Should you take a free horse?

No

1 of 10

by Amber Lesovoy

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Always Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth

The phrase "you get what you pay for" may not be true in some things, but where horses are concerned, it's quite accurate. With the economy in the dumps these days, people have a lot less money to spend. Horse owners are cutting back and selling stock in an effort to lower the cost of hay, feed, and upkeep of their stock. Demand for horses is low, and free or nearly free horses can be found in just about any area. There is always a reason for the low price, and a desperate seller is unlikely to divulge the whole truth about the history of their animal. Most freebie horses will end up being the most expensive in the long run due to age related, behavioral, or medical issues.

Older horses are often listed on websites such as Craigslist because they require more care than the average horse. Special feeds and supplements are necessary to maintain adequate weight and joint function, and sometimes even with the best of care these horses simply cannot work anymore. Instead of being retired to pasture or humanely euthanized with dignity, the horses are passed along at very low prices to inexperienced buyers and inevitably end up in very bad situations. Bargain seekers are drawn to these horses because they believe that if a horse is over twenty years old, he must be well trained and sedate and therefore safe for beginner riders. The truth of the matter is that personality does not change that much as a horse ages, and chances are a five year old with a bucking problem will be exactly the same way at 25, if not worse. Even elderly horses can have extremely dangerous behavioral issues that can cause serious injury or death.

Young horses are common "freebie" horses, simply because they lack training. They tend to be the result of an owners poorly planned breeding of two lower end horses, in an effort to either make money or because they think it will be fun to raise a baby and let their children experience the miracle of birth. They quickly realize that young horses are expensive, rambunctious, and will develop dangerous vices if not handled properly. Not surprisingly, they want the animals gone quickly. Novice horse owners pick these cheap babies up with little understanding of the level of experience needed to properly raise and train a youngster. These horses wind up being labelled dangerous and sold, usually after injuring an inexperienced handler. A free baby can be a very good deal if you have the knowledge and experience to handle one. A good health insurance policy is also helpful, because starting a two year old under saddle nearly always results in someone eating dirt at some point during the process.

Lameness is a major reason for a horse being dumped. Some lameness issues are obvious, some are not. Even an inexperienced horse buyer could tell something was wrong with a horse with Stringhalts, a lameness which is characterized by involuntary high stepping movement of the hind legs. However, a horse in the beginning stages of Navicular disease will not exhibit many obvious signs and may actually appear sound at first. A horse like this will seem to be just fine, but with any real work will go downhill quickly. With proper pain management, Navicular horses can be ridden, but constant and expensive veterinary intervention is required. There are numerous types of lameness with a myriad of causes, but the one thing they all have in common is the exorbitant cost of treatment.

Illness and neglect drop an equine's value dramatically. Horses that have been starved or otherwise neglected are available in abundance, free to the first person to show up with a horse trailer. The cost of putting weight back on an emaciated horse is significantly more in the long run than simply buying a quality animal at a fair price. Medical issues that occur when a horse is starved can be very serious. Starved horses can have ulcers and even organ damage that do not become apparent until after the horse is built back up to a healthy weight. A working knowledge of equine nutrition is needed to safely and effectively rehabilitate a horse like this. These horses are often neglected in other ways, too. Hooves require trimming every four to six weeks, and if not done regularly will cause discomfort and can result in permanent lameness. Teeth need to be filed down so that sharp hooks on their surface do not impede the horse's ability to chew, thus causing digestive troubles and weight loss. Sedation and special treatment by an equine dentist are necessary at least once a year, and more often for horses with chronic or complex issues. Horses that have not had proper dental care may have sharp hooks, impacted teeth, abscesses, or broken teeth. These conditions affect the animal's ability to eat and make it uncomfortable to be ridden because the bit (a piece of metal that goes into the mouth to steer with the reins attached) bumps against the bad teeth and causes pain. Surgical intervention may be needed in many cases. Buyers looking for a deal should run, not walk, away from a rehab project. There is no profit to be made, and no guarantee that the horse will survive or be sound to be a riding horse, regardless of the quality of care provided. Unless a buyer is looking to rescue and wants nothing more than to relieve the suffering of a neglected horse, these cases are not worth the money spent.

When searching for the right horse, emphasis should be placed on the suitability of the horse for the buyers experience, skill level, and the type of riding he or she wants to do; not the price. Bargain-bin horses are just that, and as with anything sold at a deep discount, there's probably a reason for it. The better option is to save up and buy a quality, healthy horse from a reputable breeder, with a pre-purchase exam performed by your own veterinarian. Doing so will ensure that barring a freak accident, you and your new mount will have many happy years together.

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