Cheshire/Shropshire Peeps warning about Vettings

[stroppymare153]

Sad to make this post but feel people need to know.

In the last couple of years we have had 2 horses vetted by vet X and since discovered serious issues with both of them that should have been found at the vettings. We had another horse vetted by a different vet who failed it as she was just slightly lame under saddle - we later found out that vet X had passed it for someone else. A couple of days ago, a friend's horse was vetted and it failed on the flexion tests. He had used vet X when he bought the horse 18months ago - it had not had a single day off lame since.

Obviously, I am not going to name Vet X on here because the evidence is only circumstantial (though compelling) and he is a very well known vet. But I do think that people need to be made aware that he may not be all he is cracked up to be.

Please no-one bring up about vettings only being evidence of fitness on the day - friend's horse could be excused by that - but not ours, both are permanent conditions that must have been present at the time.

PM if you need more details.

 

[JM07]

if you are so concerned, i would have thought it far more benificial to raise those concerns with the RVCS rather than a cloak and dagger thread on here?

 

[Ladybird]

I agree some vets just don't put the effort into vettings because they know how difficult it is for anybody to make a claim back at them.

I know when my horse was vetted (by a senior partner!) there were more than likely issues not picked up on and am glad I'm not in a area where I would have carried on using the vets I used for vetting. (I didn't have my own vet at the time as it was when buying my first horse.)

If you have conclusive evidence in your horses it may be worth taking it up with the relevant people to stop this happening to anybody else.

 

[emma69]

In terms of flexion tests, they really are not reliable IME. We conducted flexion tests on 25 sound horses on 3 different days as part of an experiment - the results were all over the place! Plenty of perfectly sound horses will go away stiff from them, they are not the most reliable of tests. It makes a difference as to who and how the leg is held, and it also makes a difference if the vet does them 'cold' of after exercise.

In terms of lameness under saddle, a horse can appear differently on different days, and with different riders - if a vet had missed a hopping lameness, that is one thing, but a 'slight lameness under saddle' is pretty subjective - it could be slight lameness, or it could be how the rider is affecting the horse, or it could be the horses action.

A vetting is not an exact science, there is a lot of room for interpretation there - each vet performs things slightly differently, and is looking for slightly different things. I've seen a lot of vets perform vettings over the years, and dealt with a lot of lamness. We have often had different opinions on where lameness is, degree of lameness etc, especially where the lameness is casued by a high up injury, or where the horses action isn't 100% to begin with (such as a new injury to an arthritic pony).

It is frustrating when these things are not clear cut, but in my opinion (obviously not having been there, not knowing what the serious issues that turned up later in your two are, and just your report) difference of opinion on flexion tests is pretty common, and a slight lameness under saddle is something I would guess different vets would see differently. I would be interested to know which vet by PM please.

 

[chestnut cob]

TBH I would struggle to be "sound" if someone held my leg up in the air for 30-60 seconds then wanted me to run on it.

If your friend used Vet X 18 months ago and the horse hasn't had a day off lame since, then vet X can't be that bad. Maybe it's how Vet Y (who is the vet you *aren't* questioning) did the flexion test that's the problem?

I can probably guess who you mean, esp if it's Shrops/Ches border however if it's who I think it is, I use them and haven't had a problem. I was warned about said vet that he tends to diagnose what he diagnosed my horse with recently when he can't think of any other answers...however, my horse has had treatment for that condition and is 100x better. So no complaints here, because if it is the same vet, he has taken 5 years off my horse

However, would be interested to see who you mean if you want to PM me.

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

Id be quite interested to know who vets X and Y are as I do a large amount of work experience in the cheshire area..... so would be interested to know...

PM me if you wouldnt mind