# free horse!!!!!



## chika1235 (Jan 1, 2009)

this is hank.he is a full blooded quarter horse stallion.he is 5 yrs old and is unbroke.he was started in the clinton anderson method and the owner said he wasnt registered but he is from good stock.maybe from the impressive bloodlines he said.im going and looking at him tommorow.the owner is giving him away due to his daughters death from a car accident.does he look like a good horse to youwould you buy him?im having my trainer go with me and my papaw to go and lok at him tommorow.he is about 800 pounds and is around 14.2 hh.im wanting to barrel race with him as im getting intrested in high school rodeos.what do you think?im getting him tommorow at 1:00.oh and i found him on craigslist.conformation wise is he a good prospect for barrel racing?thnx
-chelsie-


----------



## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I think he would make a cute gelding. I don't see why you couldn't barrel race him. If you think he is impressive break, I would have the test for HYPP drawn during the PPE. (Though I'm not sure how long it takes to process)
Has he been handled regularly? 
Does he know how to behave well (Meaning have them made him act like a civilized horse despite his stallion status) 
Are you comfortable working with a stallion and training? 

I'd take him. Looks good for a free horse.  Good luck.


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

Nice looking horse, especially for free. I would take him.


----------



## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

bred. That was supposed to say Impressive bred. It's been a long day


----------



## Whipple (Feb 2, 2009)

Ooh! He's pretty. I'd take him if it were possible.


----------



## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

full blooded meaning foundation?


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

From the pic, I really like the way that he looks. He has that good solid using horse confo. The "Impressive bred" thing does concern me a little. Definitely get him tested for HYPP BEFORE you agree to take him. You might also ask if you can get at least a copy of his parent's papers or find out their registered names just so you can know what you may be able to expect from him. Just from the pic, if he is HYPP n/n, or even n/h, I would def take him. He is a cutie.


----------



## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

I would pass on him. 

The cost to get him riding is more then you need to spend on a finished horse and you don't know what you will get.

The cost of gelding him is more then he is worth in this market and the fact that he may have Impressive blood without knowing if he is N/N is a 100% turnoff. Then you have to train him - pass.


----------



## chika1235 (Jan 1, 2009)

i have a relative who will train horses for me.he is going to go with me today to look at him.he has been handled a little.they have lost ntrest in him after their daughter died in a car accident.so they are giving him away.i will get dna tests from him as son as i get him.i think that he wil be worth the money.right now im not planning on getting him gelded but once i start to barrel race with him then maybe.i reallly like his conformation.they are giving away another horse but ill think ill pass on him.its a 15 year old unbroke stallion mustang.they got him from the blm 10 years ago and never bothered to train him.he doesnt look as good as hank.plus i dont usually get horses over the age of 8 yrs od because im afraid they will either have arthiritist,joint problems,stubborn,etc....


----------



## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

He looks good. I'd want to geld him pretty early on after getting him, though. The later you wait, the more likely it is he'll be acting like a stallion even after being gelded... at least I've heard that. Plus, it doesn't sound like you've got any huge intentions to breed him, so what's the point?


----------



## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

chika1235 said:


> i have a relative who will train horses for me.he is going to go with me today to look at him.he has been handled a little..right now im not planning on getting him gelded but once i start to barrel race with him then maybe.i reallly like his conformation..


That horse looks like a HYPP horse. He's an untrained stallion? The picture does not show a horse with conformation required of a stallion. Plus, he's a grade horse. I am a QH and APHA lover but that horse doesn't look like a good example of a QH. His head is too small and his body appears like that of a HYPP horse.

It's funny because he almost looks like a combination of two horses. His front end is heavily muscled but his butt looks like it could use more muscling. 


His front legs look camped under. This would result in a short stride with a tendency to stumble. I'm not a barrel rider but I don't think you'd want a stumbler for barrels. 

This free horse will cost $100 to $300 to geld and about $50 to test for HYPP. That's not a lot but, with those legs I'd run away, not towards this guy, especially for someone interested in barrels.


----------



## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Joshie said:


> That horse looks like a HYPP horse. He's an untrained stallion? The picture does not show a horse with conformation required of a stallion. Plus, he's a grade horse. I am a QH and APHA lover but that horse doesn't look like a good example of a QH. His head is too small and his body appears like that of a HYPP horse.


Josie, what does an HYPP horse look like? Since it is a muscular/neurological disorder, I'm not sure how someone can tell by appearance that he would or would not be HYPP. I've had several Impressive horses over the years and the only way you can tell is with a blood test. 

Also, if you mean that he does not have the conformation to be a stallion worth reproducing - I don't think we can really tell with just the one picture she posted; but a grade horse is not worth reproducing anyway especially in these times (IMHO). Judging from the one shot, he isn't a badly put together horse. I can't tell if his front legs are truly under himself, it could be the way he is standing or the ground he is standing on. Actually he has a nice slope to his shoulder and should make for a smooth ride.

