Just found out my horsey had a broken hip prior to me buying her

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Arty

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I bought my horse a few months ago through a dealer and had her 5* vetted, I had noticed a slight dip on her left hip but didnt think she was standing square. Now I have been in contact with her first owner and she told me she had broken her hip at 1.5 years old, but was never lame with her. She is now 6 years old and worried about what this may mean to her development/future. The vet didnt notice this at the vetting, so have I paid too much and can I claim off him for this? Your advice is much appreciated x
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From what I know,
if everything is healed up there should not be any major problems. After all she was only a baby.
I think what I have heard in worse case scenario is if the hip was broken and healing took place with the bones slightly misaligned then the two halves of the hip bone where it attaches to the sacro-iliac joint may not be perfectly at the same height and this can lead to slight uneven muscle development between the two sides, possibly contributing to a slight descrepancy in gait, and which might be construed as unlevelness in a show or dressage horse.
If your horse has been bought for such a career path then it may be an issue. For the average happy hacker/riding club horse I would no envisage problems.
Whether your vet would be liable would be hard to prove, as the overgrowth of bone at the site of a fracture gradually smooths and flattens over time ( I am a Forensic Osteologist -humans). So it might well mean there would be no trace of a fracture even if you had had her "X" rayed.
 
In order to make a successful claim against your vet you will not only need to show that there was pelvic asymmetry present at the time of the vetting (and if its been a few months even with the testimony of the 1st owner that may not be straightforward) and therefore your vet missed the problem , you will also have to demonstrate that you have suffered some financial loss.

If your horse suffered a fracture to the tuber coxae 4 years ago and has shown no lameness it is unlikely that any potential losses you have incurred, for example loss of resale value, would really warrant undertaking legal action against your vet, but "where there's blame there's a claim" so no doubt with a lot a work an you could squeeze a few hundred quid out of him. And people wonder why vets are tempted to fail horses for seemingly spurious reasons.
 
Thank you for your advice, really helpful. I had bought her for dressage and so an uneven gait may be a negetive! At the end of the day is it worth all the hassel? I might have to just get on with it and possibly breed with her as she had a good pedigree. I know she has had a few foals in the past.

Thanks again.
 
PF had a broken pelvis when she was very young 1 or 2 years old. Her hips are definitely a bit wonky and yet she's never had any problems with it and jumps beautifully. She's now 10.
If your horse passed her vetting, and presumably she trotted level, then I personally wouldn't be worried. Is she lame/ unlevel now?
 
No shes not lame and hence the reason I hadnt really bothered to much until her first owner told me about this yesterday She is assymetrical when standing square. I am not going to show her anyway and I dont think her gait is bothered. I am bringing her back into work after being a brood mare and she bucks like a bronco when she goes into canter, but this is probably just because she is slightly unbalanced and unfit. I hope.
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The vet didnt notice this at the vetting, so have I paid too much and can I claim off him for this?

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Are vets now supposed to have x-ray eyes as well as be mind readers????????
 
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The vet didnt notice this at the vetting, so have I paid too much and can I claim off him for this?

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Are vets now supposed to have x-ray eyes as well as be mind readers????????

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Are they not???
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Still, I think OP might reasonably have expected the vet to at least comment on the wonky hips.
 
im unsure as to why people worry about broken bones that have healed as if they are like humans a broken bone heals with no after effects ( i should know as i have broken enough of them lol) and most of the time they heal stronger than they were before.

And my opinion i would rather buy something that had a broken bone to one that had a damaged tendon ligament etc...

please can some one clarify this for me
 
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