Horse shopping disaster Near-miss. XRAYS!

[Dusty85]

Hi all,

Ive been looking for a new horse since November, and the disasters continue. I was really disappointed about this last one, and was about to give up, but realised that I shouldn't be so ridiculous and should instead keep going.

I wanted to share this all with you, as I think its quite interesting, and I owe this Vet an awful lot as he saved me from inevitable disaster/heartache in the not too distant future.

So I saw and loved a 16.2hh 4yo ISH over in ireland. Bred well, by Garrison Royale out of a Ballinvella dam. Really handsome horse and such a sweet heart, the type that came straight over and just shoved his head in your neck/shoulder wanting to be loved. Moved well and jumped well, but was obviously green as broken a few months prior.

Anyway, I organised a 5 stage vetting by a Vet from Troytown Grey abbey. Never used them before but heard great things. Very easy to deal with.
The vet said he would ring me after the vetting and let me know the outcome. He rung and said that he loved the horse, really quality type and that he was completely sound and other than a small splint- which I knew about already- he was great. However he had one concern- his near hind pastern was just a little 'thickened' than the left. he had examined it and thought it could just be soft tissue but that ring bone/arthritic changes would need to be excluded with X-rays, if I was to be 100% sure.

I was wary of the extra expense, but agreed as after all it would need ruling out- soundness is something that is top of my priorities list!!

Anyway, below are the XRays. I was gutted! I walked away on the vets advice- significant periarticular new bone formation and a bone fragment would be a 'guarded prognosis for future soundness'. Vet said it was a real shame but no way should I buy the horse.
Im said for the poor horse as i not sure what will happen to him in the future. Im also not quite sure how a recently backed 4y0 has got quite such awful changes- possibly infection i suppose?

I hope you find them interesting. Even with those changes this horse is sound on hard, soft and after flexion tests.

Squiffy bits up by the top of the XRays are from where I've got rid of the horses and owners name.

 

[Sukistokes2]

What a shame, very glad you found a good vet. Fingers crossed that the lad finds an appropriate home or is dealt with appropriately.

 

[PorkChop]

How disappointing - however thank goodness you had x-rays done!

Did you speak to the owners, crying shame for them too.

Better to loose a few quid now and save yourself heartache further down the line - good luck for the next one

 

[Dusty85]

The owners response was along the lines of "I'll still be able to sell him. The changes might not affect him"

He had a buyer interested who was going to buy unseen/invetted before I went to see the horse- but I managed to persuade him to wait until I got there.

Incidentally- this horse was being sold with TWO vetting passes- the most recent (only 6 weeks prior!) was from when he went to Goresbridge performance sale but failed to meet a reserve. The only thing noted on the form was the splint.

 

[PorkChop]

Hmmm, you definitely had a lucky escape!

 

[Cortez]

That's why you have vettings (and x-rays) done. I'm not surprised he passed 2 prior vettings as he is mechanically sound, and a horse that is sound on the day will pass. Sad for the horse, but good for you in the long run.

 

[ester]

Good vet!

fingers crossed for the next one!?

 

[Dusty85]

But my point is that not everyone (me included) has X-rays as standard, and therefore would have missed this, if the vet hadn't picked up on it, or he had been sold at Goresbridge.

Yes Ester- he was definitely a find. if anyone is considering vetting a horse in ireland and wants his name I'm happy to provide it.

 

[Apercrumbie]

What a great vet to pick that up - slight thickening can be very hard to spot. I'm sorry that you've missed out this time OP but do keep going.

 

[Cortez]

But my point is that not everyone (me included) has X-rays as standard, and therefore would have missed this, if the vet hadn't picked up on it, or he had been sold at Goresbridge.

Yes Ester- he was definitely a find. if anyone is considering vetting a horse in ireland and wants his name I'm happy to provide it.

Troytown are well known as one of the best horse practises in Ireland, there are others (and am happy to pass on names if anyone wants a recommendation for over here).

 

[Dusty85]

I second what Cortez says. wouldnt hesitate to use them again. They had to drive a fair distance (at least an hour) to the vetting, and the X-rays were done mobile, their charges were pretty reasonable.

The vet was Paul Traynor.

 

[Aoibhinn]

The owners response was along the lines of "I'll still be able to sell him. The changes might not affect him"

He had a buyer interested who was going to buy unseen/invetted before I went to see the horse- but I managed to persuade him to wait until I got there.

Incidentally- this horse was being sold with TWO vetting passes- the most recent (only 6 weeks prior!) was from when he went to Goresbridge performance sale but failed to meet a reserve. The only thing noted on the form was the splint.

The owner isn't going to keep him anyway, that's for sure! Somebody will probably buy without having him xrayed.

The vetting done for Goresbridge does not consist of X-rays. They are trotted up and lunged on a circl and if they are sound, they are passed

Edited to add that Troytown are highly recommended over here as being the best vet hospital in the country. Good job managing to get Paul out to do it, he is extremely good at him job

 

[almostthere]

Interesting post...I have had a number of vettings over the years where the horse passed the 5 stage but failed on x rays. I truly believe that none of the owners were aware. Mind you I recently had a horse pass 5 stage AND x rays and then went lame 8 days after purchase with soft tissue injury ....very unlucky . It's something of a lottery....

 

[RubysGold]

Could someone please explain what the xray shows?

Very sorry that you missed out but glad you avoided future heart ache

 

[pippixox]

friend got a 5 yo, and not a cheap one! vet said pass and no need for x-rays. 6 months down the line she was diagnosed with kissing spine and navicular and had to retire. If I was ever buying I would certainly think a few hundred extra for x-rays was worth it, to avoid thousands spent in the future! good vet I think some do so many vettings they can get lazy.

 

[conniegirl]

Narrow escape there.
I will however say I've bought a pony who failed vetting on X-rays, seller knocked down the price significantly so I took the risk, I had him 10 years (passed away from unrelated illness aged 20) and he never had a day lame in that time.
Buying horses is a lottery

 

[stormox]

I wonder how many horses with that sort of bone changes are passed sound (or not vetted) and have never gone lame from it? And what a moral dilemma the poor owner is now in, as he thought he had a perfectly sound horse for sale before the x-rays were taken.....

 

[Bernster]

Blimey. I think it's pretty unusual to get X-rays for anything under 10k as i think that's when some insurers require it. I've never had it done on 5 stage but sounds like you had a good vet there and were fortunate. I also can't read X-rays at all to see what's going on though !

 

[ester]

I think it depends whether the vet highlights a problem or not and then it is the purchasers choice to get xrays, as opposed to routine x-raying (which wasn't the case in this instance).

 

[ihatework]

If it's a classy horse going cheap the seller is right, they will shift it easy enough.

Good spot from your vet though!

The gamble of horses huh!

 

[Wagtail]

Could someone please explain what the xray shows?

Very sorry that you missed out but glad you avoided future heart ache

The horse has ringbone. You can see it the most clearly on the last xray.