Passed vetting. Failed x-ray

[mega spoilt ponies]

Advice please peeps...

I have been looking for a new horse since christmas, tried 5 now. Number 4, i left a deposit and arranged a vetting.

I really liked her, foot conformation not great, ground manners not great but i really enjoyed riding her.

5* vetting passed without issue. The one x-ray that i chose to do -spine (because way too many horses have ks and i didnt want one).

X-ray show no kissing spines but 2 areas with little gap and some bony changes/re-modelling. I walked away butcant stop thinking about her! Nothing ive seen since compares.

She is only rising 6 and quite low mileage so i was shocked to see the changes.

Would i be mad to have her? Anyone experience naf spine x-rays and no future problems?

 

[Bernster]

Honestly? You got an xray for a reason, and you're concerned about kissing spines. It's shown something on x-ray. I'd walk away. Yes you could find it's fine and doesn't turn into anything, or you could do more tests to establish whether it's active, but I'd save your money and potential heartache and go for something that passes a clean vetting no questions asked, there are plenty of those. No point getting a test done and then ignoring it - I don't mean that to sound blunt!

 

[hihosilver]

Advice please peeps...

I have been looking for a new horse since christmas, tried 5 now. Number 4, i left a deposit and arranged a vetting.

I really liked her, foot conformation not great, ground manners not great but i really enjoyed riding her.

5* vetting passed without issue. The one x-ray that i chose to do -spine (because way too many horses have ks and i didnt want one).

X-ray show no kissing spines but 2 areas with little gap and some bony changes/re-modelling. I walked away butcant stop thinking about her! Nothing ive seen since compares.

She is only rising 6 and quite low mileage so i was shocked to see the changes.

Would i be mad to have her? Anyone experience naf spine x-rays and no future problems?

Bony changes generally get worse with age so I would not buy her. There are so many horses out there! walk away and get one without problems.

 

[mega spoilt ponies]

Thanks, its what i need to hear! Every time i try another horse that feels like a camel im tempted to go back for her! Im just really gutted because i liked her so much. But yesbony changes in a rising 6yr old are not good :-(

 

[Red-1]

If you had not done the Xray you would have been none the wiser, would have bought her with no worries, and she would have been fully insured.

Now you know there may be an issue, you will not enjoy her as you will worry, and that part of he would not be covered on insurance.

Unless she is now half price, and you are prepared to take the risk then no, I would not have her.

 

[Bernster]

I know it's disappointing when you're in the midst of it, but def worth continuing to look. I'm sure you will find the one soon enough !

 

[Goldenstar]

Unless they are giving her away ,walk away you had that X-ray for a reason .

 

[PorkChop]

Agree with the others I'm afraid, also your potentially new insurance would not cover her back/spine in all likelihood.

 

[mega spoilt ponies]

Im glad i posted, you guys are so sensible! I shall delete the videos of me riding her so i stop watching them

 

[PorkChop]

Im glad i posted, you guys are so sensible! I shall delete the videos of me riding her so i stop watching them

Oh my goodness, yes definitely!

I know how it feels, failed vettings are such a huge let down.

 

[ROMANY 1959]

I walked away from one 9 yrs ago who passed a vet but was little sensitive in back area, never did xray but my trainer said don't buy , I thought it sad at time as liked the horse, and over following few years would see it doing do hunter and hunting ...then we heard it had KS... And was PTS .. I was sad, but thanked my vet who said walk away., trainer was right...

 

[Rollin]

On two occasions I have had second opinions on x-rays. In both cases I went ahead with purchase with no regrets.

A CB mare who I was told had some 'subtle' hock problem and would not do endurance. Sent the x-rays to a very well known UK Hospital, "nothing wrong with those hocks" There was not and she competed in endurance with no problems.

Another was a Shagya mare who could not be ridden as she had suffered juvenile arthritis. One vet said "don't buy her, send her back" another said nothing congenital she will make a brood mare. She did she has. Breeding ace and I paid a quarter of her value. She has given me two fabulous competition horses.

I would suggest that if you are still thinking about this horse, get a second opinion.

 

[hihosilver]

I had my 6 year old PTS after a year in the field and bone scans and x-rays. She had bony changes in her neck, I wouldn't want to go through it again.

 

[be positive]

On two occasions I have had second opinions on x-rays. In both cases I went ahead with purchase with no regrets.

A CB mare who I was told had some 'subtle' hock problem and would not do endurance. Sent the x-rays to a very well known UK Hospital, "nothing wrong with those hocks" There was not and she competed in endurance with no problems.

Another was a Shagya mare who could not be ridden as she had suffered juvenile arthritis. One vet said "don't buy her, send her back" another said nothing congenital she will make a brood mare. She did she has. Breeding ace and I paid a quarter of her value. She has given me two fabulous competition horses.

I would suggest that if you are still thinking about this horse, get a second opinion.

I would normally agree with getting a second opinion but I think the OP is in a very different situation to yourself who has the option to breed if for some reason the horse could not be ridden, for the OP assuming it would be her only competition horse then I would walk away, it will not be covered by insurance, it may stay fit and have a long active life but worst case scenario it goes wrong and cannot be ridden in the very near future.
Clients of mine bought one with slightly suspicious back xrays, it was never "right", cost them a fortune to buy, treat and although it did do it's job it was never as good as it should have been, they should have walked away but loved the horse and like the OP had been searching for a long while, they have no regrets just empty pockets, they could afford to lose the money, not everyone can risk many thousands on a gamble.

 

[quirky]

A 3 year old I bought ended up having kissing spine.
She had scintigraphy to identify hock/fetlock pain and nothing showed up on her spine.
I asked the vet to xray her spine, just for completness really.
Nobody was more surprised than the vet when ks showed up. She showed absolutely no sign of it.
8 years on, she hasn't had a day lame, sick or sorry.

 

[Wheels]

Keep looking

You've only seen a handful of horses. The last time I bought an adult horse I think I viewed about 25 before I found the one!