[Merle]

I ran across this and was wondering if anyone has any connections to this horse. He looks like a very nice boy. I hope he ended up with someone great or someone who knew him before.

Scroll most of the way down the page:
http://ac4h.com/BrokerOwned5.htm

Youtube link:
http://youtu.be/vta37JLUqbc

http://www.csquarefarm.com/birchill-...-gelding-1996/

Only posting because I had a horse I personally knew who was sold through AC4H and he found his way back to his rightful home. Thought there might be someone out there who knows of this guy.

[WW_Queen]

Bump.

[BestHorses]

It makes me sad to see an UL horse end up in that circumstance. (I was cringing during the bareback halter leg yields - of course an Intermediate horse knows how to leg yield! )

Obviously the horse was just clipped and does not look like he's been out of work or anything. Makes me wonder what the backstory is. I would hope that someone who previously owned and/or competed the horse sees this and takes him home.

[enjoytheride]

You are buying directly from a dealer who picks up horses from auction and then puts them online to resell them through a "rescue" which serves as an online broker. This dealer also runs their own auction house and owns several semis which he uses to ship horses to slaughter when he gets a full load. He will travel from auction to auction buying horses for slaughter or horses for resale. He will keep them in pens. The prices are very inflated because the dealer relies on sappy people on computers to buy his horses. This dealer will always have horses. Anything of "value" he will hold for a few weeks until it sells, most dealers are VERY negotiable in their price and will often put some miles on a horse then run it through an auction down the road.

I do not know anything about this horse. However, be aware that horses wind up at auctions for many different reasons. Sometimes they are sound, sane, and in need of a home. Other times they are lame, sick, or dangerous. I would take any info the dealer gives you with a grain of salt, some are very honest, others will drug a horse and lie to you.

The dealer is probably asking for a tidy profit on this horse so I imagine he sold for well under $1,000

[CiegoStar]

FWIW the former owner listed in the above ad can easily be found with a search on facebook.

Sad to see an older campaigner flushed away.

[enjoytheride]

I'm not sure if I'd gang up on the former owner just yet. A friend of mine just bought a horse and two people before her purchased the horse without ever bothering to change the registration info.

[CiegoStar]

Not ganging up, just noting. I have no idea if the owner is aware of the situation or cares one way or the other. But I guess a part of me hopes someone who's more meddlesome than me will give them a non-judgmental heads up.

[Debbie]

Wow, he looks to be in great shape. I'd love to have him to tootle around on even if he needs some duct tape in places - and he may not. I hope his former connections are notified if someone here knows them.

[jenm]

I'm not sure if I'd gang up on the former owner just yet. A friend of mine just bought a horse and two people before her purchased the horse without ever bothering to change the registration info.

Not ganging up, just noting. I have no idea if the owner is aware of the situation or cares one way or the other. But I guess a part of me hopes someone who's more meddlesome than me will give them a non-judgmental heads up.

It appears he hasn't been shown at anything recognized since 8/2008 and it appears he and his rider didn't have much success together. A lot could have transpired in the past four years, but I appreciate the OP bringing this up in case anyone who knows him or competed on him in his younger days may see him and want to give him a forever home!

[NRB]

Wait the CSquare add for him has him aged 16yo. Since he was born 1996 that makes him 16yo this year. So he was sold through CSquare farm this year and was at the auction house this month? And then AC4H picked him up and he was placed with someone. Whew that's alot of turnover.

[Lynnwood]

Bumping that he finds a safe place.

[NRB]

no he's been placed already. the far right side of his listing on the AC4H has him placed with a Cara.

[CiegoStar]

Wait the CSquare add for him has him aged 16yo. Since he was born 1996 that makes him 16yo this year. So he was sold through CSquare farm this year and was at the auction house this month? And then AC4H picked him up and he was placed with someone. Whew that's alot of turnover.

It's a little confusing, but I'm pretty sure that site automatically populates the horse's age based on the year of birth. So the horse is 16 now, but that would have read (whatever his age was) at the time he was sold. If you look at the girl's fb (I know, I'm a stalker) she had him around 2009 at the latest but can't tell beyond that.

[retreadeventer]

Post #4 is correct. (Good on ya, Enjoytheride.) There is quite a bit of this sort of enterprise that utilizes digital technology for a little personal fundraising. Many people are duped by the rescue/adoption-like language. Be very, very, very aware. Facebook is full of similar schemes to raise money for personal gain with horse dealing, too. (In the new feature, "Similar Threads", just below the bottom of the forum, you can click on "Sketchy 'rescues' soliciting on COTH" from over a year ago that has more details.)

I am very sad to see a fine horse used for fundraising in this manner, but hoping for his sake that he has a good warm blanket on tonight in a nice barn and has had a good meal and fresh water. I will say a prayer for him.

[Flying Ponies]

It's a little confusing, but I'm pretty sure that site automatically populates the horse's age based on the year of birth. So the horse is 16 now, but that would have read (whatever his age was) at the time he was sold. If you look at the girl's fb (I know, I'm a stalker) she had him around 2009 at the latest but can't tell beyond that.

agreed, pretty sure he is 16. I found this old 2001-2002 ISH achievements publication, and lists Birchill Clover as coming in 2nd place in the 5 y.o Future Event Horse League Final at Tattersalls....scroll all the way down, he is on the next to last page.
http://www.irishsporthorse.com/_file...hievements.pdf


I really hope he ends up with a kind person in a safe place.

5 YEAR OLDS
2nd : BIRCH HILL CLOVER (ISH) 1996 gelding by Clover
Hill (RID) out of Cinnamon Tart (TB) by Tepukei (TB). Bred by
Nicholas Power,Dunlo, Ballinasloe, Co Galway.
Rider: Ms Caroline Hunter Roe.

[SevenDogs]

I'm not sure if I'd gang up on the former owner just yet.

I don't see it as "ganging up" on anyone. The horse is listed on Courtney Cooper's website as "sold to Sarah McGregor for her daughter Collen, who plans to continue eventing him".

If Courtney wants to use the sale as a way to promote her business, she has to be willing to accept the bad PR with the good. You don't get to pick.

[enjoytheride]

However we don't know what happened to him after he was sold to Sarah McGregor, that's just the last recorded owner. People ARE allowed to sell horses.

[Bogie]

I would also do a search on AC4H before making donations to their fundraising. Just saying.

[foxhavenfarm]

God, how sad. What a nice boy who looks like he's still got some good years left.

[SevenDogs]

However we don't know what happened to him after he was sold to Sarah McGregor, that's just the last recorded owner. People ARE allowed to sell horses.

And they are still in the chain of ownership of a horse that ended up in a bad situation.