Complaint Review: Zeigler Farms

In May of 08 I bought a horse named Candy from Al Zeigler in Britt Iowa. I live in California so I relyed on this mans word and pictures. He showed pictures of his kid on her and said she was gentle and that someone who didnt know horses was riding her bareback as we spoke on the phone. I was sold. He seemed nice enough and even had good references. Boy, should I have got a vet check on this one.

When she arrived to my house, I was mortified when she got out of the trailer. Her front feet looked like duck paddles. I had never seen a horse with feet like that in my entire life. I called my ferrier right away and they came the very next morning. They were shocked! They told me that her front shoes were embedded in her holfs. That poor horse! They had to cut most of her feet off to get the shoes off of her. She could barely walk. I had her radiographed by my vet and she said Im sorry this horse has sever laminitis and has had it for some time. Now this was 1 day after getting her home. I have pictures and vet reports and ferrier reports to prove it. I called Al that day and told him that I was very unhappy that he would sell me a horse like that and he said that she was fine when she left his place (BULL). My vet said that is a lie, if he checked her before she left he had to have known about her condition, so he lied to me. He said I will see what I can do, then 5 minutes later I got an email from him saying Im sorry, but you had the option on the contract to have her vet checked and you didnt, so you basically get to pay for a lame horse. I was so mad. He wouldnt even call me to tell me that, he emailed me. What a coward.

I have spent so much money having this horse radiographed and correcting her feet just so she can walk. Its terrible. Suppliments, hoolf treatments, the works. This poor animal. I wish that man had feelings about animals, he just cares about making a buck. I have had Candy for 6 months now and she is still not out of the woods. The vet is worried because she is not able to grow hoof. Please do not buy from this farm, if you do, PLEASE HAVE A VET CHECK THEM OUT FIRST!!! Theirs a reason why his horses are so cheap! They are rescues. I basically feel like I rescued this horse from a bad, bad person. I cant beleive he let his kids ride her when she was in so much pain, What a mean man. He will get his some day, I just know........

Dana
gilroy, California
U.S.A.