Investigating into my Mare's Past

[GrungeEquestrian]

So Trouble, my mare, has a very mysterious past. I know very little. She was born in Nevada, "trained" for barrels, sold to someone in Illinois, donated to a Therapeutic Stable in Chicago (she was only 5), and then given as payment to the guy I bought her from. She is registered in the APHA as Breeding Stock. When I bought her 2 years ago I got her previous coggins, and her paper work that shows she is negative for lethal overo. On those papers is the address and name of one of her previous owners in Illinois who never re-registered her under his name in the APHA. I've gone back and forth with the idea of sending him a letter asking him more about her. I've also tried to find her breeder but without much luck, APHA does a funky thing with a lot of their information these days where you have to pay even more.

So I guess my question is...would it be strange or inappropriate to send him a letter. I've been tempted too but I don't even know how to begin the letter. Any ideas? Thoughts?

[Fork]

I would be very curious to know my horse's past. :) Great idea.

If you think about it, there isn't really any harm in sending a letter. You legitimately found his name on your horse's registry. The worst he could do is just not reply, right?

What do you think you'd say in the letter?

[GrungeEquestrian]

I don't know what I would exactly write. Looking back at all her paperwork at the moment. Her Lethal White Overo papers actually are addressed by another lady from Nevada. I forgot to mention that she was bred in 2004 which is when she was tested. If I do decide to send a letter, I'll probably write one to her as well. I may be lucky enough to get copies of pictures of her foal by luck.

[WashingtonBay]

Sure - I would... - they may answer, they may not.

[gabhainn]

I dont think anyone would have a problem getting a letter like that, I wouldnt and once I sell a horse I generally dont care where they go. But if someone asks about them I would certainly tell them ................Kevin

[RipSpark]

I have done it before. I don't think they would mind, and if they do then they probably won't respond. I am always curious about my horses' past ;)

[TheRedHayflinger]

I used to keep Gypsy's former owners updated on her..they had her from birth to two years and then sold her because she was too hot for their kids, but they really loved her. I wish I still had e mail contact with them, but their e mail is no longer working....


Sadie--i know nothing about..she has 3 previous owners listed on her papers...her breeders(who are deceased...found this out as a friend of mine knew of them..some of her relatives married into the family or something), 2nd owner and 3rd owner(who gave her to me..I'm only the 4th owner). I've been tempted to mail the 2nd owners and find out more about her. The guy who gave her to me said he got her, and within weeks had a heart attack and didn't mess with her. Decided that he didn't have time to work with her as she was coming up to be 9 years old and a handful of others due to health and I got her a year or so after he got her. He told me she was sold to him as unbroke/untrained/fairly untouched...and that is what she seemed like to me, until I started riding her...but that could just be her personality and the 5-6 months of groundwork I put into her before I rode her...lol

[CaddoCinnamon]

We did with Sky. The landlord that we brought him from lost his breeders certificate. We knew he was eligible and we had written down her name. So when we paid him off we asked for his paperwork and he said that he had lost it. So it took us 3 years to find all of the information on him but it is well worth it i think especially if you are planning on showing her. We contacted the breeders of Sky I just asked them if they remember him. They contacted us back.
I did a letter like this:
To whom it may concern:

We have a horse that is out of your mare Skip Sunny Poco and out of your stallion Poco Bar Willie. If you can can you give me any information on the foal that we have. He is a sorrel and white tobiano born on July 17, 2002.

That is what we sent and just waited for a reply.

[vicklynn]

I went back to the breeder on my Arab. We had a great time. I spent hrs there, them telling me stories, showing me his Sire(the dame had passed). Showed me one of the horses do some free style ground work.
Gave me a book with pics of their stallion in it.
I also found a stallion that my uncle owned, and I was in contact with the new owner for the last yr of the stallions life.
So ya, it cant hurt to try.

[mandisue]

I actually have called past breeders, or owners, normally if you have the address and name just by doing some internet research you can find their phone number. May seem awkward at first but most are willing to tell you all you want to know. We did that with tess, and actually two of her past owners had their number in with her paperwork.

[miatapony]

I called the past trainer on the appy mare my mom got. he was really happy to talk about her (about the year he had her). so i say go for it......

[pandorasmom]

With Pandora I received her coggins and it had the name of a owner who had her previously. I sent them a letter and asked about her. They were able to give me some more information. I ended up coming to a dead end though and it seems no one else can help me find out more. I say send the letter, it can't hurt. Worst that happens is they don't write back. If they do write back then it all turned out good in that you heard from them.

