Have you ever bought a horse that failed it's vetting??

[chickeninabun]

Just curious if anyone has ever had a horse vetted, it failed but bought it anyway.
If so what did it fail on? And have you had any repercussions or regrets regarding it??

 

[conniegirl]

yes, mine failed his flexion tests, in 8 years he has never had a problem with any of his joints.

 

[jules89]

Yeah I had a 16.2 irish TB who failed on A symmetrical hips as he had a fall in the sj. We bought him and I had him for 3 years and taught me how to ride xc, and he threw me off soo many times in the SJ because he had lost his nerve.

He has since been sold (I wanted to event and wasnt getting past the 2nd fence sj) and the lady wwho has him now just does low key stuff so it doesn't matter to her. Don't regret it as he became more level in his hips as he gained more weight and muscle.

Might not do it now though, as I am eventing at Novice level and the horses become more and more valuable!

 

[foolsgold]

Yes, bought an 11yo TB that failed two vettings on the flexion tests. I had him on trial for three months between the vettings so I had stupidly got quite attached to him and no one but the vet could see any unlevelness, so I thought I'd take the risk. I had two brilliant years with him, then he went lame. Thousands of pounds later and he is a very handsome field ornament. I won't do it again! :{

 

[burtondog]

Yes, my first horse failed flexion test and subsequent xrays revealed non-articular high ringbone. I knocked the price right down and bought him anyway. He never had a day lame the seven years I owned him. Not sure I'd do it again though, I suspect I used up all my luck before.

 

[ColouredFan]

PK our 15hh TB failed the flexion tests we still bought her as we felt sorry for her and she was such a poppet to ride, knocked her down to 2k inc tack and she never had a lame day, she is now retired. But won about £700 BSJA and never had a fence down in her BSJA career! jumped up to 1.20m did alot of HT and hacking also. Not sure i would do it again she was only bought to be a PC pony.

 

[RunToEarth]

I never had my coloured vetted.

 

[Fergs152]

Yes...about 5 months ago!!

He failed on three things- asymmetrical hips, cut on his tendon and lump in his lip. Also he wasn't in great condition generally... I thought about it for a long time and decided to go for it at a dramatically reduced price.

I've spent a lot of money getting him right- physio, teeth, more physio, so much feed etc... but fingers crossed he seems great- 3rd out of 22 in his first dressage comp, just been xc schooling and he is a bit of a machine!!

My thoughts were that horses are animals, they can injure themselves at any time (you could get something home that flew through a 5 stage vetting and it could lame itself in the field the next day!), you just have to be pragmatic and realistic and know what you are letting yourself in for...

 

[Tanta]

We sold a horse who failed his first vetting by a prospective purchaser - on flexion tests. But we had had him a couple of years, and he was never lame in that time, and tough as old boots. We had our (very fussy) vet look at him after, and he couldnt find any problems. We then readvertised him, and he passed the vet and went to a wonderful home - and as far as I know he never had any problems. A vet can only look at what they see that moment, and whatever the vet saw when ours failed certainly never appeared before or since.

 

[chickeninabun]

And I was just thinking how a flexion test wasn't the most important thing in the world, but in your case it was, foolsgold

.

I know I'd definately fail a flexion test

. No-one would want to buy me

.

 

[thedunthing]

i have never had a horse that has been vetted and i have only really had one that ever got anything wrong with it and that was some kind of allergy he had but we got him from scotland and he was fine then we brought him here and he became very poorly with filled legs, sheath, tummy, he used to get mud fever only in summer

, the vets couldnt find anything wrong with him blood was fine etc etc eventually he became very skinny and his legs started weeping as they were sooo big and he was PTS. i suppose i do regret buying him in a way as if he had stayed in scotland he may have still been here today but the others seem to have been fine (touch wood)!!

 

[Baileysno1]

Yes Bails failed his flexion test negotiated a new price - £650! Best money I ever spent in 5 years hes never been lame sick or sorry.

 

[bexsodb]

have brought two
my old boy failed his flexion live to 30 doing sj
also had hackney x failed due to heart murmer used to xc/teamchase on her no problem

 

[TicTac]

My daughters horse failed the vetting due to a heart murmur ( grade 4!) He is a tough little chap with loads of energy and never had a days sickness except for a virus . We have had him nearly 5 years now! yet my horse that I lost earlier this year passed a 5 stage vetting when I brought him and during the 3 years that I owned him had a whole spectrum of serious complaints that ultimately ened his short life (RIP Alby) There is never a guarantee with a vetting.

 

[PrincessDana]

My first horse was an ex-racehorse who fell into the wrong hands. I found him at a dealers yard, emaciated with open sores on his back. I was only 12 years old and i fell in love with him, there was no way i could leave him there. We got him vetted and the vet said he had a slight heart murmour and 2 old tendon injuries and that he advised against buying him, but if we did the horse would love us forever lol.

So being 12 and having non-horsey parents, i let my heart rule my head and we bought him. The vet used to call him Exhibit A. We bought him aged 13 (ish) and he dies when he was 21. He taught me so much, so no, i dont regret buying him.

