Five stage vetting - legal advice please

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hallarider

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Hi

I could do with some advice please.

I bought my horse back in July and had a five stage vetting which he passed with the view to showing - the vet noted the splint, windgalls and bog spavins (don't ask why I still proceeded!). My circumstances have changed and I put him up for sale last week. He sold and had his vetting on Wednesday. Unfortunately he hasn't passed. Nows here's the comlicated bit. The new vet doing the vetting has picked up on a bad confirmational fault with his hock which the vet said would probably not make him suitable for the purpose the new buyers requires which is a general purporse horse. The wear and tear would possibly give him problems in the future. I am left absolutely bewildered - surely this should have been picked up by my vetting back in July even if his purpose was just for showing - this does include working hunter I presume. The outcome now is basically I have a horse which I paid £9000 for and is basically unsellable as he won't pass a vetting. Should I go back to my orignal vets and take this up with them??? or where could I get some legal advice? I just can't believe I wasn't made aware - I never would have bought him knowing this.

many thanks for any advice
 
surely a conformational fault's severity is mainly down to opinion and not easy to prove?

what exactly is the fault that was picked up?

also horses don't pass or fail vettings- the vet only advises on suitability for the job.

i would keep him up for sale and see whether another vet picks up on the fault.
 
problem is that it's often down to the individual vets opinion. I have had this and had another vet come and found no problems. I would have your own vet give you an honest opinion on him and go from there.
 
Yes, I will keep him up for sale but what happens if the new purchaser uses the same vet - am I under obligation to tell them he has recently failed a vetting! He has absolutely no signs of lameness at all and never has done. It just seems really unfair. Thanks for the advice though
 
You can always ask for a 2nd vetting/opinion......It very difficult to sue a vet as its personal opinion on the day.

However, I am suprised that a vet recommended a horse as suitable for showing with a splint, bog spavins and winedgalls.
 
As previously said a vet does not pass or fail a horse at a vetting but comments on its suitability for what it is wanted for and can only coment on what he sees on the day.

It could be that the prospective new owners want to do a fair bit of jumping and told their vet this and the vet that did the vetting for you did not realise you were thinking about WHP when you said you wanted the horse for showing.

A friend of mine tried to sell a novice dressage horse a few years ago and the vet (who was a general and not an equine vet) commented that he thought she would not stay sound as she was slightly pigeon toed so the sale fell through. Five years later the mare is still sound and competing at PSG.

There is certainly nothing wrong with readvertising your horse. It is up to potential buyers to make the decision whether they wish to proceed with the sale based on their vet's findings.

I would not go down the route of trying to sue your vet.
 
I think this is to late in the day to take up an address with the vetting done in July for you when you purchased this horse,and if you should take it up now,then the argument would be that alot can happen in 5 months!!!!
TBH if I had paid £9000 for a horse I would have had ex-rays done........was he brought for showing,was that discussed with the vet prior to vetting....I brought a cob that was brought for showing and wanted him as blemish free as possible,this I did discuss with my vet.
I think this will prove very difficult to take the vet to task,and TBH you could end up throwing more money at bad,I would be inclined to get a second opinion concerning the hock to see what changes are occuring.
Just out of interest did you attend this vetting when it was done?
 
My friend wanted her horse so badly that she had two vettings done, both vets from the same practise. Both partners. 1st vet condemned the horse on a number of faults, second vet passed it without any problems. Buyers do strange things, don't worry too much, advertise it again and see what the next vet says. £9k is a lot of money, so vets are likely to be especially vigilant.
 
I have found that young vets are often 'scared' to pass horses now, due to so many of them being sued. I think you need to have a chat with them off record to discuss how bad the problem really is. I've had vets fail a horse on a flexion test and then tell me off record what a super horse and they'd buy it for their daughter.

When I have a horse vetted for myself I tell the vet what I want it for and we take a realistic view. Horses are not machines and the vet and the prospective new owner both need to take into account what the horse is going to be expected to do and if it would be fit for purpose.
 
i would speak in person to the purchasers! they obviously like him to have him vetted. see if there is a compromise, like re vetting with a different vet, did it pass the flexions? 9 grand is a serious price in todays economy, hope he is as special as price! to do workers at a good level they do have to be special and very clean limbed! i would also re advertise and dont hold him until the cash is on the table!! best of luck!
but a splint, bog spavin and windgalls might just put him out of the county circuit esp at 9 K.
 
well all i can say is that i have sold a few horses and one in particular failed the first vetting down to a mis aligned pelvis!!! She was suppoed to be going to an eventing home and apparently this may cause wear and tear and MAY cause he to have problems in the future. I felt exactly the same that how can i now sell this mare into this line of work, and should i sell her as a general ridng horse but take a big drop in money obviously i wanted o avoid this...i rang the vet to say how dissapointed i was and he said.....Well dont worry put the horse back on the market and see what happens!!! If you get someone who doesnt want o sell her on it wont matter!! I had no idea the people were intending to sell her on i was assured it was a permenent home!! ...So i did and had another vetting with a diffrent vet and she flew through and was sold last xmas eve.
My advise to you is carry on advertising the horse it all depends on the vet and what the customer is like who is purchasing the horse!! You paid good money for the horse..someone else will to!!
 
Struggling to understand: at the original vetting of your horse the vet pointed out a splint, windgalls and bog spavin? Isn't it likely that the latest vet has picked up the same things only further on down the line?
 
Vettings are only down to opinion. I had a warmblood a few years ago who I was selling - the horse had never been lame and done BSJA most weekends. The buyers vet failed him on the flexion test saying he was 3/10's lame behind and would struggle to stay sound to do anything! RUBBISH! I was so horrified, I got my own vet out an hour later who passed him saying there was nothing wrong with him! He was sold a month later (after sailing through the vetting) and the owners have never reported any problems and continue to ride him as normal.

Just because he's failed with this vet, doesnt mean he'll fail with another.

BTW, don't mean to offend. But why'd you pay £9,000 for a horse with a splint, windgalls and bog spavins when its main use would be for showing...?!
 
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