Getting a horse vetted.....

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kelly_s1

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Hi,

What's the process of getting a horse vetted?

Stupid question, but just wondered the best way as ive never done it before

How much do they normally cost

thanks.
 
From memory our 5 stage vetting cost about £250. I think the 2 stage would have been about £200, but as we were buying an older horse wanted to have a complete check to make sure she was as healthy as the vet could tell on the day.

We just phoned up the local equine vet and made a booking.

The different stages of vetting can be found here http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horse-care-index/1370/61159.html
 
Hi just had a 5 stage vetting done on a 4 year old ISH it was £364 incl vat.
Just find a vet in the area (if your vet isn't near enough) ring up book the vetting and give details, it's as simple as that. They will ask you if you will be present. Good luck!! :)
 
I don't think vettings are worth the paper their written on. I have seen so many people have vettings and see them go . I myself have sold horses in the past and potential buyers have had the horses vetted. On four differnet occasions (differnet horses and differnet vets) the horse failed the vetting for differnet reasons (one was apparently not symetrical behind, second aparrently has COPD so bad he couldn't continue the vetting!!, one was 2/10 lame infront) These horses were then vetted between 2 and 4 days later by a different purchaser, and all passed with flying colours. The vet did not mention anything wrong with the lungs on the COPD case, the vert commented on how sound the 2/10's lame horse was second time round!! Just goes to show, if your horse does fail the vetting, take it with a pinch of salt. It is very upsetting as an owner being told your horse had COPD so bad and you never have had a days problem, to them have another 5 stage vetting for the vet to pass the horse with no issues! It does happen so jsut beware as you still have no come back and you could loose the horse of your dreams for no reason!
 
It is important to get a vetting as a lot of insurance companies ask for a copy. I've generally gone for a 5 stage one. However it can only say what a vet sees on the day of teh vetting. It is not a 'crystal ball' reading of what will happen with the horse in the future.
 
My horse is insured for £4999 without a vets report. Anything over £5000 they want one for. Insurance companies like vettings as they can get out of the issues in the vetting however minor they may be. Even if I had a vet report I would be reluctant to show it to them.
 
vivandstar said:
I don't think vettings are worth the paper their written on. I have seen so many people have vettings and see them go . I myself have sold horses in the past and potential buyers have had the horses vetted. On four differnet occasions (differnet horses and differnet vets) the horse failed the vetting for differnet reasons (one was apparently not symetrical behind, second aparrently has COPD so bad he couldn't continue the vetting!!, one was 2/10 lame infront) These horses were then vetted between 2 and 4 days later by a different purchaser, and all passed with flying colours. The vet did not mention anything wrong with the lungs on the COPD case, the vert commented on how sound the 2/10's lame horse was second time round!! Just goes to show, if your horse does fail the vetting, take it with a pinch of salt. It is very upsetting as an owner being told your horse had COPD so bad and you never have had a days problem, to them have another 5 stage vetting for the vet to pass the horse with no issues! It does happen so jsut beware as you still have no come back and you could loose the horse of your dreams for no reason!
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TOTALLY AGREE. I never have a horse vetted and just trust my own judgement. If your experienced enough you will pick up anything stright forward, lameness, comfamation faults, parrot mouth, signs off illness etc etc. I would say eyes and heart would be the only thing I would have checked if I was in any doubt. Vettings only stand for that day than they are useless anyway.
TOTALLY AGREE.
 
I had a two stage vetting done in December and it cost me £135. I was once advised by an experienced and well respected equine vet that a two stage is more than adaquate for a riding club type horse so I've always taken that advice. If I was paying a lot of money for a competition horse I might consider a 5 stage vetting.
 
I wouldn't dream of not having a vetting done on a potential purchase. Mine was just under £300 for 5 stage if I remember correctly 2 years ago. You must ensure that the vet you call doesn't already treat the animal nor has had any dealings with that animal. There are obvious pass and fail areas, such as flexion and obvious lameness, but also heart, wind, eyes and conformation "faults" are also taken into account. Along with bloods taken for future testing if you find you have a complete nutcase on your hands.

For the sake of £300 I would pay rather than suffer the heartbreak that a fellow livery had when her seemingly sound new riding horse and began rearing under saddle. He had a fractured pelvis which was masked by bute.
 
go for it. Just don't be too alarmed. Vets will be overly cautious these days as too many people rely on the vets every word even down to the horse temp and will be quick in blaming the vet. They will always give you worse case senario and can sometimes scare the life out of the purchaser. With flexions, you could have the soundest horse, but it wouldn't trot up sound on a flexion test. vet will give various worse cases. One of my best jumping horses was 19, would never in a millon years passed a flexion nor a five stage vetting BUT would still go out every weekend and win a 1.25 class. We would just have to pick our ground and surfaces. 99% of purchases always emphasie on their ability and 9/10 are never going to do any more than hacking and a low level show once a year and would turn down an older not so sound horse for a younger model which would turn out to be too much for them.
 
kelly_s1 said:
Thanks for the comments, everyone has mixed views on this topic.

I might get the 2 stage vetting and get bloods done

thanks
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Hi!
That's just what I did on buying my last two horses. However in the vetting of the last horse, the vet I used picked up all sorts of strange things - asymmetric pelvis (had physio out a week later and there was nothing wrong with his pelvis) - slightly irregular heart beat when excited (he raced successfully up to Sept last year so hasn't caused any problems up to now)- crack in hind hoof (no crack, just v slight indentation!). Although it was interesting to hear all of these points, when I insured him and they asked if I had had him vetted, I was honest and sent them the certificate. His insurance covers him for few centimetres in the middle of his body and not a lot else!

My first horse who passed the vet with flying colours turned out to have far more issues and needed the physio at least four times a year to keep him level behind.

Saying that, I still think I would have a horse 2 stage vetted - it is then your choice how you proceed. May be worth asking a few insurance companies whether they require a vetting or not.
 
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