This is my first experience having a lameness vet do an exam and I want to make sure I have enough money set back.  I have no clue how all of it goes, but I do know there are many variables.  I'm suspecting some arthritis in her fronts?  She just feels "off" and is 18 and spent many years competing so stands to reason she needs some maintenance.  So if it were x-ray's, maybe injections, how much as a ballpark?  

Edited to add:  I have $1000 and want to make sure that's a reasonable amount to have in my pocket the day of the appointment .  I don't want any huge surprises.

I just did one recently.... he is a lameness vet. We took several xrays and my bill was around $800. No injections...  just xrays on both front knees

IThis probably isn't helpful, but I had three different vets look at the same mare last year. First one spent 15 mins and told me to put her down cost 250 and 50 for a tube of bute, second one spent three hours on her and did an X-ray of both hocks and stifles $800. Last one spent around and hour, did ultrasounds on both hocks, injected a stifle, tube of bute, and reviewd X-rays from doc 2, $350. Vet 3 got us the furthest by FAR.

Depends on where you live to. I'm in southern CA so prices might be a bit higher. 

first they will do an exam with flex tests etc. that's about 75-100 bucks. based on the results of those tests they may recommend xrays. My vet charges 25.00 per digital X-ray. And that includes her reading it. They add up fast. My horse had 4 views of each front foot ( 200.00) both hocks were 3 views I think. ( 150.00 total). We went ahead and injected upper and lower hock joints ( 400 total with HA) I got some meds I needed but that's a ball park. 

The actual exam..  flexions and seeing the horse move, about 100 to 150. Additional x rays, blocks or ultrasound... 200ish to 700ish give or take a hundred. The more the diagnostics, the higher the total bill. 

I bought a new horse in December and called my vet out for hock injections, as that's what prior owner did. The vet said the horse was more off in the front than the back, so we started to explore with xrays and blocks. Over $1,000 later and nothing REALLY concrete, I told the vet to hold off on anything more and I took her for a second opinion. Xrays, blocks...She was injected in her coffins, knees and TMJs. Over $1,000. She felt great for one month, and then didn't feel right, so I called first vet over again. Diagnosed by ultrasound with Suspensory desmitis, and vet thinks it looks chronic. 

I was planning on less than $1,000 with hock injections. So, maybe tell your vet up front to go over pricing for everything because you're on a budget. I feel like I went down a rabbit hole with mine!

I have been around for many exams.  Lameness / Soundness / Pre-Purchase.  Some vets have a process / list of things that will be performed based on which wording of what you ask to be performed.  I have seen people pay from $150 to over $2,000 and more for an exam.  The "rabbit hole" comment is something to consider.  I have watched many people go down it.  Spend thousands and the vet did not find any issues with the horse. 

I do yearly soundness exams on my personal horses and we start out with lameness / soundness and go from there.  The vet will also ask me if there is anything in particular I have noticed and will specifically examine that.  

When an individual schedules a "Pre-Purchase" - the vet usually has a "list" of things they intend to perform.  In short, discuss with the vet what their usual process is for the examination and cost for those items to be performed.  You do not need to volunteer what you have saved up for the exam.  Let the vet tell you what their expectations are and ask questions to help you understand what will happen and make an informed decision from there.  The plan needs to be for you and your horse.  

Just depends on location... you know I took a mare into Brazo Valley yesterday for xrays of her poll/axis and he went ahead and did a lameness exam, then we pulled 3 xrays and did ultra sound both sides of her neck. I was done in 45 mins and we had a diagnose and I was out of there with a $238 bill. Theres been other cases when I lived up north, I'd usually with xrays, etc... get out for under $500... but you have to think, a lot of these bills are just the diagnostic... not the actual treatment, joint injections aren't real cheap, but they will add $400-600 to a bill very fast. Be realistic with your vet, trust me, you tell them you have a budget, they will do their best to stick with the budget! Good luck

A lot depends on your location. 
flexions  $40-75

injections $100-150 per joint

xrays $30-60 per view

thermography $100

nerve blocks $20

i had a mare checked the other day that had multiple spots of soreness . I got out of the there with hock, coffin injections, exam a few xrays $850

I was able to connect via text with the vet's assistant and she gave me a breakdown of charges.  It looks like things are right in line with what you all have said.   Of course it all depends on what he finds, but this gives me an idea.

