Sellers Drugging Horses

[onemoretime]

Had an interesting chat with a vet the other day regarding the difficulties of buying horses these days and that buyers should always have a vet check with blood pulled.

The blood is pulled and stored at Newmarket for 6 months during which time the new buyer can have it run at any time if they suspect a problem. After 6 months the blood is thrown away. On one occasion the Lab Technicians decided to run some of the bloods that were due to be thrown away. At least 6 out of every 10 were contaminated with drugs that would hide problems for several days after new buyer had got horse home.

Just goes to show what goes on and why you should always have a horse vetted with blood taken.

 

[Red-1]

Had an interesting chat with a vet the other day regarding the difficulties of buying horses these days and that buyers should always have a vet check with blood pulled.

The blood is pulled and stored at Newmarket for 6 months during which time the new buyer can have it run at any time if they suspect a problem. After 6 months the blood is thrown away. On one occasion the Lab Technicians decided to run some of the bloods that were due to be thrown away. At least 6 out of every 10 were contaminated with drugs that would hide problems for several days after new buyer had got horse home.

Just goes to show what goes on and why you should always have a horse vetted with blood taken.

I know it goes on but that is a higher proportion than I expected.

Have they posted about it? What made them decide to check them? What was the demographic of the horses?

 

[criso]

Is running the bloods at the time of vetting an option? I don't hear about people doing it but seems a reasonable thing to do.

 

[Red-1]

Is running the bloods at the time of vetting an option? I don't hear about people doing it but seems a reasonable thing to do.

There is nothing to stop you, but I believe it costs as much again as the actual vetting, almost, so is usually only done if there is a problem.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Had an interesting chat with a vet the other day regarding the difficulties of buying horses these days and that buyers should always have a vet check with blood pulled.

The blood is pulled and stored at Newmarket for 6 months during which time the new buyer can have it run at any time if they suspect a problem. After 6 months the blood is thrown away. On one occasion the Lab Technicians decided to run some of the bloods that were due to be thrown away. At least 6 out of every 10 were contaminated with drugs that would hide problems for several days after new buyer had got horse home.

Just goes to show what goes on and why you should always have a horse vetted with blood taken.

I always tell the vet I want the bloods checked before I buy the horse, not stored till I find out later after an accident, that it was miss sold.

Never part with my money till they are checked, to many have miss sold horses or dangerous or in pains ones.


Get bloods checked.

 

[anguscat]

Gosh. 20% doesn’t surprise me. 60% really does. Salutary. Thanks for posting that info.

 

[spacefaer]

Thankfully I've never had to run bloods but I understand it costs £250-300 to test them for "contaminants".
Most people take the gamble and don't get them tested. I'd guess the most likely drug to show up would be bute.

It also takes a few days to get the results and over the last couple of covid l/buying speedily and unseen years, I guess no one wanted to wait.
The buying unseen rush was an ideal time for the unscrupulous to shift some very dodgy field ornaments.

 

[ponynutz]

This is shocking but also a small sample size in one area of the country. For an actual percentage idea of what’s going on you’d have to test 50+ minimum across a few weeks/months/years in at least 20 random areas across England. I’d say 20% is more likely and this was possibly a particularly bad batch.

Still terrible though and would make me think twice about getting bloods taken and checked when vetting.

 

[Jenko109]

Must have been bloods taken in Essex

 

[Red-1]

Must have been bloods taken in Essex

I can think of a couple of other areas that would have high rates too.

 

[onemoretime]

I know it goes on but that is a higher proportion than I expected.

Have they posted about it? What made them decide to check them? What was the demographic of the horses?

I dont know any further details. Im not aware it was posted in the public domain. Just vets talking I think. This particular vet said she always pulls blood even on a 2 Stage vetting as it covers her back and also the buyers back.

 

[onemoretime]

Is running the bloods at the time of vetting an option? I don't hear about people doing it but seems a reasonable thing to do.

You can run the blood when its taken but you will have to pay for it on top of the vetting bill. Its only pulled because of dishonest people so unless you find a problem when you get the horse home there really isn't a need to run it.

