|
|
Location: Pacific NW | Just had my horse that's for sale hauled to prospective buyers vet. I couldn't go because of work but got a phone call and buyer said the horse "failed" the vet check. I spoke with the vet and was told it might need it's hocks injected and might have something going on with the front feet. Horse showed no response with hoof testers. They didn't do any blocks or x-rays, just flexion, hoof testers and small circles on the pavement. Does this sound like a "normal" pre-purchase vet check to you? I've always had additional blocks, x-rays, testing done if there was a question on something so it didn't make sense to me.... The horse is 9 and intended use was primarily trails, some sorting, and playing around at local races. I lost 3 potential buyers during the week the horse was on hold so it kind of upsets me. I'm thinking of having my own vet come out and check things out further, the horse was last ridden 3 days ago and felt awesome. Any advice? |
|
| |
|
 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
   
| Get your vet to check the horse then go from there. Personally, I do not think getting the hocks injected is a big deal but someone who does not know much about horses might think it is. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | It might be, if the buyer does not want to inject then that would be a reason to stop with a flexion test, nothing further. |
|
| |
|
Addicted to Baseball
Location: Where the stars at night are big and bright, TX | Yes normal. They start at the basics and keep going until the buyer says no thanks. If the horse was showing something that got their attention at just those tests, makes sense the buyer isn't going to spend more for full discovery. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 5290
| Might also add that horses no longer " Pass" or " Fail" vet checks. Vets determine any current issues and make recommendations as to the future of the horse based on those issues , intended use of the horse etc. Vet will no longer " Pass" one because they would be certifying a horse as sound. We all know how quickly a sound horse can become a crippled one. lol Its then up to the buyer to decide if the issues are worth owning the horse. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | Yes that sounds like normal pre-purchase but an inexperienced buyer. A horse that "may" require maintenance is basically every animal still breathing. Your horse is 9 so yes hocks may require injections and it does have front feet so there may be an issue in there LOL. 
Having your own vet won't change this persons mind so I wouldn't worry about it and move on to another potential buyer. In future have a discussion with the buyer about what would constitute a pass or fail in their mind. I know going into a vet check what I'd pass or fail or decide to investigate further. I typically tell the seller this so they are aware of my expectations so go ahead and ask those questions of the buyer.
I would ask the current buyer if they'd mind releasing the information from the vet for your records. This way you have a recent vet check you can provide to other prospective buyers.
|
|
| |
|
 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Yes, it is normal. My vet won't do blocks or anything invasive without the owners permission. It also may be that the prospective buyer does not want to pay for these procedures. I vetted a horse for my daughter, it presented very lame on flexion test on the front. I did not like the horse to begin with, so I was done. My trainer and the seller were trying to talk me into blocks, X-rays etc. I politely said we did not want the horse and I was not paying for her to find out what the issue was. Got a new trainer after that too. |
|
| |
|
Location: Pacific NW | Good advice, thank you. I was going to have my vet check the feet over for my own piece of mind, not this buyers.
S now I have the horse back, minus 1 front shoe..
Edited by recycledrunners 2017-03-03 4:46 PM
|
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | More than likely the basic tests that were done showed the horse needed or might need injections. The person wanting to purchase the horse may not want injections and may have told the vet to stop that they no longer wanted to buy the horse.
People who aren't around a lot of performance horses think the horses are lame in a sense. We all know that with injections the horse should be fine so it isn't an issue to most of us.
However, you tell a trail rider or some ropers their horses need injections and they sell their horses for pennies on the dollar in a heart beat. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 495
Location: Washington | Typical exam and like previously stated, no "pass" or fail" just if the perspective buyer a heads up of potential problems and pass/fail is if buyer wants to deal with the "problems". A vet check is going over the horse with a fine tooth comb to purposely find things wrong.
Last two we've had potential buyers vet check have "failed". Both failed the flex part. 1st horse the "buyers" did Xrays, second horse *I* did a block to confirm location. 1st horse was ring bone, 2nd was a suspensory injury! Both were always sound til the vet flexed him.
Readjusted price on 1st horse, sold as a young girls horse and 2nd horse is on pasture rest for next year.
Advice, as a seller, be honest with what was "found" but encourage perspective buyers to get own exams by THEIR vets. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1029
Location: TX | I can speak from a buyers stand point, after having 5 prospects vetted and all but 1 was xrayed and had significant issues. It gets expensive and frustrating, this last one was $900. I don't mind maintanience, however what I've been seeing on 3/4 yr olds is crazy! |
|
| |
|
 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | from veterinarian (soon to be, 2 months and counting..) blocks are not something we routinely do on pre purchase exams. We do them all the time for lameness exams, but our job on a pre purchase exam is not to turn it into a lameness exam. |
|
| |
|
 It Goes On
Posts: 2262
Location: Muskogee, OK | Generally pre purchase examinations do not include blocking or treatment. However, radiographs are very commonly performed.
I start all of my pre purchase examinations doing a full physical examination on the horse. Then, a lameness exam is performed including flexions, hoof testing etc. If I find the horse to be sore anywhere I go on to make recommendations about what joints would be the top on my list to take some radiographs of. I also take into consideration the intended use for the horse, the level of competition it is in right now and what the prospective owners expectations of the horse are. A good rule of thumb is to spend 10% of the purchase price on a pre-purchase. If you are spending significant money it may be prudent to get a complete repository set of radiographs vs. if you are spending $1000 on a horse and don't want to spend more on the PPE than the horse is worth.
All PPE's are different- sometimes you start the lameness exam and the horse is obviously off somewhere and the buyers decide to end the exam there. That is absolutely their right to do- some just don't want to mess with an already lame horse no matter how slight the lameness is. More often than not you'll have a horse that flexes sore somewhere and the purchasers then want to go on and take radiographs to assess that specific area. Then there are times you have a completely sound horse but we go on and take pictures of the most likely areas for trouble based off of the horses discipline. Example: Feet, hocks and stifles on a barrel horse.
Ultimately, pre purchase examinations are not diagnostic lameness evaluations. They are also not pass/fail. It's an examination that can help a veterinarian make recommendations about the purchase this buyer is about to make.
|
|
| |
Folks on-line