i adopted a PMU mare last week through Serenity Acres from a N Dakota rancher who had lost leases on 5 pastures.After $1400 dollars,driving 5 hrs round trip to pick her up, assurances that she was sound, with "nice strong draft feet", my vet and farrier advise me she has completely rotated coffin bones threatening to drop through the soles of her feet from severe ,longstanding and incurable founder (laminitis) She is in continuous pain, and can never be ridden. We rescued a local 16yr old horse with this condition ON PURPOSE last year, as well as a rescued dog, 3 rescued cats,we volunteer and fund raise for our local horse rescue. All conversations, the application, and emails were clear that this was to be my husband's horse so he could ride with me. Poor Echo is in such bad shape she can not even have her hoofs trimmed to be made more comfortable. If she was ridden, she would fall to her knees in pain. I cannot accept that this is acceptable. I asked very specific questions and was completely deceived.I am not rich. I saved for 2 years to buy this horse for Dave. We are honest, hardworking people who were trying to do the right thing the right way. I wrote to Becky at Serenity Acres who was "shocked", and states she asked the rancher my questions and was told Echo was ridden in the arena and had nice strong draft feet. She gave me his name and phone #s, and said she was on her way there and had forwarded my email on to him.My vet is completely willing to document what condition Echo is in, and that it is a longstanding issue. We are making a separate bare paddock for her with soft footing, medicating and supplementing her to help her be as comfortable as possible. Our hearts are breaking for her, and for the loss of our dream. Has any one else experienced a similar situation? Are we expected to call and fight with this rancher? How do we hold people accountable for blatantly lying to us? What a horrible disservice this is to all PMU rescue operations to have an adoption go this way. I could very easily have bought a horse locally for LESS money, but I wanted to do the right thing . Where can I write, post, WARN people that this could happen to them? A trailer accident, shipping fever, a contagious illness were risks I knew you take, but that was not the case here. PLEASE help me , I am physically ill from crying so hard and so long at our dream becoming a bad nightmare.

Hi Inirish,

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. That must be very disappointing and frustrating.

It sounds like Serenity Acres is doing all they can to rectify the situation. I hope you'll update this thread as the situation develops to share your ideas with others. We have heard from other adopters who have had positive experiences working with Serenity Acres, so I am confident that they will do all they can to resolve this situation to your satisfaction.

I am sure it wasn't easy to go the PMU adoption route. Adopting a horse, especially one sight-unseen, is a big (and sometimes scary) commitment. It sounds like you and your husband did all the right research and preparation, and just happened on some bad luck. It sounds like it's best to assume at this point that a mistake was made, and maybe the rancher will have ideas on how to make it right.

I can't imagine how hard this is for you and your husband right now.

Best wishes,

It has been 4 days since I emailed Becky at Serenity Acres and she said she forwarded my email to the rancher. It has been 3 days since she was going to be in North Dakota at his ranch. I have not been contacted by email or phone. I emailed Becky again today, asking what is going on. If you read this posting, PLEASE go to either the pmurescue.org or Serenity Acres website and let them know you are aware of this situation, and are waiting to see how it resolves. I need your help.

I heard from Becky shortly after my last posting. The rancher does gaurantee his horses to be sound, and they are going to email me pictures of 4 other horses of similar age and qualities to chose a replacement. He will have a vet do a soundness exam at his expense prior to sending the horse to us. He will take Echo back, and keep her with a promise not to send her to the sale barn. Becky says his word is good. Echo will go straight from our place to the ranch, and I will provide medication and cushioned travel boots for her. I'll let this post know how it goes. Thank you for your response, Karen, and thank you to any who read and prayed for us. To be continued...........

Hi, Inirish. I am SO glad that your situation has improved. My heart sure goes out to you. I got Freya (my now two-year-old PMU filly) via Serenity Acres, though I think she came from a different ranch than your horse did. I had a good experience working with Becky and Larry at Serenity Acres and would adopt from them again.

I wonder if it's possible that they sent you the wrong horse? I actually almost got the wrong horse myself... When they went to unload my "Freya" (who was supposed to be a yearling filly), the horse that came off the trailer was a nearly-identical looking colt instead! Same color, similar facial and leg markings -- they looked only ever-so-slightly different from one another. Luckily, my girl was on the trailer so I was able to get the correct horse, but due to the ranch's mix-up, I very nearly didn't.

Good call on getting pictures. That's always a wise idea, in my book. I actually had the rancher take updated pictures of Freya before I committed to adopting her, and that helped me idenitify that they originally unloaded the wrong horse (and that it wasn't just a case of mis-identifying a gender in the online ad).

I hope you're really happy with your next horse and that it all works out well. My thoughts are with you.

All good wishes,

Kristin

Hi Inirish,

I'm so glad to hear that your situation is on its way to being resolved! Everybody involved deserves a happy ending.

