I put this in other pets but givati dancer has not been my horse since 2009. I have been looking for him for the last 8 years and i found where he was as of 2019. Not to be stalkerish but the owner/trainer has a big xc barn and her facebook page has pics of her on him all over it.

I want my horse back. Her stable says call or text for any info. What do i say in a text and how do i say it. Id be ok if she keeps him till he retires and isnt ridable but i want him back.

Background.. he was born in a blizzard in 2003. I had directions but he was the first solo foaling i did. I was the only one that handled him till he was 2. I broke him and i rode him when he wasnt on the track and exercised him on the track. My grandpa bred him. I just dont know what to say.

If all the sales were legitimate (meaning he wasn't stolen at any point) then I think I'd explain my past relationship with the horse and ask if they'd be willing to part with him.

I think the first thing *you* have to get in mind is that he isn't your horse anymore.  If you come across with the attitude that you want your horse back, the current owner is apt to get their hackles up ("What? you think I stole him, he's MY horse!")  That you want to buy a horse with whom you've had a past relationship might make it more palatable to them.

It felt like he was stolen. At 5 he was claimed out of a race. Different gamble and actually of over 40 horses we bred he was the only one id even try finding. So no he was taken and as part owner i got some of the check but thats horse racing. Then went to 3 other trainers before i lost track of who had him. My intent was to try and buy him back at some point. Im not trying to say anyone stole him..

Horse show people are like dog show people and they scare me. And she is a rich maryland xc horse trainer, and even though i grew up in snooty horse circles it was different ones then she is in. Kinda like comparing euro spanish to texas spanish

So if i just send a text out of the blue asking if she still has him, would that be appropriate? Or should i say why im asking?

I'd give a little "good background" and ask if she knows where he is ... sorta "just checking on where my first foal has made it to." God only knows what the reaction will be ...

If you knew it was a claims race and you wanted to keep him, why'd you enter him? I know "part owner" and that sucks.

For a racing barn he was unsuccessful. He had 2 wins and 9 seconds at that point. Trainer thought he was a turf horse and my grandpa heard that and decided he was trying to sell him. We were a dirt track family and he ended up being a very successful turf horse. So my uncle was 20% owner i was 10% and my grandpa was 70% and my uncle just went with what my grandpa said. 10% means you dont matter in discussions. I wanted to point to point a d timber race him but even though there are purses its not what our barn did. They were not pets i understood that.

There is a whole other side to this that i do not want to bring up that might actually classify him as stolen. I have a contract saying when he was retired from the track he was mine from the 3rd person who owned him. He instead retired him and let his grandkids ride him for 2 years and then sold him to the person who might still have him. But the contract is useless because even if i won it would be a financial win not getting the horse.

I think your right about saying i was trying to find out what became of my favorite foal and see what happens

My 2 cents as someone who has considered buying their old horse back, I would start by asking yourself if you can afford to buy the horse back from someone like her realistically and still afford to give him proper care? No amount of love and history will buy feed and cover medical bills so it's unlikely she is going to just give him to you out of kindness. This was the struggle I had when considering buying my old horse back. By the time I would realistically get her in her retirement her medical bills were going to be more than I could handle and at the time we did not have property suitable for horses which would make the added expense of boarding nearby or leaving her on family property where I wouldn't be able to as easily monitor an aging horse. So before you text anyone make sure you can afford to realistically follow through with purchase without having to mortgage the place and sell your husband into the slave trade in order to keep it. If you can afford the costs of an aging horse and have the proper facilities then go for it, but be super honest with yourself if this is a move that is best for him.

Simply wanting to catch up on the history of a horse you used to know is one thing, trying to purchase is another. Most people are perfectly willing to talk to an old owner and assure them that their beloved horse is in good hands living a great life. You finding out what her own bond is with the horse might help alleviate some of the want to buy him back too. Knowing they are well cared for where they are takes the sting out of wanting them back much of the time.

Coming from a place of guilt from my mom. She offered to foot the vet bill if i can get him, the sale bill, and shipping him from wherever to colorado. The rancher across the field has told me if i pay for hay and feed i can turn him out with his cows and paints. But she may not want to sell him or may want way more then im willing to pay for him but my hope is there are 3 owners under a llc meaning its not an emotional thing but is a financial thing. Sadly when horses in that situation become not valuable they put them down. Not any difference from sled dogs. Im coming from an emotional angle on something that has nothing to do with emotions and that waa the saddest part about being around the race horses and show horses.

Hubbys opinion is he hates horses because the mare i had until a few years ago hated men and thats the only horse he ever met.

Something that keeps me from trying to contact her is my uncle. He is one of the vets in the area and one of the vets for the hunt club and it becomes a very touchy situation and im extremely good at fucking things up when the conversation isnt in person. My uncle sees him regularly at the vet check so i know he is doing ok. But the day he is no longer a steeplechaser will he be? His full brother was put down for insurance money under loss of use for a bowed tendon. Not the same person but ive seen the worst and expect it.

I dont really see what the added cost is regarding a geriatric horse, but we did lay ups and race horses so im of the opinion that horse vet bills for a tb are expensive and frequent regardless of age. It might mean regular beef instead of wagyu and some other trimming expenses which is part the goal of the greenhouse.

This will probably just end in an upsetting failure and if it fails i might go see if i can find a nice tb or mustang at the dog food slaughter auction.

And now for being realistic. I really dont know if my back can handle every day horse care or if i can ride more then at a walk for any length of time.