“Passed” vetting but lameness spotted

[GrumpyHero]

Hi
I had a horse vetted recently, couple of things came up.
Main one being slightly lame on a circle on the hard left fore. Only on the left rein, didn’t occur on any other test or surface. It wasn’t every stride either.

Comment about a scabby bit of skin on his side which may be a scab bite or start of a sarcoid. No other marks etc. Feet needed doing too.

Vet recommended horse is suitable for what I want to do (hacking, schooling, low level dressage, fun rides).

WWYD? I’m totally torn over what to do. Insurance cover being a biggy as the whole left leg would be excluded for lameness I assume.

I’m really bad at making decisions so would just like some neutral opinions who don’t know me!

 

[COldNag]

I think depends on on how much you want the horse and whether you can afford the risk of it going wrong know that leg.

Really difficult situation!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I'm sorry but a lame horse *isn't* suitable for any job. I would take issue with the vet's judgement. If the owner wants to investigate and nothing serious/difficult to treat is found, I might buy the horse, if I hadn't found another suitable but otherwise, I would walk away, even if that meant losing the deposit. It is true that many working horses are not 100% sound but, as you say, the ability to insure will be affected and this slight lameness could be the start of something much bigger.

 

[Shilasdair]

Could you ask for further investigation of the affected leg- X rays?

 

[bonny]

I think most people would say you shouldn't buy the horse as there has to be a problem with that leg, it's your decision though, I hope the horse is a sensible price and nice to be around ? Could it be worth getting the farrier out as his feet need doing and ask what he thinks ?

 

[ihatework]

1/10th on a hard circle really is not at all uncommon. The horse is more than likely to be suitable for what you want to do right now. Whether it will be in 1-2-3 years time is an unknown quantity.

You will not be able to insure that leg.

If I were to proceed I’d want foot X-rays and trim to X-ray, with a second look by the vet, before handing over any money.

 

[ester]

I too would poss make a decision based on what it’s hooves currently look like

 

[TPO]

There's a train of thought about "fit for function". So a horse who's going to a happy hacker/low level RC home might pass a vetting but the same horse would fail a vetting for a competition home for example.

I do find it strange that the vet has identified a soundness issue and still passed the horse. One horse I had 5 stage vetted showed a lameness so the vet stopped the vetting and only charged me for a 2 stage. I was an RC type home with the hope of doing very low level BE.

Also you say thst the horse needs hooves doing. Depending on their current condition getting them done correctly can change all sorts of angles and loading so has the potential to have a positive or negative affect on the horses way of going.

Personally I'd walk away. We hire vets to find the stuff we can't see and this vet has found a lameness. As it's noted in the vetting at the very least thst leg will be excluded on insurance.

If you really like the horse and can afford a gamble and are able to cut your losses/pts if it is something drastic crack on. But honestly horses bring enough stress, worry and vet bills without buying a horse with an undiagnosed lameness as a start point.

 

[dorsetladette]

Can you ask for the feet to be trimmed/reshod and then do the lameness part of the vetting again?

 

[Goldenstar]

I don’t insure my horses so I don’t need to worry about that side of things .
In that situation in a young horse I would leave it or X-ray the leg it would depend on want I wanted the horse for .
In a horse I was buying for it’s experience and training I would X-ray ask for its vets history the and probably buy the horse I bought several horses like that and they have been useful members of the team but I can afford big bills to manage them vet wise .

 

[AmyMay]

Tough one, but why buy a lame horse?

 

[Red-1]

I would be more lenient if you said you wanted one for hacking, but if you want one for schooling and low level dressage, I struggle to see how this would be suitable.

If the feet need doing, then ask the owner to do them and have the lameness reassessed. Or, take the risk and hope it is a trim to cure the lameness. Either way, once observed, that leg won't be insured, even if it is sound next time, IME.

 

[nutjob]

Getting the vet history might give you more information and I would be happier if it was working at the level you want atm rather than been out of work for a while and could get worse if workload increases. It's a problem that sometimes a mild lameness can turn out to be something serious or could disappear a week later or with better hoof care.

