SCID test-cost? Questions too

[ToveroMom]

I do not know how long the results take.
No one has to be a breed specialist to buy a horse. I am of the opinion[and it is JMO] that you better be aware of BIG issues in the breed-whatever breed it is-or you can be in for a lot of heartache.
The difference is when you go to BREED a horse then you really have to do your homework. The health of your mare and the new foal you expect at the end of it depend on that.
So that is a big difference. If you are never going to breed your mare then it doesn't matter if she is a carrier or clear.

[Suzie Rae]

Generally speaking, if the horse you are selling is by or out of a line known to be clear, whether or not the horse has been tested is not a concern ... if it is a gelding it wouldn't matter either way; if it is a mare, some (but very few) people may ask, but probably not. If you are selling a horse by or out of a known carrier, being able to say (and produce the paperwork to prove it) that the horse is SCID clear could be a plus. Actually there are a number of things besides SCID that can be considered more of a plus or a negative when someone is buying a horse ... whether it is Sweepstakes Nominated or not is one of them.

Other big factors will be who the sire is, who the dam is, what training the horse has had and with who, and what the horse's show record is like. A horse sired by a virtually unknown sire and out of an unproven dam line, with no professional training (home trained doesn't count with most people), and no show record (AHA sanctioned, not just some local show or a county fair type thing) is going to be a tough sell, at least for a decent price. If you are up against those types of problems, just be honest when advertising (SCID clear isn't going to make a difference one way or the other at that point).

When you are selling a horse, the number one thing on the list of things to do is take good pictures; don't try taking photos of your horse running loose in a pasture unless you are a good photographer, because they are not going to do the horse justice (just trust me on this okay). Make sure the horse is bathed, clipped, well groomed, wearing a nice halter that fits the horse well, and PLEASE don't use a picture of your kid hanging off of the horse to show how 'kid proof' the horse is, that is a total bust and looks amateurish; if you want your kid in the picture, have the kid hold the lead rope or sit upright on the horse in complete tack. Don’t use standing profile shots, they usually make the horse look worse than it actually is ... if you want a full body shot, stand the horse on an angle (1/4 to ¾ shot) to take the photo. Do not use the phrase 'Royally bred', just because there is some horse you've seen in an old magazine three or four generations back in the pedigree (*Bask, Khemosabi, and all of those type horses three or four generations back doesn't mean a thing and it is as common as air) ... having those horses way back in the pedigree doesn't mean squat and makes your horse about as Royally bred as the check out girl at the local grocery store. Do not use the phrases ‘bomb proof’ and ‘Kid proof’ either; say something along the lines of ‘wonderful child or amateur rider mount’ ... the people reading the ad will get the picture. If neither the sire or dam have ever seen a show ring and no one other than your pals have ever heard of them, don’t say ‘Nationals Quality Show Prospect’ ... in 99.9% of the cases it is BS ... you know it, I know it, and anyone with a little common sense should know it too. Don’t try to pass a trail horse off as a show horse, don’t try to pass off a horse that has never been ridden by a kid as ‘kid proof’ (just leading a kid around on a horse with a lead rope does not count a ‘ridden by child’), and don’t try passing a *Bask grandson as ‘Royally bred’... in other words, be honest and don’t try advertising a Chevy as a Cadillac, SCID tested or not.

Would you like to learn more about Arabian horses and the programs available to their owners? Programs are avaiCheck out the AHA at http://www.arabianhorses.org or http://www.arabhorse.com/ You will find some great information at both places, and these sites are updated on a regular basis.

Susanne