Why are people like this?

[dextersmycutegp]

My lesson horse (I like to think of him as my horse) hasn't gotten a bath in 13 years. I fixed that problem yesterday, the water was BLACK!!!! His owner has not come to see him in 10 of those 13 years. Now his owner is trying to sell him! How can this man try to sell a horse he doesn't even know?
This horse is basically mine, I have retrained him to canter correctly after he's cantering on the wrong lead for half his life (he is 20-25 years old), I bought him a new halter for christmas, and I gave him a bath yesterday. I am the only one he nicker/whinnies/or shows emotion to. I have only known him for 3 years but I know all his ins and outs. He's bucked me off and I've taught him how to love jumping.
How can this man even THINK of selling my baby????? I don't have the $700 he's asking for so there is no way I can buy him. Even if I did buy him, I don't have the kind of money it takes to care for a horse.
I am feeling really hopeless, so thank for letting me rant.
If this is not in the right place fee free to move it.

[wheeker]

It is really hard to let go of a horse that you have bonded with, but think about how much good you did for him. He sounds like an excellent lesson horse now, maybe he'll go to a nice barn where he'll teach little kids how to ride. As for the bath, thats awful! But dont you give him baths after you ride him if hes sweaty, or before shows? Im not accusing you but just wondering. Maybe he'll end up going to a barn close by and you can go and visit him.

[dextersmycutegp]

That is just part of the problem, he hates little kids. He will buck them off immediatly. I'm really worried that he will end up going to slaughter because he is old, not a good little kids mount, he has no pedigree, and he isn't very skilled in any area.
I hose him off if he's really sweaty, no shampoo. And I was hoping to go to my and his first show this September. His first bath is 10 years was also hopefully his show bath too, if he doesn't get too dirty. I know you're not accusing.
I definetly hope he'll stay close if any one wants to buy him.

[amm59]

See if there is a horse rescue in your area. You can report the owner to them, and maybe they can come and claim the horse. Obviously the horse's owner is guilty of neglect. Ask the rescue if they can keep the horse for you until you have enough money. Or, try and find someone to shareboard with you (it's like sharing a horse basically, you would split the cost of the horse/board/care/etc). I hope everything works out.

[Inrun]

If the horse is fed, has a roof over it's head, and is excercised, it's not being abused. Sad chance is, is that for that price and for an unregistered (though registry doesn't say much, trust me), and for that age, the horse may not be sold to a loving home and could very well end up as meat. It happens all to often.
I know quite a few lesson horses who are treated in the same manner, though they're pampered to death. But I know owners who will give their horses up to become lesson horses as retirement. If this horse isn't safe, if it bucks off kids, it shouldn't be in lessons in the first place and has no place in being in a stable like that. A lot of horses can't handle having multiple riders, and need just that one special person to treat them. You could try looking for a horse rescue in your area, but you may be hard pressed to find one.
And horses don't need baths all the time. I havn't given my horse a bath in probably 5 years. Does that make me a bad owner? No. My horse is healthy, clean, and has no skin issues. Horses have oils in their coats just like guinea pigs. Last time I bathed my horse, he really wasn't dirty. My horses roll in water all the time, they self medicate. And when I bathe them, they just go roll to get muddy and get rid of the bugs. My horses are happier bathing themselves. But. They're not pampered little riding horses, they're pampered pasture horses that don't work anymore. It's rather nice.

Anyways.

[aqh88]

Horses don't really need bathes. Mine never get a bathe unless there is something wrong like a skin condition or a show coming up. They do fine with good grooming with brushes and rubs with a towel. Dust is actually beneficial to the skin to get rid of excess oils and prevent skin problems. Frequent bathing is not recommended on any good horse health forum but since it's necessary for shows special horse shampoos for sensitive skin should be used to avoid causing skin issues.

