ihatework
Well-Known Member
Vettings are an absolutely bloody nightmare. They are a nightmare for the buyer, a nightmare for the seller and tbh a nightmare for the vet!
I would never advocate not getting a vetting done, especially for a more cautious or novice buyer, but the longer I'm in the game and the more vettings I see - the less likely I am to put that much faith in the process.
Trying to ascertain what findings are clinically significant, what are manageable, what are huge red flag no's, what is a genuine surprise to a seller versus what they have been trying to cover up! What will get excluded by insurance if that's a consideration.
And it isn't always down to cheap versus expensive horses either - plenty of times I've seen people think that if they just increase their budget that will make it far more likely to get them a clean vet certificate. Sorry to burst your bubble, you see just as many vet findings at the higher prices!
I'm not sure I'll actually bother vetting a horse for me ever again. It'll be a case of either breeding my own or buying cheap at a price I'm prepared to burn and taking the risk/punt without vetting.
I would never advocate not getting a vetting done, especially for a more cautious or novice buyer, but the longer I'm in the game and the more vettings I see - the less likely I am to put that much faith in the process.
Trying to ascertain what findings are clinically significant, what are manageable, what are huge red flag no's, what is a genuine surprise to a seller versus what they have been trying to cover up! What will get excluded by insurance if that's a consideration.
And it isn't always down to cheap versus expensive horses either - plenty of times I've seen people think that if they just increase their budget that will make it far more likely to get them a clean vet certificate. Sorry to burst your bubble, you see just as many vet findings at the higher prices!
I'm not sure I'll actually bother vetting a horse for me ever again. It'll be a case of either breeding my own or buying cheap at a price I'm prepared to burn and taking the risk/punt without vetting.