I bought a rescue pony last October - not a Haflinger (locally) and I have since then learned a few things...
Adopting a rescue pony or horse is pretty much buyer beware.
I was told that our pony was 20 years old.
I was told that our pony had it's teeth done and shots last April.
She visited the vet last month, and turns out she is 30+. She has not had her teeth done in over 10 years. Her teeth were a mess, four will need to be pulled as they are falling out, the top molars were over grown with dagger like sharp points, the bottom molars were worn down below the gumline. She had a nasty infection in her gums.
She is on antibiotics and I have to rinse her mouth with antiseptic mouthwash everyday. She is scheduled to have more work done next week which most likely will cost upwards of $1,000.
Another thing to consider in adopting... make sure you get some sort of paperwork or receipt that you have bought the horse. I got a little bit of a fright when a friend of mine emailed me after seeing photos of our new pony. She thought maybe it was her old pony! I was just a little freaked out... turns out it is not the same pony. (whew!) But what if someone shows up saying that you have their pony? What if it had been stolen from them or something??
I personally do not regret getting this pony. She is worth her tiny 304 pounds in gold. She is about as bombproof as they come and she is kind. I was lucky enough to have a chance to visit the pony many times at the rescue to work with her before bringing her home. So I knew what type of pony I was getting... I just did not know where she came from or what type of health care she had received. Those types of unknowns can cost a person a lot of money. I got away pretty cheaply, it could have been worse.
So, buyer beware!
Your Haffiefriend,
~Kiola~
Brier, WA
--- In haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com, "Lene" <leneandersen@...> wrote:
>
> This is all so awfull. I saved the link yesterday, but couldn't really bear to look at it. I will probably be getting my 3rd horse in a couple of months and I'm torn between going for at well breed, well trained/started horse that fit my goals OR helping one of those many many abandoned horses out there. Has anybody on this list tried to get at horse from one of these places - what was your experience.
>
> To get a horse is such a long term commitment - something which many people seem to forget. You HAVE to be practical about it.
>
> Lene, Winston Salem, NC
>
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