A scenario for you - What would you do?

I would buy him. I don't hold much credence with flexion tests either tbh.

As you know, Pepsi failed her flexion test (twice, if I remember rightly) and has since, and is still, enjoying a successful competitive career.

I actually posted the same thing last year when Cherry was vetted as she failed on one hind leg. I think the answers came back 50/50 and they decided to go ahead and buy - so far, no problems whatsoever.

I think you would be hard pressed to find a pony of his type, particularly that has been ridden by children all his life, that would pass flexion on all four.

You could perhaps have him re-tested in a week or so. With the ground being as it is at the moment he could just have tweaked something bombing around the field in the mud.

I agree with others though that this is a "price carrot" to dangle
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From experience, I'd walk away. Pony may be fine with you but you may have to re-sell later. It may well have arthritic changes in the hock and that means vet's bills, supplements etc. It's different if it happens to your own, but why buy a problem?
 
That was my thought too!! At the age of 12 an cob will have some wear in its joints, and I have 2 horses here that would never in a million years pass a flexion test, but neither of them in the 2 years I have them have had any lameness due to joints etc (and they aint sturdy cob types!).
If it ticks all the other boxes then go for it, there is a bit of bargaining power there but I wouldnt want to lose the pony on price.
 
I agree with cavalo on a re-sell basis. you may well have difficulties selling him the future.
I would ask the owner to investigate, then call you with the findings, it's not your responsibilty to find out what is wrong with some one else's horse.
The problem with vettings, is it is very much down to what has happened on the day, you don't get a second chance unless you are willing to pay for another call out.
From experience, on the day before my mare (who had never been lame in her life) was due to be vetted, she came hurtling in from the field and fell down a pothole in the dried mud. She was lame on the day of the vetting , but sound the day after! It's all circumstantial (sp)
It may not seem like it at the moment, but there are so many other horses out there that would be perfect. i think i would be tempted to walk away unless the owner was prepared to have the problem looked into.
Also as an after-thought, if you purchased the pony and it said on the Vet Cert. that he was lame after a flexion, you may find that the leg is exempt from the insurance policy.
 
I am not a big believer in flexion tests loads of horses would fail on that who are perfectly sound the rest of the time for this grade of work. If you are doing top level eventing then yes walk away but try and get some references from elsewhere and also depends on the price...could she lease it for several months and see?

I say lease because that way with the correct agreement you have paid for its use, and can hand it back with no bad feeling.
 
If he trotted sound on a 10m circle on concrete I'd be inclined to take the risk at the right price.
If he didn't then I'd expect the owners to investigate further at their cost before deciding whether to proceed or not.
 
I was told my horse had bone spavin before I bought him and he was quite often lame in the riding school, but I'd known him in the school for 3 years and loved him and so I bought him.

The only times he's even been lame since, in the 6 years I've owned him, have been abscesses, tendon injury and other things.

I never got him vetted when I bought him either.

I think if you love the horse, everything else is just what you're looking for and you trust the seller's word for it then try and negotiate a price and see what you can get
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