Horse buying and vetting :-(

M

Minimi

Active Member
Joined
17 September 2009
Messages
48
Location
Aberdeenshire
Visit site
So after getting 2 horses vetted, and both of them passing but with complications I'm not willing to take further, I'm now £500 down on my initial horse budget. How did you guys find the vetting process?

If your one passed, what made it so great? Lol!
How many horses did you get vetted before having success?

I'm feeling very frustrated with the whole process.

If anyone knows any safe, sane allrounders in Scotland aged between 5 and 12 and 15.3hh + please let me know. I really miss having a horse.
 
My friend had 3 fail for different things, and not to put a downer on things but one who was still expensive passed (4th time) and was diagnosed a few months after she purchased him with navicular syndrome :(. Another had one just pass today as a positive! Second time lucky, had full bloods taken and tested too as horse was underweight and last one she purchased passed a vetting but then had cancer so she is being extra cautious :). Good luck finding one, Im sure there will be one out there for you and you will find it soon :)
 
What were the complications? My the only one with any 'complications' that I had vetted prior to purchase had a wound on her fetlock and a split second heart bound of no clinical significance so I bought her as she was such a lovely character. Ten years on I never regretted it! Others have been a straight forward pass. My latest I bought without vetting but know he wouldn't pass due to spavin. But he was what I wanted so I bought him. Haven't regretted it either.
 
what were the complications?
Ive never had a horse vetted and ive never come up against any problems that would of shown up on a vetting. i bought my current horse 4years ago and touch wood shes been fit as a fiddle since!!
ive had people buy horses from me and have them vetted aswell and they have passed, but ive always thought that if id fallen in love with a new horse i hate not to buy it because of something minor showing up on a very expensive vetting?
 
The first had slightly raised, swollen stifles and the vet wanted x-rays. She was only 7 and I was being told she would only be suitable for minimal riding, e.g. 5 short sessions a week with no hard concussion work. She hadn't been in work and so I felt, along with recommendation from others that these problems could have appeared having been brought back into work. OCD was also mentioned. I couldn't take the risk.

The other came up 1/5th lame, had some other problems with her pelvis allignment, there was something amis when she was trotted up in a circle AND... she was a roarer. I never heard a thing whilst I was riding her, neither did any of my 3 horsey companions so I was very surprised by this finding. She's only 5 so again, I won't take anything on who will end up with leg exclusions on insurance.

I just feel so peeved at having to spend so much money on vettings and then I don't get to take the lovely horse home that I've felt is so right for me.
 
My first horse was found to be 1/10 lame on the day of the vetting. The vet wanted to investigate further. In hindsight its better to be safe than sorry but I went ahead and bought him. A year later and he's doing fine - never had any problems with said leg :)

At least with the vettings, you're saving yourself further heartache and treatment costs.
 
I think the best way to avoid expensive vettings for unsound horses is to take a very knowledgeable friend with you to the viewing. Then problems like swollen stifles, lameness and roaring will be picked up before you get to the vetting stage.
I have never had a vetting and have never regretted it. IME vets have enough trouble diagnosing an illness when the owner is listing symptoms, without expecting them to be able to do it, when the owner is trying to hide problems. And I do NOT agree with flexion tests.
 
I had one vetted before buying my lad, it failed being 1/10th lame on his behind right on a circle whilst out of work, luckily i had arranged to view some others and found my lad, didnt get him vetted as he would of gone before i could get chance someone had already put a phone deposit down on him without seeing him, never looked back hes amazing!
 
The only horse I've owned that's been vetted is my current one & we'd had her on loan for a few months beforehand. This was because we knew she'd had a previous injury & being a horse that I wouldn't grow out of her so hopefully would have her for life! Also the owner was desperate to sell her .. possible disconcerting as there was a bit of confusion as to her exact injury.

However, she was found to have sarcoids (which now seem to have disappeared) & then in the trot up was ever so slightly lame so didn't get to the riding stage. We rested her for a couple of days & got her price got knocked down with the fact that she would fail on her skin & the possibility of having the injury re-occur, never got her re-vetted & never looked back since. :D
 
Vets like failing horses, they're too scared to give the ok in case something arises later on and you sue them. I'm sure these vets are really enjoying taking £250 a time off you. They look like they're doing a great job, finding roaring that you and your friends couldn't hear (!) getting paid and taking no risks.

I lost faith in them a few years ago (can you tell?) when I had a mare for sale. She had a tiny lump on her muzzle and was failed as it could turn out to be a sarcoid. It disappeared a few days later and when I asked my own vet, he suspected it was probably caused by a whisker being plucked out when bridling.

So that's what you're up against!
 
I actually think both of those were potentially serious complications and you really got your money's worth from the vetting because it uncovered them. A vetting can't be considered 'wasted' if it tells you of a potentially serious problem you had failed to see yourself - that is exactly the job of the vet. So look at this in a more positive light! Although it is very disappointing to have to walk away from two horses, it's more disappointing to buy a horse and be landed with a huge vet bill and a horse you can't ride.

The right one will come along!
 
I agree with Booboos as I think you did the right thing getting a vetting, and they have picked up an issue that may have affected your use of horse.

I have had vettings for two of the kid's ponies.The cheap ponies appeared and were sound (why are the little ones so tough, nothing ever goes wrong with them).

The ponies that were vetted had issues, which was the reason I got a vets opinion. One mare had a cloudy eye we were concerned about. He picked up a couple of other little things but after a discussion with him we decided that she was suitable for pony club. She is a fantastic pony and so glad we got her.

The other pony was thin, bad feet, head looked too big for his body etc and I was quite concerned, but liked the way he went for his owner a 9 yr old girl and my kids. The vet found no issues that a bit of TLC wouln't fix. He was a little cow hocked, but she did not see that as an issue either.

We got him home and the next day lame in 3 legs, apparently the girl that owned him took the day off school and spent it barrel racing and whatever else, spent the whole day on him.

Lessons learned were - no delay between vet check and collection of pony, or ask them not to ride it between same because the vet check is basically good for the day it is done, and if the owner rides him to death the next day, not much comeback.

Anyway he came good and we fixed up a few other neglect issues and he is fine. So I think the vet was right - she told me his problems and I dceided we could live with them.

If I had an experienced and available friend I would take them to an initial inspection of a horse, this may help pick up issues you cannot and does not hurt to have someone objective with you. But in the end if you are serious, it is probably unfair to place the burden on a friend and you should still have a check done before finalising the deal, if the purchase price is anything more than peanuts.
 
Thanks for all the replies. My friends that I have taken with me are all very experienced so I trust their views too and what they also see from the ground. I agree though jeeve, I would always get the vet to finally make my mind up with the money I'm looking at spending. It's just so frustrating.

My three friends, plus the owners, who are friends of friends did not hear the roaring. Does roaring get worse the longer the horse is cantered. If so, the horse is not in a lot of exercise currently, so could this be the reason why I didn't hear it as I didn't push her like the vet did?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top