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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 516
| Just a friendly reminder to always always always get a vet check on a horse you plan to buy... Just saw this morning a girl advertising her horse as "sound, no maintenance" when two days ago she was telling a friend of mine how she couldn't afford to treat her navicular.. Makes me sick especially as someone who dealt with a navicular horse for 5 years. Buyer beware I guess. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
  
| I don't know how people can lie like that and sleep at night :( |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| So true. Have friends who bought a horse, person worked at the vet so buyers believed horse was OK. Horse made two tremendous runs then injured. Another vet said the injury was an old one. Vet asked if the horse had a pre-purchase exam. Vet said I hope you learned a lesson. This horse cost more than all of mine added together. Hmmm, seller would not return phone calls.
I will say that I do not think a prepurchase exam would have found the problems my horse had. Kissing spines, a broken rib.
Prepurchase exam is a necessity. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
| Does anyone have a $$ amount they dont vet check at? Under a certain $$ amount you just take your chances? Just curious? |
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 Texas Tenderheart
Posts: 6715
Location: Red Raiderland | Young horses, unbroken, I would only vet check if I paid $5K or more but I would definitely have a vet check done on any started horse that I was paying $3500 or more. I have had several horses, even young ones, not pass a PPE. The sellers were not too happy but I dang sure was because I didn't have to deal with future problems.  |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434
Location: Northwest Florida | I saw a story on Facebook this morning, too. This was a lady who had given her ex show horse away as a companion horse, because he was 19 years old with navicular. She then found him being advertised for sale by the guy she had given him to, as a $4,000 bombproof youth show horse! People are awful!
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Member
Posts: 11
| Also, do not use the current owners vet. I did a vet check, paid good money for x-rays and was told one thing over the phone and something different in the written report. Also the vet "forgot" to x-ray stifles, like I had requested. |
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 Professional Amateur
Posts: 6750
Location: Oklahoma | I always tell people to get a vet check - it is for their peace of mind, not the Seller's peace of mind. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | kboltwkreations - 2015-11-04 10:59 AM
Does anyone have a $$ amount they dont vet check at? Under a certain $$ amount you just take your chances? Just curious?
I think this should vary person to person. At what amount of money are you personally comfortable being out if you get them home and they are dead lame the next day? For some people this may be anything under 10,000, others $5000, some may not want to spend even $1000 of their hard earned money without vetting. |
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Member
Posts: 38
| Also make sure you drug test ! What good is a vet check when horse maybe on pain meds ( I know a block won't test but most pain meds and tranquilizers will show up !) . Really it is better for both parties , that way if horse does not work out buyer can never accuse seller of drugging horse . If nothing else have vet freeze blood so if problem comes up you can test it then . Also good idea to test at time you try horse ( so 2 blood test ) . It is sad our world has come to this but barrel horses are big business and money makes people do crazy things . I always think better safe then sorry ! |
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 I too, shall remain nameless!
Posts: 2248
Location: Wearing a winter coat...... | I always X-ray front feet and hocks- even on young ones. I have even X-rayed my young ones before selling them due to OCD issues in one I had before. I hate how you are charged more for a lameness exam because it is a PPE by some vets....that is a whole other story. |
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  Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
Location: In a happy place | I bought a 3 year old from Jessie Domman for a pretty decent price. Bought him sight unseen and no vet check. I would buy another one from her anytime the same way. He was exactly everything she said he was. I think you have to be careful but it can be done when you deal with an honest person. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | Yeah I think it's just a matter of how much RISK you are willing to take.
Red was the most expensive horse I've ever purchased before at $3,500. I did not do a vet check. If I had, would have found his fusing hock (if I had done x-rays anyway). Sellers had no way of knowing and weren't dishonest in any way; just the luck of the draw. Would it have stopped me from buying him? Maybe. Maybe not. Sure wouldn't have shown me any of his OTHER health problems he now has!
For myself, if I am just buying a prospect, most likely I won't do it. And I am not one to spend an insane amount of money on a prospect! But if they are loping on the pattern (which I've never bought before!! Only trained my own) then I might be inclined to check a few things out, just because.
Again, risk vs. benefit and how important it is to you. A PPE can be useful, but it also won't predict the future.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 516
| Alittlelost - 2015-11-04 12:45 PM
Also make sure you drug test ! What good is a vet check when horse maybe on pain meds ( I know a block won't test but most pain meds and tranquilizers will show up !) . Really it is better for both parties , that way if horse does not work out buyer can never accuse seller of drugging horse . If nothing else have vet freeze blood so if problem comes up you can test it then . Also good idea to test at time you try horse ( so 2 blood test ) . It is sad our world has come to this but barrel horses are big business and money makes people do crazy things . I always think better safe then sorry !
Thanks for this! I'm looking at getting a new horse and will definitely be having a vet check done but didn't even think about testing for drugs. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | The most I've spent on a horse is $5k (of course, I never buy finished horses). At this point I wouldn't take a free horse without vet checking it. I board and can not/will not spend $150+ every month for a horse to be a pasture puff. Once I didn't have a horse vet checked and it came back and bit me big time. One time my dad bought my sister a horse and didn't vet check and that also came back and bit me because I ended up caring for the horse for almost 3 years.
ETA- When I did do a vet check I made the mistake of not having his back x-rayed but that in a way turned out to be a good thing. If I had known Cash had kissing spine I probably wouldn't have bought him but you know what? Even with struggling to figure out the KS and get it under control, I have never regretted buying that horse. We are perfect for each other and to think we might not have ended up together is frightening.
