Failed vetting = too much stress

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Jorel

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Eugh, I probably shouldn't do this I'm sure theres a rule somewhere that says I'm not allowed to make this post. I'm just so stressed out now. Have waited 3 weeks for Murph to be vetted so the people interested could buy him, only for him to fail on the flexion tests. I'm a week from uni and getting very worked up. It's all abit too much now. :(
 
Vettings are only as good as the day they are done :-( bad news. Was he bad or are they still thinking about it ?

There is no chance in the world my girl would pass a flexion test any day never mind a good day but shes as fit as a fiddle and leads an active and happy life

Sorry things didn't go your way
 
The buyer wasnt there, shes in ireland on business but I'm sure she'll call later. He wasn't lame, but she classed him as unsound as he was short on the off hind. The vet put it down to a recent abcess but he's always been shorter on that leg anyway so its not like he'd pass it in the future. He's never been lame, and does everything: hacks for 5/6 hours at a time, dressage/showjumping to 3ft/full day XC. Mum can't ride him though so when i go in a week and a half we are stuffed really. just one of them things :/
 
Oh no! Have you spoken to the prospective buyers, what are their thoughts?
:(
Edited: Just seen your reply above....
If he doesn't sell to this buyer, can you find someone locally to help out keep him ticking over until you can find another buyer? Would your mum ride at home (I know she won't hack)?
 
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The buyer might still want him,vets do like to cover themselves and he may still be fit for purpose.It may depend on what the buyer wishes to do,price is often relative also.
I have had some "fail" flexions that still sold, so dont give up hope yet.
 
Jorel said:
The buyer wasnt there, shes in ireland on business but I'm sure she'll call later. He wasn't lame, but she classed him as unsound as he was short on the off hind. The vet put it down to a recent abcess but he's always been shorter on that leg anyway so its not like he'd pass it in the future. He's never been lame, and does everything: hacks for 5/6 hours at a time, dressage/showjumping to 3ft/full day XC. Mum can't ride him though so when i go in a week and a half we are stuffed really. just one of them things :/
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Don't jump the gun - If I saw a vetting that said short poss due to recent abcess it wouldn't put me off completely - you might ust not get as much for him, try not to seem that desperado though or she'll be geting a bargin !!
 
sorry to hear that. it is one of the most stressfull things buying or selling a horse and with the added pressure that you are going to uni. fingers x
 
Might they still buy him? What did they want him for? What did the vet advise? How old is he?

Talk to your buyers, they may still buy him. We went ahead when our vetting had to be abandoned due to the horse being a nightmare for the vet. The owner was confident that we were right for the horse and she offered additional reassurances, further viewings and a trial period so that we could be sure.
 
Have spoken to the buyer, shes in as much of a state as I am, she wasnt going to have him vetted originally. Basically the vet has told her he's lame 4/10 and unrideable for the forseeable future (looked no different to usual to me so obviously im a horrible owner) and that she doesnt know if its to do with the recent abcess or not. She asked the vet what he was like under tack as she has ridden him since his abcess walk/trot/canter/gallop and he's been fine, but vet told her that she wouldnt ride him at all for at least 3 months (im obviously just horrible). She wanted him for hacking, hunting and cross country which exactly what i do with him (well minus the hunting, but we do LONG hard hacks) and he's never had a problem. But other people in the past have commented on him looking short on that leg in hand/lunging ah well. Life goes on
 
Bless you, aren't you having a horrid day!

The only positive thing that I can see is that you are off to uni and you say your mum can't ride BUT the vet says he needs 3 months of work anyway.

As long as your mum is OK to look after him, he can have his 3 months rest between now and you coming home from uni for Christmas hols and then you can reassess him.

Chin up.
 
What does your usual vet say?

if you are confident that this vet is overreacting and this is normal for your horse and that he is fit and up to work you could suggest to the buyers that you will pay to have a second opinion on it with a vet who isn't used by either of you already (a second two stage vetting). If that vet thinks all is ok then they will buy if it doesn't then they don't have to buy but you know more about what is wrong with him.
 
Hmm. Sounds like a bit of a pedantic vet, but then again there have been stories on here of people wanting to sue over things that vets didn't note on the vetting, so I guess they have to be!

