Dealers and vettings

[mtj]

Been lurking on the BD forum and they have been discussing a dealer who will only allow certain vets to perform pre purchase examinations and will not allow the lower value horses to be x-rayed.

This is a high end dealer ie £10k plus horses.

My question is why would a dealer at this level of the market choose to have such stipulations?

I'm not trying to start a "dealers are evil" thread, happy to consider reputable dealers when buying. Just curious.

 

[fingers_crossed]

There is a dealer who meets that description who has caught out even some professionals in this way - 3 months later several problems were revealed. I can understand a bit about not allowing certain vets to them - several horses have been damaged by excessive flexions at a vetting. It would put me off however.
BUT I cannot really see any valid reason to refuse x-rays tbh

I'll Stick with the dealers who want to help would be my reply!

 

[BigRed]

I don't think dealers are veil, they are trying to make money that's all. I would not buy a horse if I was told my vet was not deemed acceptable. Nor that I could not have a horse x-ray'd if I wanted to.

10 years ago I nearly paid £7k for a horse, a fortune to me. At the time they said I could have it x-ray'd then they changed their mind, AFTER the vetting, so I wasted my money. Needless to say I did not buy it.

 

[TarrSteps]

I've known dealers not allow a particular vet - bad blood, I guess - but much odder to limit it only to certain vets. My guess re x-rays etc is they just don't want to be bothered and have priced the horses well enough for what they are so they figure people will know their taking a chance and be willing to take it.

I was amazed when I moved to find how few horses are x-rayed here. It's pretty much standard practice for anything other than the cheapest horses in North America - I've known people spend more on vetting than the actual horse!

That said, x-rays aren't the be all and end all and they certainly aren't a guarantee against - or of - future problems.

I do know some breeders who will not allow horses under three to have flexions done as they're has been some solid evidence that, done too enthusiastically, they can cause permanent damage. And I do think some vets almost want to "make" horses lame in vettings, so as not to be accused of missing something. In fact I saw it happen "by mistake" recently, when a farrier jerked a young horse's knee up too hard - sound before, lame after, been lame since and investigation shows damage to the knee.

 

[Gamebird]

Conversely there's a dealer or two up here who several vet practices won't carry out vettings for. Ever.

 

[beckiebeckyboo]

we deal and insist everything that leaves the yard is vetted be it a happy hacker or a competition horse, but there are certain vets that we wont allow on to vet, both of which are local and both of which we dont rate as horse vets. we do tell clients this and any other vet in the country is welcome! if clients are not local and want to use a local vet we give them a list of local equine practises, 4 or 5 different ones, and they can take ther pick