New pony

[Drowninginpoo]

Hello! All input welcome as I feel like I'm in some weird parallel universe...

We went to view a 15yr old, 14hh pony. Really lovely, great confirmation, nice manners, safe etc etc. Forward going to ride but soft mouth. Seemed like the perfect fit (more expensive than any of our others) so we had her vetted. 2 stage - she failed as she was lame. Vet said to walk away so this is what I told the seller (who is a friend of the owner). Got a call straight back saying that's not the impression they'd got, she just tripped over a stone and was having a bad day. They then got their vet out who diagnosed arthritis in one hock. She's due to have injections next week, will then be given a clean bill of health and they're expecting me to take her. She's jumped a lot, she would step down for us but she's not cheap. Every crumb of sense is telling me to walk away. Am I missing something? Is this common in the world of showjumpers/ more expensive horses? I don't mind looking after problems ours get and have bought broken ponies before (who still live with us but we're cheap as chips) but to pay out for a degenerative problem seems crazy?

Thank you!

Just walk away , otherwise you will probably be making an expensive mistake .

You paid for advice, what was the point if you don't listen to it?

Are they knocking a substantial amount off the price?

Their vet can’t give a ‘clean bill of health’ after hock injections because no one knows how long they’re going to last - she may be fine fo a couple of years before it needs to be redone but it may only be a couple of months. It depends on your attitude to risk and if you’d be relying on insurance to cover vet’s bills - she’d definitely have hock arthritis excluded from any policy as a starter.

However, very few true competition ponies (especially ones in their mid-teens) would go through a vetting without something being uncovered. I know of someone who bought an FEI showjumping pony for her son for £50,000 knowing that it had arthritis. However, the pony has been bought as an international SJ schoolmaster who can show her son the ropes of international competition - they’re not expecting to get more than one or two seasons out of the pony and the family is loaded so can a) pay for any treatment needed and b) get a replacement pony if needed.

If that’s not the kind of scenario you’re looking at I’d be inclined to take the first vet’s advice and walk away..

Sorry, just to be clear, I am walking away, I'm just amazed that the seller is playing it down so much...

Sorry I sounded like a dick. I'm not surprised, they want the money

Absolutely you are right to walk away op. I smell a rat, especially if the seller is "as friend of the owner". Not always but that usually means there is something dodgy going on.

Nah, you didn't really - quite right. I did pay for advice. When they first got back in touch I said I'd consider getting that vet back out to have another look at their cost depending on what they found. She was saying she's aware lots of competition families have two vets. One official vaccination etc vet and one for 'other stuff'. It is most definitely not the route I want to go down or what I want to teach my daughter is acceptable. It's just sad that that's all these ponies are worth to some people.

And I forgot to say they are doing everything possible to get me not to invite that first vet back. They offered me a small amount off, saying that was the amount the next set of injections would probably cost

Sadly I'm even less surprised. However the idea they keep a separate vet record I'd ringing even more alarm bells, so the vet record they declare to insurance etc is separate from the other?

That and so that when the pony is sold on, the official record looks clean to prospective buyers. I had a niggle about her transitions but couldn't put my finger on it but pointed it out to the vetting vet...previous vet records are just vettings and normal jabs. Hmm.

Wonder who will end up with her :(

That really doesn't sound good op. I'm glad you have the sense to walk away before you get emotionally attached. Poor horsie. If I were you I'd check out the dodgy dealer FB page and see if the owner or seller's names crop up if you search them. You may well be (un)surprised...

That's a good idea, thank you. Hadn't thought of that.

The thing is, I do get emotionally attached - I've got four rescues at the mo and the whole aim is to keep them as well and as happy as possible (same for the non rescues too, obviously!) So when I said to the seller (who is still trying to get me to buy the pony now that he's had his hocks injected, not for the first time the vet thought), I said I would feel comfortable buying him to do all PC stuff on knowing that we were potentially making his arthritis worse with the jumping. She said not to worry, she injects all of hers, he's completely sound now and the injections have just made him more comfortable

Yep, for the next year if we're lucky...

We have a 13 YO ISH who now need injections. Have had him from 4. These keep him ticking over nicely, BUT I would never buy a horse that had diagnosed arthritis - maybe a schoolmaster for little money, but no more than that.
With ours, we are buying time. He still jumps, but needs injections 2x a year at around £350 a go. The first series were covered by insurance, but they are now excluded. He may get to the point where it is flatwork only.
Agree walk away is the correct course of action.