 

[KatB]

Yep, mine failed with a previous perspective purchaser. Passed when I had him vetted

 

[xxcharlottexx]

mine didnt really get past the trot up

He had been dumped in the field, was very scrawny and very overgrown feet which consequently made him slightly lame.
Also girl who lunged him had him on such a small circle he was doing a bunny hop type thing with his back legs when askewd to canter as it was hard for him to do otherwise
Vet said he wouldnt touch him with a barge pole! (he hated his temperament!
heart etc was ok so bought him anyway and he is a star! hes so gentle and loving and beginning to work really nicely. Though i dont have the vet practise who came out to vet him (admittedly he was a stress head when i first bought him but you can hardly blame him in the state he was in!)

 

[scotsmare]

I had a grey mare who failed as vet thought she had a saroid (on her 'thigh' muscle but right at the edge of her hind quarters) we had it biopsied and turned out to be a melanoma

still bought her, spent £1000 on having her broken, only for her to catch a leg over a stable door and tear it open to the bone!! Insurance paid out £1200 to have leg fixed then she wasn't rideable so we paid approx £1200 to have her put in foal then sold her whilst she was at stud for the price we originally paid for her

I think she was jinxed!!

 

[rara007]

None of ours were ever vetted

.

 

[dixie]

[ QUOTE ]
yes, mine failed his flexion tests, in 8 years he has never had a problem with any of his joints. [/quote

DITTO - best horse I've ever bought too !

 

[Vicki_Krystal]

i have had 2 fail flexions tests and i have brought them anyway.

one i later re sold for a hell of a lot of money ( she was a JA jumping pony) and she passed a 5 stage vetting when i sold her.

the other i compete myself and havnt had a problem with.

the only vet failiure ive walked away from was one that failed with shivers...

 

[HairyHatMan]

I had a horse from some fairly well-known (and I now consider people feel "dodgy") dealers, who allow a month's trial. He failed the vetting on something to do with his feet. However during my month's trial he got kicked so I couldn't send him back as he was not in the same condition he'd been bought. So I was stuck with him.

He was never lame until 3 years later he did a suspensory team-chasing in deep mud (all my fault).

 

[seabiscuit]

Yes !! One of the bays in my signature below ( the one going down the drop fence and over the corner) failed the vet hopelessly! ( on flexion and on circles on hard ground)But in our eyes we knew he was perfectly sound so we bought him- he went on to do 5 seasons eventing with me with 10 to 15 runs at one day events each year up to Intermediate/ One star level, always completing each three day event he did ( these were the days of roads and tracks and steeplechase) We then sold him; he passed a full 5 stage vetting and X rays, did another 3 or 4 full seasons eventing qualifiying for the JRN champs twice; retired from eventing perfectly sound! He was the soundest and toughest horse there ever was!

 

[Baggybreeches]

OUr 13hh WHP failed on flexion tests when someone else was buying her so we pounced (so to speak) she never had a days illness or lameness in all the time we had, she went to RIHS and BSPS champs and PUK year after year, she had a heart attack last year at 22 and died. RIP Fatty Fudge x
BTW I have only had one of mine vetted and that was my mare who had to be vetted for her SHBGB grading (and I already owned her!)

 

[shellonabeach]

Yes 2 months ago I bought a mare who failed on a foreleg flexion and same leg on a circle - negotiated the price down to £600.

Since getting her home I have spent a lot of money on "putting her right" - back, teeth, NB shoes, lameness workup & xrays etc

I found out yesterday she has the early stages of navicular, the same day I rode her for the first time at home for the saddle fitter. She will be receiving treatment for the navicular and coming back into work on bute.

I'd have to be honest and say I wouldn't do it again (not that I intend to horse hunt again anytime soon!). I fell for this horse as tried and visited her several times before she was vetted. It has cost me a lot of money & heartache and of course I was lucky to get her insured (most companies outright declined her) with exclusions to both forelegs.

In trying to help my mare I contacted her previous owner from the passport for information which also opened up a huge can of worms regarding behavioural issues my mare is said to have had.

The upshot is I have an absolute sweetie of a mare who is a delight to have around, I will never be wondering what happened to her, and hope we enjoy our time together.

 

[treacle86]

Flexion tests are not really very accurate , I dnt think i would pass a felxion either !! I know a couple of vets who do not beleive in them or carry them out .

 

[treacle86]

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[treacle86]

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[treacle86]

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[digitalangel]

irony:

I bought V my trak mare in feb and she passed the vet no problems. It was an RCVS Vet college vet as well, so quite a high standard i suspect.

2 weeks later she was diagnosed lame with bilateral front collateral ligament damage and the vets view is that he would be concerned wether or not she would fulfill her potential. But the insurance say its not loss of use? Go figure

Got H in may, he was 390 KG ( 15.2 Dutch WB ) grossly underweight, had muscle wastage behind and had a whopping 10 failures on his 5 stage vet including:

* grade 3-4 heart murmur ( has now been investigated and its Innocent ! )
* Positive flexion near fore
* toe-out with flat feet, ( is being corrected )
* Exaggerated response to spinal flexion ( fixed)
* Sharp teeth (fixed)
* cut and bruised all over

The above is only what i can remember, there was more!

I still bought him and apart from him catching himself while rolling in the field and giving himself a little bruise on one of his cannons, and treading on a stone when he was unshod behind, hes been the picture of soundness.