Questions to ask when buying a foal/yearling?

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FeatherPower

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Morning!

A friend is thinking about getting a youngster. What sort of questions should she ask ask when viewing a foal/yearling, other than the general things eg parentage, medical details etc?

Thanks!
 
what height it is exspected to make, vaccinations, worming, look at its conformation esp at pasterns etc see it going free in an arean so you can see its paces. what is nature ans attitude is like and also think about suitability as a four year old for what you want to do with it. as what its parents have do ie competition record any lameness issuses
 
When I brought my weanling I saw her, checked her conformation, saw her run around the field, met her mum, saw pics of her dad, checked her passport and that was about it.

Its really odd as it doesnt take long to meet them and theres not loads to go on so if you like you buy, its weird esp compared to trying a grown up!

I did get the vet to check eyes, heart etc just to be sure too.

Vicki
 
Yes thats what I thought! you can't really watch it ridden or see it jump or anything so limits what you can ask really.

re the vet check - is it commonplace to have a foal vet checked before buying or would you have some sort of 'warranty' period after buying?

conformation - this can be tricky with foals right? are they born with legs slightly turned out ?
 
I would ideally want to see both parents in the flesh - and moving if possible. see the youngster in a field and or stable and moving (preferably in an arena, not a boggy field)

Throughlu check over legs and feet, check mouth for deformities like a parrot mouth and yes, I'd get a vet to do a basic vetting - eyes, heart and lungs and soundness.

oh! and remember even the cutest foal can turn into an ugly adult so don't be fooled by the cuteness factor!
 
Usually get your vet to check eyes,heart,lungs and testicles if it is a colt.
Some foals take a while to come into themselves and may depending on their level of growth,etc may still not be fully correct for example a foal that is tall but still narrow may throw out its feet as their knees will not come around until they start to broaden.It is a very good skill to be able to buy foals and see their potential.
 
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even the cutest foal can turn into an ugly adult so don't be fooled by the cuteness factor!

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an ugly horse?! I thought they were all beautiful! hehe!
 
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