Buying a 20 year old pony

[BeetrootBetty]

I'd be so grateful for any advice.

I've been helping a friend with her pony for a while - she's great and the kids love her. My friend wants to sell her and has asked if we would like to buy her.

The pony is great and pretty hardy, though laminitic. I would love to buy her, we are aware of the costs and the work - having been sharing both and that's fine.

The thing that concerns me is there is a slight chance my husband may be made redundant - and if he is we may end up having to move overseas for a year or two.

The actual redundancy thing is fine - we'd be able to still support the pony etc but if we had to move overseas would it be relatively easy to find a buyer for a 20 year old, or to put her out on loan?

Really grateful for any advice.

I have had horses for years and my horse now that I bought 3 years ago is now 17 and to be honest I did worry about her age.
Insurance is difficult and expensive for veterans. I need insurance as I know I couldn't easily afford vet care if anything major happened.
Rehoming them would also be quite difficult I think if you needed to do this, so I know its not what you want to hear but I don't think I would buy it in your position.
Would long term loan of the pony be an option?

Personally I wouldn't

Thank you both! Really appreciate your advice!

I will ask my friend if she is interested in a loan as that might be the best for both of us, then my friend can still continue to try and sell and I won't have to worry about trying to find her the kind of home she deserves - should we go overseas.

I'd say no, too, I'm afraid. I did buy my last horse when I was at the end of a contract and had no savings. I took a chance and it paid off, but I was very lucky. And he was 12.

If she's 20 and laminitic then she almost certainly has cushings/metabolic syndrome.

I'm not against oldies, but I wouldn't with this one and in this situation.

How much is she asking out of interest?

I'd happily buy a 20 yo if I knew it would be safe for my children. That's the most important thing.

I would buy a 20 year old horse with a view to it living out the rest of its days with me. I wouldn't if I couldn't guarantee it a forever home.

Likewise, Lasttango. It's not the age on its own. It's the fact the horse would be so difficult to place if your circumstances changed. The OP knows things might change, sadly meaning the pony's future would not be secure with her.

She's asking £350 for pony and tack/rugs etc. I am worried about Cushings - she's had a test a while ago and it was negative but I wonder if it could have developed since, she's definitely lost a bit of pep recently. (I'm concerned for her comfort rather than any cost implications for us).

I love her so much, my children will be so sad to say goodbye. She's such a good pony, completely unfazed by traffic, small children squealing, dogs running around she just does her thing. She loves to jump. Lovely girl.

Thank you all so much for your advice - I do agree that she needs and deserves a forever home.

Personally I wouldn't buy. If there is any inkling of metabolic issues or laminitis, it will be very hard on you, not to mention your children when you have to make the decision to say goodbye to her (for her own good)...and at 20 that might come more quickly than you anticipated.
I think it is sad that your friend wants to sell her at age 20, and not offer that forever home she deserves. Maybe she knows something and is wanting to wash her hands of it?
Also, if you want something that your children can have fun and do jumping on, i wouldn't expect a 20 year old to be able to offer many years doing this comfortably. I think a far better option is to loan the pony so your friend is still responsible for any veterinary care she might need?

Because you may be leaving the country I think my advice would be a definite 'no' ... but only because you may be leaving the country.

I bought a 'first' pony when my eldest was three years old. The pony was 30! Arthritic; had to be carefully managed and shod because of signs of previous laminitis (though no pedal bone rotation); vet thought signs of low grade metabolic issues; benign but slow growing tumour.

He was a schoolmaster of the best sort; taught not just mine but started a whole bunch of little friends on their riding 'careers'; loved his job and could have done it totally unsupervised.

Other than the regular maintenance checkups that they all have, he never cost us one veterinary-penny. We had him for almost ten years, and he died quietly at home, almost 40.
Best 200 quid I've ever spent!