but it's a bit too soon in my opinion.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

I don't know much about auctions.
I think many times they are very sad
Situations.

 

[Lollykay]

Having 60 years experience under my belt and having rescued my fair share of horses from auctions, I am respectfully giving you a resounding NO!!

A rescue from a kill auction (which is what Bowie is) is absolutely no place for a first time buyer to look for a horse - much less a horse for their daughter.

I did not look at the videos because my horse week has been rough as it is and I can thankfully take the word of the folks who have watched and commented.

Please make all of us experienced horse folks happy; for the sake of your checkbook as rescues always have underlying expensive issues; and most of all for the safety of your daughter, make a beautiful horse gift certificate, attach it to a beautiful Breyer horse, with a note that says “redeemable on one horse when we find the right one”.

Have your riding Instructor help you or a good friend with great horse sense and experience.

Annnnd don’t by a horse without getting a PPE done, which means pre-purchase exam

P.S. I’m in Tennessee, I‘ve heard about Bowie and not much of it was good

 

[Huggy]

I had to stop going to our local new forest pony sales - although many were bought to good homes, it broke my heart to see mares and foals at the end, being herded into the trucks for eventual slaughter. Thank God I had no money at the time, or I'd have felt like you - " I could save this one or that one " . Personally, I've bought privately both times - 1st time i wasnt very knowledgable, the horse would only walk backwards with me on board, and i bought him anyway! I was very lucky that he was an absolute diamond. I'd only buy from a VERY reputable dealer, or one recommended to me by someone I trust. I hope you find the right horses for you and your daughter - take your time - they're out there somewhere.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

@Lollykay your advice choked me up! When I was young enough to have been given a horse for Christmas, that little toy horse with a label round its neck would have been the best present ever.

@burrben Nice to meet you, and I am so glad you posted for advice and were sensible enough to listen to it. If your daughter is disappointed, you could try telling her that she needs to have ridden as many different horses as possible before you buy so that she can tell the good from the bad...?

I bought a horse this spring in a very difficult market - the market for horses in the UK is feverish at the moment. It's a bit like how they describe a war, you look and nothing happens, and nothing happens, and nothing happens, and then OMG THAT LOOKS LIKE THE RIGHT HORSE get on the phone right now, get over to see the horse right now, get it vetted (PPE), OMG now I have a horse!

But I live in the UK, which is small. The US is so huge you may not even be able to go and see the horse before you buy it, whereupon you meet the horse for the first time after a long hard journey. Over here I think hardly anyone would buy a horse they haven't met but I guess in the States that isn't always the case (Lollykay will correct me if I'm wrong). So take your time, and find out everything you can about the seller - they need to be trustworthy. Don't think of an auction. There are people on this forum experienced enough to buy at auction: I have owned four horses over 12 years and I wouldn't try it.

Good luck and please do stay on the forum and keep us up to date with how your riding is going and how your horse search goes, when you start it. I'd love to see a picture of the horse you ride, who is presumably a big chap as he needs a long runway!

 

[Lollykay]

@burrben for some reason the price of horses has gone thru the roof, post pandemic. There are horses for sale near you , you’re just not seeing the good ones because they aren’t being advertised in the typical places — they don’t need to be.

Oftentimes horses get sold by word of mouth.

I stand by my earlier post regarding a gift certificate attached to a Breyer horse, as finding a good quality horse and a healthy one may take some time

I did some of my own searching and found this list of ranches and training barns near you. These sorts of places are a great place to start looking as they generally know of a horse coming up for sale and most are honest enough to try and match the rider level to a horse.

Just reading their websites, because I don’t personally know anything about them, my first two choices would be Ferrante Ranch and Rancho Portrero.

quarter horse ranches near thousand oaks ca. <—— this won’t link, it will have to be hand typed into the search engine.

I have Tennessee Walkers. I doubt you or your daughter have an interest in a gaited breed, plus I have read good ones are difficult to find in California. A good bred working Quarter Hrose can do anything from roping to low level jumping. Stay away from halter bred horses of any breed,

Unless you run across someone who has to sell for financial reasons, or just doesn’t want to pay to winter a horse, be prepared to pay dearly - a few thousand dollars dearly but your daughter’s safety is far more important than trying to buy a horse on a shoe-string budget