$100 exam

$50 sedation

$195 coffin injections for 2

$390 for both hocks treating all 4 joints

$40 for previcox or bute to be sent home with me

Just took my guy in in Arizona and spent $1500. 

Flexion, two blocks, 3 xrays, hocks and a knee injection. 

Any recommendations for a good performance horse vet in the valley?? Phoenix, Gilbert, Chandler, Apache Junction....doesn't really matter where...just wondering who most people use.  TIA

The Exam - $200 - $300 and x-rays are typical $75 a location (I used a vet once that was $75 an x-ray. so 3 angles on a joint was $75 an angle). Then another $75-$100 for a farm call if they come to you. 

I had one done last October at Wisconsin Equine Clinic with Dr. Langer and it was $180 for the lameness exam, xrays were a separate charge. And he spent 45 minutes on it, flexing several times & watching her lunge & transition. Watched videos I had on my phone of her at home. I came out with the exam, 6  xrays, and mesotherapy on her back for $700. Last Friday I went to Kendall Road Equine by Chicago and he just did a quick lameness review on her, took more extensive xrays for her back, and we injected 4 spinal spaces and it was $800. The vet I go to for injections does a quick look over, watches them move on lunge & tracking straight, and he charges $35 for that. If he wants to get more extensive it goes up from there. But I can get in/out with the basic lameness and hock, stifle, and coffin injections for under $600. He's in Indiana. So it's really going to depend on your vet and what goes on after the basic lameness. When I had one gelding checked for navicular by my local vet it cost me $500 just for the lameness and xrays, found out he's just got thin soles. Another we did blocks on and a lameness without xrays, just to have a starting off point and it was $350, trip charge included. But I would expect to pay $100-200 for just the basic lamenss of flexing and watching them track. If they're really good they'll cost you less money because they'll have a better idea of whats going on. If I had my local vet do all the diagnostics on my mare I probably would've spent $1500 alone before treatments. Now I'm at $1500 knowing exactly what the issue is and on the 2nd option of treatment finding what works for her. And I always explain to them what my budget is that day and they're very reasonable working with it & I've told them $1500 for the trip and like I said above, we got it done in $700 and then $800. 

I had the appointment today and I feel like it went very well.  The total cost ended up being $810 which included both coffins, both sifles, a 14 day dose of previcox, plus a few extra pills.  Am anxious to see/feel a differeence in her.  This was a shared farm call situation where many people hauled in so I saved some on the farm call.

I have both race horses and barrel horses and 40 years of experience. I suggest having a good relationship with a performance vet in your area which maybe 150 miles away. Go with a vet that has a reputation for being thorough and is well respected by his peers.  I go in expecting because of the volume of work we do to always get package deals on a bunch of X-ray's. I always want front feet, knees, hocks, and stifles. I am also more atune now to Xraying,  both neck and back because those issues such as old injurys' in back or neck will most likely cut the horses career time by more than half. Severe pain issues like chips, OCD"s, bone spavins, and bone spurs should always be avoided,  I dont care if the vet trys to tell you can manage them. I have found management of anything severe not worth the cost in the long run. Also don't turn a pre-purchase exam into a lameness exam just turn the horse down and move on to the next one on your list. Always pull Blood to test for long acting drugs which can prove in a court of law the owner was trying to cover something up in pre-purchase exam. Also ask for CBC with kidney and liver functions tested  that day to make sure liver and kidney functions are normal. Don't buy problems like cribbing, or overbite in mouth because it will run into a horse that will be very hard to resell if you can't get aloing with said horse or if something happens in your life that makes you need to sell the horse. Ask for a Package price on all X-rays and have them call that back to your before you set up appointment for pre-purchase exam. I have gotten XRay's of all joints neck and back for $700 because I made the deal up front. 

Cave Creek Equine - Dr. Vidal. Incredible eye. They are not cheap.