Edited by cavyrunsbarrels 2015-11-05 9:16 AM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 679
Location: KS | It's so easy to lie. Too bad it isn't the other way around... That's why I'm going through a rough patch selling my mare now. She is sound, but is not broke and is spooky. I could lie and say she is 100% broke and kid safe, but I'm not that person. I'm not going to be selfish putting people or my horse in harms way just for some extra cash. Whether I had the room for her or not. |
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I Really Love Jeans
Posts: 3173
Location: North Dakota | I agree 100% Especially if you are buying a kids horse!!!!!!! I got cheated on a mare that was advertised as bomb proof, parade horse/4H supposedly. I talked twice with the seller and was told the Horse was the best kids horse ever etc..... After I got her home the horse turned into a dangerous psycho and almost killed my daughter!!!!!!! I had a trainer come see her , an exercise rider for the track try her and they all told me she was dangerous, now this is a jockey saying this!! I put lots of money into her but she was a dangerous unbroken puke!!!!! The vet looked at her and everyone told me she had been drugged the day I tried her and I know that's true because she was a complete dead head at the show but a dangerous worthless animal within 24 hours!! I have been around horses for 40 years so I am no fool but I did get taken on this one due to someones willingness to lie that a horse was kid safe!!! The mare ended up being given away costing me big time!!!! |
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 Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
Location: Minnesota | I feel sorry for the horse. The horse is more than likely in pain and people are riding this horse thinking its sound. It's a sad situation all the way around. I would vet check regardless of price. It a seller is telling me said horse is sound I want to make sure. I am buy a horse, regardless of price, to ride and I don't think a dollar amount matters.
I didn't vet check one time and it ended up being a huge mess. Never again! I always vet check! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | I sell quite a few horses at various price points and I'm always amazed that no one vet checks. I'm super honest about the horses but I dont have xray vision. I always offer prepurchase exams but no one takes them. I haven't had an unhappy buyer but I've now built into my purchase contract that a prepurchase was offered and declined.
For me the only horse I vetted (and who passed) ended up needing all over injections and had a host of lameness issues the "lameness specialist" missed.
I also took a mare in for a lameness exam and the mare should have scored something on her flexion test but she came back perfect. I know she has some light hock soreness but that day she trotted out fine. Vet checks are subjective and unless you're close enough to a vet you trust whole heartedly I always buy with the understanding it could be a total loss. |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | RunNitroRun - 2015-11-04 6:17 PM I sell quite a few horses at various price points and I'm always amazed that no one vet checks. I'm super honest about the horses but I dont have xray vision. I always offer prepurchase exams but no one takes them. I haven't had an unhappy buyer but I've now built into my purchase contract that a prepurchase was offered and declined. For me the only horse I vetted (and who passed) ended up needing all over injections and had a host of lameness issues the "lameness specialist" missed. I also took a mare in for a lameness exam and the mare should have scored something on her flexion test but she came back perfect. I know she has some light hock soreness but that day she trotted out fine. Vet checks are subjective and unless you're close enough to a vet you trust whole heartedly I always buy with the understanding it could be a total loss.
I like the way you think!  |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 415
| Always! Heck if anything it's another set of eyes and opinions! I try to be really picky when looking at horses (almost going with the mindset of trying to find something wrong so I don't imediately want to bring it home and miss something) and I also bring my dad with who is very experianced and PICKY. I also never bring a horse trailer no matter the distance, once drove to OK and straight back to MN because the horse wasn't what the guy said it was. I have a horse that will not pass a vet check (flexion test) but is sound and was ultra sounded and xrayed clear (nothing wrong that 3 vets could find) and one that would and shouldn't. Wish more people were honest! |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| kboltwkreations - 2015-11-04 10:59 AM
Does anyone have a $$ amount they dont vet check at? Under a certain $$ amount you just take your chances? Just curious?
I've NEVER had a vet check - BUT, I don't pay a ga-zillion dollars for horses either! I think $6500 is the most I have ever paid. |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Griz - 2015-11-05 5:50 AM kboltwkreations - 2015-11-04 10:59 AM Does anyone have a $$ amount they dont vet check at? Under a certain $$ amount you just take your chances? Just curious? I've NEVER had a vet check - BUT, I don't pay a ga-zillion dollars for horses either! I think $6500 is the most I have ever paid.
We have paid 3k to 45k and vet check all. The more expensive horses get a thorough vet check including X-ray all joints, stifles etc. The cheaper horses get flexed, hoof testers, watch them move on hard ground. |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | All my Prospects and competition horses get a vet check ... full exam and xrays..and prior vet records a must..
unless they were trail, pasture or goof off horses for my family then no vet check..
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | Under $3k prospect - I'm going to go off my gut. I'll check legs, flex them, trot on hard ground. More expensive ones, I'll have a check done. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 926
| streakysox - 2015-11-04 10:53 AM
So true. Have friends who bought a horse, person worked at the vet so buyers believed horse was OK. Horse made two tremendous runs then injured. Another vet said the injury was an old one. Vet asked if the horse had a pre-purchase exam. Vet said I hope you learned a lesson. This horse cost more than all of mine added together. Hmmm, seller would not return phone calls.
I will say that I do not think a prepurchase exam would have found the problems my horse had. Kissing spines, a broken rib.
Prepurchase exam is a necessity.
I have now purchased 2 horses with back problems, and I ALWAYS get a vet check. After this experience, a VERY thorough exam along with back xrays will be part of my pre-purchase exam. |
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ALWAYS get a vet check!