I would still pass on him. You are right on with your assessment of costs and that places him as a horse to avoid


----------



## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

iridehorses said:


> Josie, what does an HYPP horse look like? Since it is a muscular/neurological disorder, I'm not sure how someone can tell by appearance that he would or would not be HYPP. I would still pass on him. You are right on with your assessment of costs and that places him as a horse to avoid


Of course, you cannot tell from a horse's appearance that they have HYPP. They just seem to tend to be a bit meatier in appearance. I would wish to avoid that in a horse myself, especially in a grade stallion. I don't see anything spectacular about this horse so don't think he's a horse worthy of reproducing. The main thing, though, about reproducing this horse today is that this is an unbroken grade stallion of unknown parentage.

The available picture is not a good conformation picture so it is quite possible that his legs are just fine. It's possible that he's put together quite well. That wouldn't change my assessment though, due to above reason.


----------



## Skippy! (Dec 18, 2006)

*coughs, hacks a lung, and spits out her soda*

You lost me at 5 year old unbroke stallion. 

I would have read that, and i would have exited the ad. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. I didn't even read on enough to see about the HYPP. Yet another reason I couldn't run away from this ad fast enough, LOL!

When I see an ad for "Free Horse" and see a picture of the horse standing in a pasture or round pen with NO halter on... I already am weary. Why not catch the horse for a photo? At least this horse isnt putting off the usual "OMG PEEPL SKRD!" body language that i am used to seeing in these ads. Then they go on to say 5 years old and unbroke... i interpret that as "Never Been Touched" When they say 5 years old and unbroke, but sweet, I interpret that as "Never been Haltered, but he eats carrots out of our hands!! " I hope to write an article on thewonderhorse.com about Sales tactics like that 

A free horse would pique my interest (Seeing as Rain, Charity, and Miakoda were practically freebies). BUT.. as soon as i saw 5 year old STALLION unbroke. PASS!

I value my health  I've never been one to work with stallions. I've never had good experiences with them, because the bulk of the studdies i have seen have had really shabby owners that shouldn't even own a cat, let alone a STALLION. I know, KNOW there are good studs out there... but a good introduction to stallion ownership is NOT buying a 5 year old unbroke one, LOL. Castrate! Castrate I say!! *waves a stick*

No way in heck I would go for this deal! Buuuuuuuut.. thats just my opinion, and im a speshul one <3 I hope i didnt come off as nasty, because I am in no way trying to be!! =) I am very, very weary about horse sales ads.. i've seen people get burned so bad in the past.. maybe thats why i refuse to spend more than 500 bucks on a horse, LOL. Im afraid of getting duped by someone who conned me ;D

Do what you think feels right sweetie!! =) Maybe you'll meet him in person and he acts like a gentleman. Regardless, he will mellow out after gelding.. Dreamer did!


----------



## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

I would get a PPE on him, and get him tested for HYPP. Things are never free. 

I am leery about a free 5 year old grade stallion. That screams at me that there's something wrong.


I do agree with Bill, if he's 5 and unbroke, not to mention a stallion, it's going to be expensive to train him.

Then I would *GELD him ASAP.* Too many grade stallions out there.
Doesn't matter if the owner says he's got good lines.. he's grade, period. GELD GELD GELD GELD. 

He does not have perfect conformation, but is not squared up, and you can't really see his pasterns, it's impossible to give an accurate critique.


----------



## AKPaintLover (May 26, 2007)

There are no free horses! 
The cost of horse purchase is not the biggest cost involved with horses. There are plenty of grade geldings out there of similar age that are at least green broke that will not have a very big price tag at all, possibly even some free ones in this market.

I become so frustrated when I see horses like this left a stallion. This horse is grade, possibly has a neurological disease, and has not been trained in its five years. This horse is free because it would be near impossible to get any money for something like that. 

Gelding a full grown horse is more expensive than gelding a colt ($500 where I live) and it can be more risky. There would be no question about immediate gelding...being a stallion will not help his training in any way. 

Personally, I agree with the others about passing on this horse. 

good luck either way.


----------



## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

AKPaintLover said:


> I become so frustrated when I see horses like this left a stallion. This horse is grade, possibly has a neurological disease, and has not been trained in its five years. This horse is free because it would be near impossible to get any money for something like that.


I agree. Why wasn't he gelded when he was really young? Obviously he was born grade, so that should have been the first indication. But a 5 year old untrained stallion?
No thank you.
I would look at a 5 year old untrained gelding or mare, but.... something tells me he was left a stallion for a reason, and not a good one. 

The reason he's free is because nobody's stupid enough to pay for a horse like that when you can get a nice broke horse for under $1000 or a papered foal for $100 nowadays.


----------



## Skippy! (Dec 18, 2006)

JustDressageIt said:


> I agree. *Why wasn't he gelded when he was really young?* Obviously he was born grade, so that should have been the first indication. But a 5 year old untrained stallion?
> No thank you.
> I would look at a 5 year old untrained gelding or mare, but.... something tells me he was left a stallion for a reason, and not a good one.
> 
> The reason he's free is because nobody's stupid enough to pay for a horse like that when you can get a nice broke horse for under $1000 or a papered foal for $100 nowadays.


