Having a horse vetted before viewing it?

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cheeryplatypus

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Been looking for a while and now what looks like the perfect horse has come up. The problem is he is about 7hrs by train from us each way, and its not a great time to ask for time off work.

I've done lots of background searching and everyone says he is lovely etc.

I was thinking of getting him vetted and then viewing him if he passes. It's going to cost the same for me to go see him as the vetting will cost. If I see him first and like him he would need vetted anyway. I would have a long discussion with the vet before and after the vetting by phone and be available on the phone during the vetting procedure.

Anyone see any problems with this?

Has anyone done this themselves?
 
Perfectly OK,
I would ask for a video, and good photos of limbs etc. and have all the important details about the horse in writing rather than verbal discussion only.
You can buy rail tickets at reduced prices eg I have just booked a first class return to Leeds for under £100. Only problem with such a long journey is the overnight cost if the vendor does not offer a bed.
You must have days off work, you can t be expected to work 24/7.
I think the rules for vetting have changed in your favour, in that you can use her vet and have access to the case history, best to check up on this, using the clients own vet has obvious difficulties.
Make it clear it will be a 5 stage vetting with a blood test, if vendor was considering drug use, you may suddenly find it is no longer available.
 
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I am horse hunting and have been discussing this with Mr GS if a vetting is £300 ish and the horse is a long way away I think it makes sense.
If one was seven hours away I would drive and need an overnight stay it would eat up two days
I would need to pay for extra staff time and arrange someone to be in the house
The downside would be would it colour my judgement when I did get to see it and make me tell myself I loved it.
If its an unbroken horse I would say it's a no brainer vet first.
 
Is it a ridden horse? A ridden horse can look perfect on paper and in the flesh but just not do it for you when you ride it. If I were a seller I would not agree to this, the relationship between horse and rider is very much a partnership and I would want to see you on the horse and make sure both of you were happy with each other before proceeding with the sale.

However if the seller is fine with this and that's what you want to do it's your time and your money.
 
Sounds fine to me. You've done some research about the horse and do you have video's of it working ?

However, another option could be to travel down, stay overnight and pre book the vet for the next morning so you can be there for the vetting, if you wish to proceed. You get far more information from a vet if you're physically present.

Horse adverts are like men on dating sites. They may seem wonderful but you never know if you click until you see them in the flesh.
 
When I buy from a different country that's what I often have to do as I don't have the time to get away to go and view the horse. If I'm importing, the horse has to be vetted to be allowed in to my country so often I don't get to meet the horse until it's actually shipped to my farm. I get lots of videos and confo photos of the horse beforehand so I'm not really going in blind. I've bought a lot of horses like this and never been disappointed.
 
I think it depends on what sort of horse you're buying as to how risky it is to buy unseen. I wouldn't buy something older unseen but did buy a 3yo just backed Welsh Cob from Wales based purely on a video and a vetting - I live in NE Scotland so it would have been a heck of a journey to see him and I figured he couldn't be too screwed up being so young!
 
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