Pre Purchase Advice

[Trampus_3939]

Hi

I've been going through the process of trying to buy my 16 year old daughters first horse, she is an experienced rider having been riding and around horses from 6 years old.

We've had one failed vetting, which was a good learning experience and although disappointing we moved on and kept looking.

Recently we found what I know deep down would have been my daughters dream horse - she's not had any preference on colour or breed but this was every girls dream.

I made it as clear that we were not window shopping, we're very much ready to buy pending a vetting.

The viewings went well, lovely natured horse, it was a private sale and we were given a reasonable amount of health information, couple of ongoing things but nothing too major as far as we were told.

I also knew of people who knew the yard and the horse and the seller was happy for a 5 stage vetting to be carried out post purchase.

But, as I've been getting insurance quotes and confirming everything for the vetting I requested permission for the horses medical/clinial records to be either viewed by me or passed to the vet.

The horse has had the same owner for half of it's life, isn't being sold by a dealer so I didn't anticipate any issues.

Turns out I was wrong and we've been refused consent to previous history with no explanation.

At the moment everything is at a standstill as I've been advised not to go ahead.


Is there any genuine reason that someone would someone agree to a 5 stage vetting and not consent to medical records?

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Maybe they ve fallen out with vets…recently moved vets or there is a problem…sarcoid treatment or some such. I’d have the 5stage vetting done and see if horse passes. Tell the vet to question everything. It’s only relatively recently that vet records have been “opened” to potential purchasers. O…unless they haven’t owned the horse for as long as they say……

 

[Birker2020]

Bear in mind that you can have as many vets to your horse. So getting vet history is not as cut and dry as you may think.
So someone may have used vet A simply for routine teeth and vacs.
Vet B may have been used for lameness investigation and medication of joints or following on from an accident.

If the seller is dodgy it is simple enough to just send you clinical history of Vet A.

I asked my vet if there was any database or anything else that linked vet histories up when buying a horse as I feel I have been possibly duped with my horse and he said there is no way of knowing what vet or how much input that vet has had in the horse pre purchase.

I did ring three vets numbers supplied to me by the vendor for the vetting of the horse I wanted to buy (as it was out of my area) and each vet receptionist checked the horses name and sellers address to confirm they weren't the owners vet before quoting me for a vetting.

What I should have done in hindsight is ring every vet within the area and got a quote for a vetting for the horse as I would have known if there was a conflict of interest and therefore a potential horses vet history. Always wise after an event.

 

[Clodagh]

I can see no honourable reason not to let you or your vet see them.
Will they agree to the vetting vet viewing them? Did they give a reason or was it just ‘no’.

 

[Trampus_3939]

This will hopefully shed some light as to why I'm really baffled -

The good bits:

- Same owner for 5 years
- Same vet for 5 years
- Agreed to stage 5 vetting
- Happy to share horse is on gastrokind and regumate - reason given was that she had an investigation done in her overies as she was in a bit of pain when in season, these are given as a precaution
- Annual injection in one fetlock for arteritis

The not so good bits:

- Wouldn't answer yes or no when I asked if above was being prescribed due to ulcers
- I wasn't given any other info other than "it was an investigation", no information on findings given - or that nothing was found just that above was precautionary (which I know can be commonly used with mares)
- Won't consent to medical info
- Absolutely no reason given

This isn't a horse at a couple of grand, she's a lot of money.

I've put the ball into her court, if she won't communicate with me then I'm not going ahead with the vetting.

It's such a shame as I know we could give her a great home, she is beautiful and she would be ideal.

Buying horses is very stressful these days, my Mum bought her horse in the 70s from an auction and he lived to be a grand old age with no drama!

 

[Clodagh]

I think she’s a no. Surely the arthritic fetlock is an issue if she’s expensive?

 

[shortstuff99]

This would be a no from me too. To be on regumate she has some sort of big issue with seasons. None of my mares have ever needed regumate. There will also have been investigations over the hock so I would want to see what was done and found.

 

[ycbm]

I can see no honourable reason not to let you or your vet see them.
Will they agree to the vetting vet viewing them? Did they give a reason or was it just ‘no’.

This. Walk away.
.