DN3 has been in need of a new show horse, as her mare Bailey has become burned out on the whole affair. So we picked up Petey the Paint Horse on a one year care lease, with an option to buy. Care leasing is a situation where the leaser does not buy the horse, but is responsible for all care and associated costs for the period of the lease. Not unlike leasing a car, but no monthly payments are made to the rightful owner. The money is spent on feed, vet costs, hoofcare, etc. The advantage for both parties lies in the fact that the owner doesn't pay for the care, and the leaser doesn't have to keep said horse if the animal and rider prove unsuited for one another.
Petey's owner is in college in California, and has not seen him in some time. He was under a care lease with another person, who couldn't pay the asking price, so was letting him move on.
Here is Petey as advertised:
Here's what he looked like when we got home today:
If you blow the second picture up, you can see ribs. He is easily 100-150 pounds underweight, and clearly hasn't seen hoof care in awhile. We do not believe it to be due to willful negligence, but rather a tight budget, and perhaps a dose of ignorance thrown in.
Had we been looking to purchase Petey, we would have left with an empty trailer. We are, however, reasonably certain we can feed him up to his ideal weight, and with a few visits from the farrier have his hooves returned to pristine condition. As a precaution, we are going to have the vet give him the once over.
He's a big sweetheart, with an easygoing disposition. He was completely non-plussed at being moved to a new home, and wasted no time digging into his alfalfa and beet pulp. And DN3 is completely in love with him already.
I'll keep you posted...
10 comments:
He's beautiful and will be even more so with some TLC.
Oh man, his face is stunning! No wonder Dn3 is in love with him.
He does look a little on the light side, but I've (sadly) seen worse. I'm sure he'll fatten up quickly.
He sure looks like a great addition to the BR Ranch!
We borrowed a horse one year for my son's 4H project and did a lease/purchase option. We picked her up in a pasture in Northern NM where she was grazing with other horses and a few elk. She hopped in the trailer easy, which was nice. Turns out she only had two speeds - stop and all out running. She turned out to be one heck of a speed horse. My son did great with her. One of our biggest mistakes was in not buying her, but money was tight that year. Good luck with your paint.
One more memory: After my son did a very fast reigning pattern on that mare, the announcer said, "That was Bo Baggett on Sassy." I heard someone in the crowd say, "And was she ever sassy."
Heh. DN3 is in love already? I think you might have a new addition to the family. Just sayin'. ;-)
Good luck with that beautiful boy, I hope he fits right in with your daughter.
Y'all have a talent for picking nice horseflesh.
Thanks, everyone. Mrs. BR gets the credit for this find. And yes, I do suspect that the "option to buy" is a foregone conclusion.
The upside, for me, is that we now have a "spare" horse. I'm already sizing her up for a pack saddle. I'll be taking a big tent, a chair, and real food into the mountains from now on.
I wonder what the tax implications of leasing a horse might be.
Oh, not really. I do like her face!
Needless to say, I think everyone should own a spotty horse. Congrats, I'll look forward to seeing how Petey does! Especially with the tent.
Gordon: Don't say that too loud. The pols in the state would tax the oxygen we breathe if they could figure out how!
Jessica: Petey makes the third spotty horse in our herd. I think I need to add more buckskins!
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