Also my horses don't get fed anything but grass or stalled for 6-8months out of the year and they are healthier than any stabled grain fed horse. So as long as this horse had shelter, available hay and grass as needed, and was checked on at least every other day but preferably daily in case it needed veterinary care then it's not at all abused or neglected. Occasionally with 48acres of pasture I don't see my older retired mares everyday but I make a point to go find them at least every other day and check their condition to make sure they are still able to eat and digest grass effectively and don't have any injuries that need attention. It's a great life for a non working horse. Horses quite dislike stalls when they know what it's like to live in a big pasture and sometimes even when it's blowing wet snow I have to drag them into the stable because they'd rather stay out in the weather than be confined to a stall.

While the owner should have worked with and taken care of the horse more considering how some people that don't really care about their animals train and handle them it might be better that they didn't. While it's not fair you have done so much work and love this horse. I also think it's good they are selling this horse to hopefully a better home where it will get more attentive owners.

[dextersmycutegp]

What I find to be saddening about the whole bath thing is that this horse has lots of allergies, he rubbed himself raw all the time and now that he has had a bath he hasn't rubbed since. I agree though that I don't think that horses should get baths all the time but I think 10-13 years is a little exsessive.
He is a lesson horse because his owner doesn't have to pay board if he is a lesson horse and he is the most non-push button of my teachers lesson horses. Her other 2 lesson horses aren't really suited for more advanced riders. She has one very only mare who foundered a few years ago so she is only used for the little kids. The other lesson horse, a green mare, isn't well suited to jumping and she has a really rough canter.
Good news: My teacher has decided that she will buy him from his owner so he's not going anywhere.

Do you guys have any ideas for good stall toys that I could buy or make?

[aqh88]

I doubt that's allergies. Sounds like a fungus or other skin condition. Many horse shampoos contain ingredients to kill such things so having it go away after a bath or 2 is no surprise. An allergy would continue to return after a bath unless he just rolled in some poison ivy once or something.

Best and simplest stall toy is just a cleaned out milk jug or 1gallon bottled water container works exactly the same. Tie a rope to the handle, hang it from the side of the stall and if they need anymore encouragement put a handful of feed in it. Most horses go nuts tossing them around, rubbing them on the bars, and trying to tip them sideways to get the feed out. There are also various types of horse toy balls out there in various sizes for use in stalls or pastures. Mine like to play with their rubber feeders. I toss old ones out in the pastures for them to throw around.

Likits and other treats can also really keep a horse occupied but should be limited. They contain tons of sugar.

[fourbwabbys]

My grandpa used to have a farm and his horses would go crazy playing with a bucket. They loved it.

[aqh88]

Yea but horses get rather destructive with hard buckets in small areas. One of my geldings found he couldn't kick it around anywhere so he just kept stepping on it and letting his feet slide off. Eventually the bucket cracked and cut his leg. They also will then try to take down their water buckets for toys. Sometimes good for pastures but not in stalls. That's why I only use rubber feeders in the stall or pasture. All hard buckets are fastened up well to the side of the stall.

[fourbwabbys]

Yeah, I didn't mention they were all in huge pastures.

[aqh88]

Ran a search on the horse health forum. Pretty much every post on horse toys and stall boredom had 3 or 4 responses about milk or water jugs with grain, treats, or rocks in them. I did come across 1 new one I hadn't thought about. A few people have used the toys made for large dogs with ropes attached to soft balls and various squeaky toy shapes. Everyone said their horses like to swing and throw them around more than they do the balls made for horses.

[dextersmycutegp]

Thanks! I'll have to try those ideas. They sound like stuff he would like because he loves to use his mouth.
His favorite thing to do when he's in his stall was run his teeth on the bars, but my teacher put something on them to make them taste bad because it was getting annoying. And now he's very bored. He does get to go out to a pasture every day with a older gelding buddy for half the day or more everyday. I do not agree with my teacher keeping her horses stalled. I think she should not keep them in stalls at all, but she is very worried about doing that since she used to just keep her horses in pastures and she lost 2 valuable horses in accidents in the feild.

[wheeker]

The horse I ride LOVES those balls that are made for horses. I cant really think of anything.....those lickety things, my barn is mostly retired racehorses or horses from off the track because if the racing stable up the road. Porker goes through the lickety things realy fast and hes like 24. If hes old he'll probably make habits to keep him happy. A little buddy would be the best for him, like a little pony that can also be used for a schooling horse maybe. Thats great that hes staying!