I wouldn't be put off buying a horse if it failed the flexion test. Not if it was cheaply priced anyway. I was at the vetting when my friend bought his horse, and although it was lame for a couple of strides after the flexion test, the vet was a good, fair type who said it would be fine for local level stuff -which is was for at least the following four years it was in our area..

I can understand why the buyer would be put off if they have a vet scaring the life out of them saying it shouldn't be ridden and is 1/4 lame, especially if they weren't there to see it.
 
It's no consolation to you, I guess, but my horse also failed a flexion test when I bought him 6 years ago and the vet (who I didn't know from Adam) was also quite negative, although not to the point of saying he needed 3 months' off admittedly.

Ok, so I don't compete and we only wander around the countryside, but he hasn't had a day off work since (the horse, that is, not the vet!). I did recently have reason to get him checked over by my own vet and she confirmed that he would also have failed on that day - but he is no worse now than when I bought him.

Hope it works out for you.
 
The buyer has pulled out understandably, but only because noone will insure him. We're talking to our vet tomorrow morning when he's back from holiday. Thing is I have regular lessons and compete in dressage he is not lame/unsound under tack ever but hey ho, if he's deemed unfit for what he's supposed to be insured with for us theres always loss of use. I'd take him with me to uni if I could but some how cant see that going down too well.
 
Dancing Queen said:
get your own vet to check him out and follow their advice.

do you want/need to sell him?
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He needs to go one way or another. Mum had a big incident involving him and some guard dogs that were let loose onto a bridleway at the side of the main road. She can't even trot him round the arena without freaking out. He's too much for her. We'll speak to the vet and I'm going to look at my options where I'm going, at the end of the day he may just have to come with me and I'll have to manage (I wanted him to go with me in the first place)
 
Jorel said:
The buyer has pulled out understandably, but only because noone will insure him.
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Depending on how much he's for sale for but mine was £2000 and she failed the flexions too. Vet said 2/10 lame but I couldn't see it and seller couldn't either (very geniune and still come visit her two years later!). My insurers don't need a vetting for under £5000, so I said she hadn't been vetted.:o
 
Jorel said:
Have spoken to the buyer, shes in as much of a state as I am, she wasnt going to have him vetted originally. Basically the vet has told her he's lame 4/10 and unrideable for the forseeable future (looked no different to usual to me so obviously im a horrible owner) and that she doesnt know if its to do with the recent abcess or not. She asked the vet what he was like under tack as she has ridden him since his abcess walk/trot/canter/gallop and he's been fine, but vet told her that she wouldnt ride him at all for at least 3 months (im obviously just horrible). She wanted him for hacking, hunting and cross country which exactly what i do with him (well minus the hunting, but we do LONG hard hacks) and he's never had a problem. But other people in the past have commented on him looking short on that leg in hand/lunging ah well. Life goes on
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I had similar, passed flexion, failed on a tight circle on hard ground short on one side infront 4/10 lame. Called my own vert who stated 2/10 lame the following day, put shoes on and crack on riding to strengthen up. Came back 4 weeks later and announced much improved, buyer still bought and has her on a month's trial to get her own vet to look or just see that she copes with work load.

Good luck, vets can be over cautious IMO
 
Well I've calmed down abit now after blubbing down the phone to a friend who promptly told me to "Shut up and slow down because I can't understand your saying" Lol. We are calling our vet when he comes back from holiday in the morning (I was the last person he saw and he told me "i don't want to see you again you've had too many leg problems with your horses lately" Oops better luck next time i guess) Ah well, we have other options up our sleeves. He may just have to go with me in the spring once i'm settled in at uni.
 
4/10 lame is quite significant. I would take him down to my own vet to get him worked up. Especially if other people are commenting on it-it sounds like your horse is probably lame, not just 'short;
 
we had a similar thing happen to us when selling one of ours, only difference was we told buyer he would'nt pass flexion test due to a hip issue (he has never been lame, we have had him for 3 years and he is schooled and hacked without issue) the buyer only wanted to hack him, anyway she insisted on vetting and also insisted we did'nt tell vet about hip?? he failed him on the correct leg but said he thought it was his stifle, 1/10 unlevel, he then went on to advise horse useless for purpose of purchase, light hacking??? needless to say she did'nt buy him which was a shame as he would have been perfect for her! She did however go on to buy a 4 year old unbroken arab that put her in hospital?? sometimes people put to much faith in vettings and dont look at the bigger picture, my own horse failed the vetting on a flexion test, he has never been lame and I have had him 6 years
 
Spoke to our vet who has said that as he doesnt show unsound or lame under saddle he wants us to get on and ride him everyday for a week, then he's going to come out and do his own flexion tests and assess him under tack and he's going to have a talk with the vet who did the vetting to find out what she thought she saw. Everything happens for a reason it's just trusting that.
 
