5 stage vetting.. to X-ray or not.

[EquestrianFairy]

I’ve followed everyone’s advice and walked away from an over priced horse that my heart wanted but my head knew was too much.

- I’ve walked into finding another heart horse but head agrees this time.

My next issue- I’m having a 5 stage as she’s £6k and I need it for Insurance but I have minimal faith in vettings as I had one pass a year ago who was written off 6 months later with horrific hock arthritis, KS and stifle issues.

So I’m debating xraying this one to cover my concerns-

People are saying don’t X-ray unless vet suggests, others are saying yes X-ray everything, others that X-rays don’t always give a good example of issues anyway etc.

What to do?

I’m torn..

It’s £340 for a vetting or £750 for one with X-rays.

 

[chaps89]

I wouldn't x-ray personally.
As a just turned 5 year old, we stayed my mares feet as part of a lameness work up. The vets comment was if it was a 20 year old PC pony she wouldn't mind the state of her feet, but as a lightly worked 5 year old it wasn't good.
Turns out on bone scan the feet were never highlighted and 5 years later the bones are re-modelling and the x-rays actually look better now than 5 years ago. So it would have been a total red herring. (Lameness was found to be dispensary ligament)
So personally no, as you don't know of what you find is having a pathological affect or not. I would stick to a thorough vetting, insure for LOU for the first year until you get to know the horse and go from there.

 

[ihatework]

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/chances-of-11yo-passing-x-rays.779900/

You have asked this type of question before and people have given you the pros and cons.

You now have to decide what level of risk and cost you are comfortable with

6k is a cheap enough horse to get LOU cover. I’d personally 5 stage and assuming no niggles or red flags I’d not X-ray but LOU cover for the first year given you are nervous of purchase

 

[EquestrianFairy]

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/chances-of-11yo-passing-x-rays.779900/

You have asked this type of question before and people have given you the pros and cons.

You now have to decide what level of risk and cost you are comfortable with

6k is a cheap enough horse to get LOU cover. I’d personally 5 stage and assuming no niggles or red flags I’d not X-ray but LOU cover for the first year given you are nervous of purchase

I asked it on an 11/12yo horse and whether it was likely an 11yo would be passing X-rays- this one is younger, considerably, my concern is less about it passing but whether it’s worth doing full stop.

Thankyou for being so meticulous to remember though

 

[be positive]

I think ihw has it spot on, if the horse has no reason to xray at the vetting, if there is anything suspicious you can walk away at that point rather than investigate, passes with no issue then spend the extra to get LOU cover for the first year or two, if you do xray and find a question mark then that is £750 spent that you will not get back and could go through the same a few times before one does pass.

 

[Summit]

What does your vet think? Assuming he knows What happened last time

 

[Goldenstar]

I would leave it to the vet .
If the vet wants to X-ray do it on a young horse that’s definitely the way forward .
Xraying everything is risky as they show all sorts of things that are something or nothing .
And xrays are three to four months behind pathology anyway.
But the risk of a iou vet going over the xrays later and look you can see that there is considerable.

 

[oldie48]

I would normally only have a 5 stage vetting regardless of the age or cost of the horse, However I did have hock x rays when I bought Rose as having had access to her vet records and knowing she'd been out of work for nearly three years, vet and I thought it was a wise decision and the seller had agreed to pay for them. In normal circumstances, unless I was paying mega money, I wouldn't bother.

 

[TotalMadgeness]

I wish I'd xrayed the £4k 4yo connie I bought but even then I don't know if the vet would have found the genetically malformed stifles. Mainly because his trot work at the time seemed OK. I think you need something to 'go on' if you know what I mean.

 

[milliepops]

Personally I would put the x ray money into LOU insurance policy. If there is something significant that would show up on xRay but not on a standard vetting it's likely to become apparent as you work the horse. And you'd be covered for all eventualities, not just whatever you decide to xRay.