Because Gelding a horse costs monies 

Thats the same reason there are so many intact dogs and cats. We think its cute to buy a horsie, kitty, or puppy, then when its testicles descend, or it gets pregnant we realize we bit off more than we can chew =/


----------



## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

OK guys, this is getting away from the original question - let's get back on point.


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

If you are prepared for the cost and work of training him, I would still go for it. Yes all above posters made excellent points and I would advise you to geld as soon as you got him home too. The paint that I have posted in some other posts was an unhandled 5 year old stud when I got him and I never really had a problem with him. He would buck sometimes but it was nothing I couldn't handle. I think it was me anyway, the guy that I sold him to has never had a problem. I still think he is a cutie and even if he is a carrier, so long as he doesn't exhibit symptoms of hypp, he has the potential to be a pretty good horse. If things don't work out with his training or attitude, you can definitely ship him my way.


----------



## Skippy! (Dec 18, 2006)

I agree with smrobs on that one. If you are willing to put the financials into this horse, it could benefit you. It's really about what you think you can handle.

The reason I practically choked on my soda when i read the ad, was because I was looking at my own situation and preferences on horses. I saw this horse and he had nothing that appealed to _me_ personally. And I tried my best to reflect that in my post 

My current situation is: 1 dead broke riding horse, 1 very well greenbroke horse, 1 three year old ready to be broke, 1 unbroke five year old (yes, i realize i seem very contradictory since i OWN a 5 year old unbroke mare. Thats why she was free ), and 1 eleven month old filly. So, I have 1 dead broke finished horse, and 4 projects. I do -not- need another project, which is why i would dismiss this horse immediately. I would also look and see the funds that would need to go into him immediately (the gelding, HYPP test, etc) and it turns me off.

It took me 7 hours or so to finally sit back and look at the bulk of the ad, not just observe the absence of a halter, and the 5 year old unbroke stallion part, then go bonkers. Hey, im 22, i can still be nutty 

As i originally said.. you might meet this horse and he is a very nice guy. I definately don't want to come off with the "all stallions are mean" vibe, because thats not what i am implying at all =) I personally have never had good experiences with stallions, and they have all been owner trained problems.

SO.. all that being said.. If i was approached with the same offer, I would respectfully decline. I would rather spend some money, or take a little more time looking for a freebie with more going for it. But, in the end its your call!


----------



## arastangrider (Jan 5, 2008)

make sure both testicals are droped that could be a huge expence. Happened to a friend of mine.


----------



## chika1235 (Jan 1, 2009)

he was handled he was started with clinton andersons methods.he was worked with one day last month for 4 hours for 2 days.he was lounged with and without the lounge line and he has been got on his back and slid off.he has been handled and im going to go and get him today.i have the money to geld him and i know the expenses of owning a horse(i have 6 now)and im planning to geld him.he is not a grade horse!!!!he is purebred the owner just never registred him.the owner said he was from impressive bloodlines and from that one picture i do not understand how people can tell if he is HYYP negative or positive.i will get him tested.


----------



## Skippy! (Dec 18, 2006)

Chika, no one can tell if the horse is Positive, a Carrier, or Negative just by looking =) You have to get that tested ^^

BUT, i will say, when they are first born (up to 4 months, some times a year) it is very easy to see that the horse has an active strain of HYPP because they look WAY too over developed for their age. I could find some pictures of Carriers that I believe have the active disease, but im not sure if i can post them in the open forum because they aren't my horses.

When they are 5 years old, and a Stallion.. it is nearly impossible to tell. Testosterone makes a stallion develop really good muscle mass etc. and may feign the appearance of a Carrier/Positive HYPP horse to the untrained eye. Im glad you'll get him tested.

Are you going to get him registered? It'll cost a pretty penny because of his age. Most people consider a horse with no papers grade, because it is really easy to lie and say that the horse is out of two purebred horses. Thats why a few registries require DNA testing. If he isn't papered, people will always dispute his heritage ^^

Papers aren't important though, ya cant ride the papers!  If he is to be gelded and kept by you forever, there is no need for the papers.. unless you want to do any AQHA recognized events. Your opinion of the horse is the only one that matters, seeing as he is yours =)

Congrats on your new horse =)


----------



## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

He is grade. He is not registered.


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Congrats on your new horse and I was very serious, if you don't get along with him, send him my way. He is a cutie.


----------



## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

I like him. I would get some more information possibly on the breeding that he has and how much he has been handled. If you have the experience and resources and places to keep him and provide for him and make him into a good, overall working horse, then go for it. Sometimes the best things in life are free


----------



## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

I think he looks very nice and if you are prepared for the expenses then go for it. I would sure have a look at his parentage to at least see if his sire/dam were tested for HYPP. If both are N/N then you don't need to worry/test. HYPP status would matter to me as only N/N is safe. N/H means they are positive but carry one N gene. H/H means they are positive on both sides and will pass it on if bred. Oh and I'd geld him asap too. Unless he is exceptional and you do get him registered it's just not worth keeping a stud. Let us know how it comes out.


----------

