I am figuring out how to handle a situation or actually maybe just need some advice.
We don't know this guy at all. He was driving by and saw our minis in the pasture and stopped at our house wondering if we would be interested in a "nice little stud" to breed to our horses. Said he had a pony that didn't like his goats he is raising so he wanted to get rid of the pony. I asked him a few questions and talked my husband into going and looking at him.
The pony is currently living in the middle of a huge junkyard with a herd of goats. There was a lot of junk and rusty barbed wire an farm machinery and odds and ends everywhere in the pen. The guy says he thinks he has had the pony 6-9 months. I guess came across him, thought he was cute, got a deal on him but he doesn't like the guys goats and chases them around all the time. He doesn't know how old he is, hasn't had his feet trimmed and doesn't know anything about the horse - whether he has had any training or anything. The junk guy was pretty vague and I didn't get much out of him. It was getting dark but the pony didn't look too horrible, there was water in the pen and some hay and the animals were able to go in and out of a barn. He just looked neglected - rough coat, wormy, long feet and that sort of defeated sad attitude.
The pony obviously hasn't seen a vet or had any shots or worming. Someone suggested having a vet take a look at him before I bring him home. The junkyard owner is an older guy and seems a little eccentric and I started to try to bring that up to him and he was touchy about allowing it. I didn't push it because I didn't want to upset the guy. I think he will just give me the pony if I will take him. The only reason I haven't gotten him yet is because we don't have a place to isolate him enough that there would be no chance for any contact with our other horses. We have the land and the room but really would want a completely separated turnout and shelter so he has no chance of contact with our horses until he checks out healthy and is gelded. The weather has been bad and the ground is frozen.
The pony isn't with any other horses right now. He doesn't look sick right now, but what illnesses could he be carrying, what other problems should I be aware of and could he have picked up any diseases from the goats he is with? Strangles would be an obvious common problem for a horse like this, though he hasn't been with other horses and there have not been any other horses living in the junkyard except for him. I have no idea where the guy got him and probably will never find out. I'm betting on lice for sure...but what else to worry about? Will the vet be able to get an pretty good idea of his age by his teeth or are minis harder to tell than big horses.
We don't know this guy at all. He was driving by and saw our minis in the pasture and stopped at our house wondering if we would be interested in a "nice little stud" to breed to our horses. Said he had a pony that didn't like his goats he is raising so he wanted to get rid of the pony. I asked him a few questions and talked my husband into going and looking at him.
The pony is currently living in the middle of a huge junkyard with a herd of goats. There was a lot of junk and rusty barbed wire an farm machinery and odds and ends everywhere in the pen. The guy says he thinks he has had the pony 6-9 months. I guess came across him, thought he was cute, got a deal on him but he doesn't like the guys goats and chases them around all the time. He doesn't know how old he is, hasn't had his feet trimmed and doesn't know anything about the horse - whether he has had any training or anything. The junk guy was pretty vague and I didn't get much out of him. It was getting dark but the pony didn't look too horrible, there was water in the pen and some hay and the animals were able to go in and out of a barn. He just looked neglected - rough coat, wormy, long feet and that sort of defeated sad attitude.
The pony obviously hasn't seen a vet or had any shots or worming. Someone suggested having a vet take a look at him before I bring him home. The junkyard owner is an older guy and seems a little eccentric and I started to try to bring that up to him and he was touchy about allowing it. I didn't push it because I didn't want to upset the guy. I think he will just give me the pony if I will take him. The only reason I haven't gotten him yet is because we don't have a place to isolate him enough that there would be no chance for any contact with our other horses. We have the land and the room but really would want a completely separated turnout and shelter so he has no chance of contact with our horses until he checks out healthy and is gelded. The weather has been bad and the ground is frozen.
The pony isn't with any other horses right now. He doesn't look sick right now, but what illnesses could he be carrying, what other problems should I be aware of and could he have picked up any diseases from the goats he is with? Strangles would be an obvious common problem for a horse like this, though he hasn't been with other horses and there have not been any other horses living in the junkyard except for him. I have no idea where the guy got him and probably will never find out. I'm betting on lice for sure...but what else to worry about? Will the vet be able to get an pretty good idea of his age by his teeth or are minis harder to tell than big horses.