While this message board isn't a good place to resolve complaints, it is a perfect place to share general advice and ideas. One idea that future adopters could take out of your situation is to ask the organization before they adopt if they've ever had a situation where the horse completely didn't meet the expectations of the adopter (or perhaps was the wrong horse altogether), and what their policies and procedures are if that happens.

Thanks for your ideas, Kristin!

Any other suggestions like that?

Karen and Kristen, Thank you for your info and support. This weekend, Echo went down in the pasture. My Belgian/Morgan cross, 1600 lb "Toy" , broke her out of her enclosure during the night. With the help of some wonderful neighbors and the vet on call, we were able to get her up. The vet thinks her left front foot won't recover, the hoof wall is shot, and her sole is protruding even more. After 5 days of strict rest, meds, etc, she is still barely touching it to the ground. I was able to speak to Steve, the rancher, and he was very nice. I gave him the vets number, and we may have to make a very hard decision this weekend. Please keep us in your prayers. Toy is standing guard over her little mirror image, so she is not lonely. Steve will work with us to find and send a sound, suitable horse for my husband next month. Becky has been very concerned and supportive. Echo has very distinct markings, so I am sure she is the horse we inquired about. Steve apologized repeatedly for not personally checking her more thoroughly before she left the ranch. That's all water under the bridge now, and we are all working together to do the right thing.

Hi Inirish. I wanted to share a web site link with you that was forwarded to me by my daughter. I'm not a "horse" person, but I do care for ALL animals. I thought it was very inspiring. I don't think it will help your problem, per say, but I think it's food for thought. I was very moved by it. Let me know your thoughts.

http:www.sonnyradio.com/molly.htm

Martin, Thank you for the link, it was good to see a story with a happy ending. What a beautiful little pony! Echo's story ended quietly Weds, our vet humanely euthanized her, and she is buried on a bluff overlooking the headwaters of the Colorado River. One of the worst days of our lives, but the only thing we could do. Our big mare, Toy, tried to get in the trailer with her, and still looks down the road and whinnies for her. In the wonderful , mysterious ways of horses, Toy and Amber both stood closely and let me hug them until my tears stopped. They are amazing creatures.

Hi Inirish,

I have been following along with this and just wanted you to know how sorry I am for what you had to do, but I admire you for doing the right thing. You can light a candle here for Echo if you like.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?s=v&l=ENG&cid=935093

Many hugs,
Newt

Eight days ago Serenity Acres emailed us a picture of 2 horses. They were mislabeled, and nothing like what we were looking for.(i am trying not to be rude here) They have since been posted on the active horse list for much less than we paid for Echo. After $800 for her, $613 to transport, and $640 in 3 vet calls, meds,xrays, euthanasia and burial costs, a total of $2053, we have once half heartedly been shown 2 horses that are not comparable. Our calls and emails are unanswered because they are so "busy". I do not have the energy or heart to continue this struggle, so I will have my attorney deal with it, and file formal complaints wherever neccesary. DO NOT consider this adoption route, it brought us nothing but heart ache. It was NOT "bad luck", it was a hopelessly lame horse in severe pain being put on a trailer from North Dakota to New Mexico to Colorado in direct violation of UAN's own horse transport policy, by a rancher and a "Rescue" that are responsible to know better. I am sure UAN will delete this posting. We aren't supposed to "complain". However, I don't believe giving straightforward information about our experience should be labeled "complaining". I have been unfailing polite and cooperative in every interaction.

Resolution and good will at last. Kristin, Karen, Martin, Newt and others who have been concerned and supportive! A very dear friend who has to relocate to Alaska has asked us to adopt her beautiful Morgan-Arab gelding, and he is a well trained riding horse. I DID hear from Becky at Serenity Acres, and the rancher, and Becky will be at our place Friday night with a beautiful black Percheron/QH yearling who is halter broken. We have invited them to spend the night, and there is a blessed, if prolonged, ending to this experience. Maybe our loving Echo was sent to pave the way for our friend's peace of mind, and to secure the future of the yearling. We will never forget her, and the animals we are entrusted to care for live on a small ranch under a new sign that says " Echo's Hill". Thank you for your prayers, they got me through some very tough nights.

lnirish, thank you so much for the update. This is wonderful news for you and the horses. It warmed my heart to read about the name of Echo's Hill. You are good people and I wish good things for you.

Newt

I'm so glad for you! I've been very worried, hoping that everything would work out for the best. It sounds like a very trying experience to say the least, but that's wonderful that you'll be adopting your friend's Morgan-Arab gelding and also the yearling. My girl's also a black Percheron/QT horse and I got her as a yearling, too. I just love her to bits! She wasn't halter trained, though, so it's been taking a lot more work to get her to "normal" horse level -- but she's worth it Yearlings are so much fun. I hope you really enjoy spending time with the two members of your family.

May you have many happy years to come,

Kristin