[Petra]

I know my horses' past for the most part.
Crystal was bought in an auction as a weanling for $25 in a really bad shape. The person who bought her didn't bother taking care of her or working with her either, so she looked pitiful when I bought her from him for $75 as a yearling. Since than she has been pampered, loved and taken care of over here. I have no chance to ever find out anything about her parents. But It's OK...she has been with me for the bigger part of her life. :) If I could, I would want to know more. So I don't blame you for trying to find out all you can.

Anyways it definitelly will not hurt to mail a letter. I agree, the worst that can happen is that he will not reply.
As far as what to write, you should just simply introduce yourself, explain how you got your horse and how much she means to you. And than ask if it's not too much of an inconvenience if he would be willing to give you some more info on her. Write down all the questions you have, so he has an idea what you are interested to know. If I were you I'd include a phone #, some people don't like to write, he may prefer just calling you.

[Fork]

Neat thread! :) I had no idea that many people had tracked down their horses. Mitch isn't registered, so I have nowhere to go with him. All I know is the information that his old owner gave me.

I was tempted to contact Tiara's breeders. I think I stopped because I figured they were in the Thoroughbred breeding business and didn't really know or care about their babies. Or I didn't know if they cared about their babies who weren't raking in the millions. She only made $60000 in her 5 year career. On the other hand, I recently got news that she's the love of the University staff, and that she's doing very well. :D

[CaddoCinnamon]

Why is Tiara at the University?

[Fork]

Why is Tiara at the University?She's at my local Vet university because she no longer enjoys being ridden. I couldn't sell her as a pasture ornament and I couldn't give her away. She'd buck violently as soon as I tried to canter her, and she'd often do the same during the trot. Then the board increased and I had to move 5 hours away for school. We figured she was getting a bit too arthritic to be doing any ring work because she loved trails. I do miss her dearly and I'm excited to see her soon.

She's in a great facility now. :) The best part is that she's being taken care of.

[lacyloo]

I have been doing the SAME thing for the past two days. Finding out quite a bit of info on Farah and Shocks and attempting to contact the breeders.

[oursarge]

When we got Delta my husband called the previous owner to find out a little about her [She lived there from birth to almost 8 yrs old]. They sold her because they went from doing trails to working cows and she knew how to do it but wasn't what they wanted in a cow horse. She can work cows though, I had her in with a few and she knew just what to do, good thing she did because I didn't! We found out that she had 2 foals and was the favorite horse of a guy who was in his 70's. The lady was very happy to hear she has a good home.

There is a month of her life we're missing, during that month she was not treated right, when my friend got her at the New Holland Auction she was very thin, scared and didn't trust people at all. A totally different horse than what the previous owners described or what she looked like when put up for sale [Her picture was on their web site under horses for sale]. They sold her for $3,500, I'm not sure how she got from Wisc. to PA or what happened in between but it boggles my mind that anyone would do to her what was done and paid alot for her to begin with. Well I think it's alot. If she was free she should have been treated right but it just goes to show that just because people pay a decent price for a horse doesn't mean they will take care of it.

She's getting back to being that horse after alot of work and love. She's fat and happy now and knows how to do things we never even knew she knew, she can ground tie, she is great with cows, she follows me all over without a lead. It was funny one day she was following me through the whole trail class and my friend's husband said she sure sticks close to me and I showed him I didn't even have a lead on her, she just follows. One of her favorite things is if we're all standing around talking she gets right in there like she is listening and if she could talk she'd add to the conversation! The people who had her between us and her first home don't know what they threw away.

Anyway the lady who owned Delta first was very happy to get a call to find out where she is and that she's OK. I would contact the people, all's they could do is not answer back. Petra's answer is perfect, I would follow what she says.

[GrungeEquestrian]

Cool stories everyone. Well I decided to go for it and the letter is in the mail on its way to Nevada :). I sent a letter and a few pictures to the lady I am assuming bred her in 2004 (her address was on the lethal overo testing papers). I'm hoping that she will write something back. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she didn't move. It would be very interesting to hear more about Trouble, and maybe some pictures. I would be super excited if she sent any information of her colt, or even better PICTURES. But I'm trying not to anticipate too much though.

I'm working on sending a similar letter to one of her late owners who lives about an hour away from me.

[GrungeEquestrian]

Well what a bummer, I sent out the letter only to have it come back. I guess there is no longer that address (maybe it got built up) or the lady moved. I'm going to try to find her on white pages and send her other owner a letter. Discouraging though.

[CaddoCinnamon]

Don't give up yet. Just keep working at it.