 

[MystieMoo]

We bought a 14 yr old mare who'd done some BE90 and PC eventing. She'd actually started life with Caroline Powell as a youngster. We wanted her for BE80/90 and PC. On the vetting she showed 1/10 lame on hard ground in a tight circle. My mistake, because I didn't realise at the time that I could, was not to ask for vet records. Vet was dubious as to whether the mare would be suitable but it seemed a small thing with nothing obvious wrong and we loved her. She lasted 7 months before the problems started - we spent a year and £5k trying to get her right with an amazing vet. She actually came sound on hard ground but then was lame on a soft surface. Lots of issues that would take thousands more to diagnose and the vet couldn't be sure that she could be 'fixed'. By this time she was headed to 16 yrs old so we retired her. She was so perfect for my daughter coming off ponies, we were heartbroken. We did ask for those vet records once the problems started and they were not forthcoming. Some digging around and we discovered that this apparently lovely, genuine PC family had absolutely hammered the mare, there was also mention of her having had issues. My bad, I should have been more clued up and done my homework.
If I were you, I'd walk away. I wouldn't wish on anyone what we went through. The positive is that the mare is living out her years being a horse and chilling with her herd mates - someone else buying her may not have ensured this for her. There are plenty more horses, I'd keep looking ?

 

[MystieMoo]

There's a train of thought about "fit for function". So a horse who's going to a happy hacker/low level RC home might pass a vetting but the same horse would fail a vetting for a competition home for example.

I do find it strange that the vet has identified a soundness issue and still passed the horse. One horse I had 5 stage vetted showed a lameness so the vet stopped the vetting and only charged me for a 2 stage. I was an RC type home with the hope of doing very low level BE.

Also you say thst the horse needs hooves doing. Depending on their current condition getting them done correctly can change all sorts of angles and loading so has the potential to have a positive or negative affect on the horses way of going.

Personally I'd walk away. We hire vets to find the stuff we can't see and this vet has found a lameness. As it's noted in the vetting at the very least thst leg will be excluded on insurance.

If you really like the horse and can afford a gamble and are able to cut your losses/pts if it is something drastic crack on. But honestly horses bring enough stress, worry and vet bills without buying a horse with an undiagnosed lameness as a start point.

Definitely agree with the feet. In our case, the feet being corrected eliminated the lameness on a hard surface, but then because of the different loading, we had lameness on a soft surface, different leg. The horse was 14, so more of a problem than in a younger horse. Felt like we were chasing the issues between her legs!

 

[GrumpyHero]

Thanks everyone, decided it’s best to walk away and keep searching.

My old horse had years of lameness issues and decided I don’t want to knowingly buy something at increased risk of lameness, aswell as having no insurance cover for that leg.

Very sad as I thought this horse was the one ?

 

[Sossigpoker]

Vettings aren't passed or failed. At the end of the vetting the vet will either recommend the horse for purchase for the intended job , or not. That's based on whether the vet thinks that buying the horse represents an acceptable level of risk.
I once bought a horse that was considered an acceptable level of risk for hacking due to a "roar" - but probably wouldn't have been for 3 day eventing.

Your vet seems to think that a slightly lame horse represents a suitable level of risk- so I assume the price isn't high given that the horse was a bit lame , and /or it is an older horse , many of which will show something on a hard surface circle.

I always tell people that if you're not going to take your vet's advice, there's no point in paying for a vetting.
Whilst I wouldn't knowingly buy a lame horse,.the lameness must have been as expected for the horse's age and condition of the vet wouldn't have recommended the horse was purchase

I had a £7K horse (years ago ) vetted and the mare was similarly slightly off - my vet said that for a 3 grand horse that might be acceptable but not with a 7 grand price tag.

 

[GrumpyHero]

The horse was 7 years old and asking price of £8000. The vet wasn’t my usual vet and wasn’t asked what the price tag was (this my first experience of having a vetting done)

If it was half that price then yes maybe but I figured it’s a lot of money to spend on something that is showing potential issue.

The horse has also been out of work over winter so still relatively unfit, so for me the risk was too high unfortunately.
Especially with the insurance exclusion on the whole leg.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Can you ask for the feet to be trimmed/reshod and then do the lameness part of the vetting again?