Hello :)

Just wanted to give you a bit of help RE taking your horse to uni, as thats what I have just done! For me it has not been anywhere near as bad as everyone has made me think it would be...if you want him to come then I do not see why not!

I have mine on full livery Mon-Fri, DIY at weekends. This costs me £80 a week, including feed, hay and bedding. This means during the week when lectures are on, I literally only need to find a free hour or so (including travel time) to go and have a ride, but I can make up for lost time at the weekend with lots of cuddles and poopicking!

Finance wise, I bit the bullet and advertised for a sharer, who will contribute £30 a week. Found one super easily. She will do him 3 times a week, just taking him on a hack or having a lesson. This brings costs down to £50 a week. I have also got a part time job about 5 minutes from my house, at a local bar run by one of the liveries. This should bring me in about £40 a week if I work two 4-hour shifts, which really isnt much. Before you know it, the basic outgoing costs for my horse are £10 a week :D

I know this obvs doesnt include the farrier or any vets bills, but stabling, feed, bedding and hay are the biggest expenditures in my book, and knowing exactly how much he will cost every week is fab. Plus I have a super horsey step-dad who can administer and provide basic vet treatment/drugs etc which always helps. Having a sharer means I get the income and time to work on my degree, but I still get lots of time for riding and competing if I want. I also specifically chose a livery where the owner lives on site, just incase I ever had to go home for whatever reason I know there is someone there with him just incase.

Basically what I'm saying is dont rule it out. I spent lots and lots of time working out budgets and exactly how much I can spend each week and Im not starving or skint...yet! Its amazing to be able to ride after a stressful day at uni :)
 
We have Just had a horse fail the vet on a bump on its tending caused by an over tight boot
Vet failed it before even seeing the horse out of the stable let alone doing flexions. Horse has never had a lame step in a year of ownership so I was Very cross and complained to the practice. Lost me a sale. We have since had another vet to look at him who examined the leg And did flexions and he was sound. Very frustrating
 
claudiacox14 said:
Hello :)

Just wanted to give you a bit of help RE taking your horse to uni, as thats what I have just done! For me it has not been anywhere near as bad as everyone has made me think it would be...if you want him to come then I do not see why not!

I have mine on full livery Mon-Fri, DIY at weekends. This costs me £80 a week, including feed, hay and bedding. This means during the week when lectures are on, I literally only need to find a free hour or so (including travel time) to go and have a ride, but I can make up for lost time at the weekend with lots of cuddles and poopicking!

Finance wise, I bit the bullet and advertised for a sharer, who will contribute £30 a week. Found one super easily. She will do him 3 times a week, just taking him on a hack or having a lesson. This brings costs down to £50 a week. I have also got a part time job about 5 minutes from my house, at a local bar run by one of the liveries. This should bring me in about £40 a week if I work two 4-hour shifts, which really isnt much. Before you know it, the basic outgoing costs for my horse are £10 a week :D

I know this obvs doesnt include the farrier or any vets bills, but stabling, feed, bedding and hay are the biggest expenditures in my book, and knowing exactly how much he will cost every week is fab. Plus I have a super horsey step-dad who can administer and provide basic vet treatment/drugs etc which always helps. Having a sharer means I get the income and time to work on my degree, but I still get lots of time for riding and competing if I want. I also specifically chose a livery where the owner lives on site, just incase I ever had to go home for whatever reason I know there is someone there with him just incase.

Basically what I'm saying is dont rule it out. I spent lots and lots of time working out budgets and exactly how much I can spend each week and Im not starving or skint...yet! Its amazing to be able to ride after a stressful day at uni :)
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;) You're a bad influence on me :D
 
Even if I was so skint I couldnt afford any more that Tesco Value 6p jelly, nothing in the whole wide world is better that having the most dull lecture, followed by an overnight essay panic in the library, then going to see Bertie and chiilaxing in the countryside :)
 
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