This is what I would do

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

The horse was 7 years old and asking price of £8000. The vet wasn’t my usual vet and wasn’t asked what the price tag was (this my first experience of having a vetting done)

If it was half that price then yes maybe but I figured it’s a lot of money to spend on something that is showing potential issue.

The horse has also been out of work over winter so still relatively unfit, so for me the risk was too high unfortunately.
Especially with the insurance exclusion on the whole leg.

Just read this and I think for something to be out of work all winter that is expensive and considering it was lame I think walking away was the right choice.

 

[Flame_]

The horse was 7 years old and asking price of £8000. The vet wasn’t my usual vet and wasn’t asked what the price tag was (this my first experience of having a vetting done)

If it was half that price then yes maybe but I figured it’s a lot of money to spend on something that is showing potential issue.

The horse has also been out of work over winter so still relatively unfit, so for me the risk was too high unfortunately.
Especially with the insurance exclusion on the whole leg.

OMG £8k for a horse that's not sound in front. You're right to forget it OP! Prices may have gone a bit crazy but surely not that crazy

 

[TPO]

You'd think a seller with a young 8k horse would at least be providing adequate foot care.

Honestly I'd walk awake. It's a big asking price for an out of work, lame horse who's owners/sellers haven't even been meeting the minimum standards of care.

I'd be very wary of ending up paying to work up a horse that wasn't mine (had th4 seller of the lame horse try thst with me too. She offered to take it to vet hospital for me...how kind ?)

 

[blitznbobs]

a lame horse is a fail for any job in my opinion... especially if I'm parting with cash. If it's MY horse and the vet has advised me that it's lame but it's due to something specific and will be helped with exercise that's one thing but I wouldn't pay to take that risk.

 

[ycbm]

The horse was 7 years old and asking price of £8000. The vet wasn’t my usual vet and wasn’t asked what the price tag was (this my first experience of having a vetting done)

If it was half that price then yes maybe but I figured it’s a lot of money to spend on something that is showing potential issue.

The horse has also been out of work over winter so still relatively unfit, so for me the risk was too high unfortunately.
Especially with the insurance exclusion on the whole leg.

Lame and has been out of work and is £8k?

I would walk away.
.

 

[blitznbobs]

Ps i have a selection of lame horses that will probably be able to do hacking but i wouldnt have the nerve to ask 8k for them…. Really are lame horses really worth that much these days , i have a field full of them!

 

[dorsetladette]

The horse was 7 years old and asking price of £8000. The vet wasn’t my usual vet and wasn’t asked what the price tag was (this my first experience of having a vetting done)

If it was half that price then yes maybe but I figured it’s a lot of money to spend on something that is showing potential issue.

The horse has also been out of work over winter so still relatively unfit, so for me the risk was too high unfortunately.
Especially with the insurance exclusion on the whole leg.

Oh god no walk away! that is potentially a very expensive field ornament. Like others have said for that price I expect decent foot care and the horse for be back in work so could be tried at the disciplines I intended to use him for.

 

[Melody Grey]

I agree with the price being way off base (at least to me!). I’d discuss with the seller- full disclosure of vet notes, feet attended to and re-vet the lameness if it’s still available....and at a price reflective of something that’s a bit of a punt....and if it can do better with the vetting.

.....or (slightly tongue in cheek) see if they’ll entertain a LWVTB at a sensible price...might come good, you’ll get chance to see how/ if it stands up to work and can send it back if it doesn’t/ something else more promising comes up?

 

[Sossigpoker]

Thanks everyone, decided it’s best to walk away and keep searching.

My old horse had years of lameness issues and decided I don’t want to knowingly buy something at increased risk of lameness, aswell as having no insurance cover for that leg.

Very sad as I thought this horse was the one ?

The right decision IMO.
And what vet recommends a 7 yo horse that's not sound on a hard circle for purchase?
I wouldn't be using that vet again !

 

[spotty_pony]

My Vet once said ‘there aren’t many horses that are completely sound on the hard on a circle’. If the horse is right for you, I would be tempted to proceed but I would be knocking the price down somewhat to reflect the fact that this leg would be excluded from insurance.

 

[Bernster]

It is possible for 1/10th to still pass a vetting as fit for purpose, depending on the purpose ofc. You could re shoe or trim and then re check but unfortunately given prior findings, that leg will likely be excluded from your insurance.