 

[onemoretime]

I always tell the vet I want the bloods checked before I buy the horse, not stored till I find out later after an accident, that it was miss sold.

Never part with my money till they are checked, to many have miss sold horses or dangerous or in pains ones.


Get bloods checked.

I quite understand your reasons for doing so.

 

[onemoretime]

Gosh. 20% doesn’t surprise me. 60% really does. Salutary. Thanks for posting that info.

No problem, it did make me say wow but having been caught by a dealer in this way I somehow am not surprised. Its not only dealers, its private sellers as well.

 

[BronsonNutter]

This is shocking but also a small sample size in one area of the country. For an actual percentage idea of what’s going on you’d have to test 50+ minimum across a few weeks/months/years in at least 20 random areas across England. I’d say 20% is more likely and this was possibly a particularly bad batch.

Still terrible though and would make me think twice about getting bloods taken and checked when vetting.

Bloods from all over the UK will be sent to the lab in Newmarket - so not necessarily horses all from one area. As far as I'm aware there's only one lab that offers that service.

Bizarre as I've not heard anything like these kind of figures, and have only ever heard of one sample coming back as positive on drug analysis across the three practices I've worked for.

 

[onemoretime]

Thankfully I've never had to run bloods but I understand it costs £250-300 to test them for "contaminants".
Most people take the gamble and don't get them tested. I'd guess the most likely drug to show up would be bute.

It also takes a few days to get the results and over the last couple of covid l/buying speedily and unseen years, I guess no one wanted to wait.
The buying unseen rush was an ideal time for the unscrupulous to shift some very dodgy field ornaments.

Yes, its at least £300 possibly a bit more. Bute is a common one but also it has been known to give horses drugs that are used on hyper active children in order to calm a horse down. I remember a lady telling me that she had bought a pony from a dealer and it could hardly move at the back end after a couple of days and she had the blood run and it had Mepivacaine (sp) now Im not a vet so that it probably spelt wrong, in fact I know it is but dont know the correct spelling or pronunciation for it but it is an illegal drug so the dealers had to swiftly take the pony back.

 

[onemoretime]

Bloods from all over the UK will be sent to the lab in Newmarket - so not necessarily horses all from one area. As far as I'm aware there's only one lab that offers that service.

Bizarre as I've not heard anything like these kind of figures, and have only ever heard of one sample coming back as positive on drug analysis across the three practices I've worked for.

Yes, even bloods pulled in Scotland are stored at Newmarket. A lot of people are put off running the blood because of cost.

 

[toppedoff]

how long does it take to loose at bloods if you were to do it during a vetting? never realised that it was only newmarket who did it - suppose it makes sense though

 

[catkin]

It is worth saying to the seller 'of course I will have bloods pulled at the vetting' as their reaction can be quite instructive

 

[toppedoff]

It is worth saying to the seller 'of course I will have bloods pulled at the vetting' as their reaction can quite instructive

good shout!

 

[criso]

You can run the blood when its taken but you will have to pay for it on top of the vetting bill. Its only pulled because of dishonest people so unless you find a problem when you get the horse home there really isn't a need to run it.

I know but if you're pay a substantial sum which a lot of horses are, no more than multiple X rays and more black and white in the results.

If you run them when a problem arises, then you have the issue of trying to persuade a seller to take back/refund and at that point, you may be attached to the horse.

If the 60% figure is accurate and representative, that's a lot of sales that wouldn't proceed.

 

[ycbm]

It is worth saying to the seller 'of course I will have bloods pulled at the vetting' as their reaction can be quite instructive

It sounds like it would also be worth saying that you won't take the horse until the bloods have been tested and that will cause a delay in completing the purchase, even if you've no intention of doing it.

 

[hollyandivy123]

It is worth saying to the seller 'of course I will have bloods pulled at the vetting' as their reaction can be quite instructive

I have walked on a purchase when they refused to allow bloods

 

[ycbm]

I have walked on a purchase when they refused to allow bloods

I helped a friend persuade her husband to do the same. He was adamant he was going to buy the horse and that the excuse it might cause an abscess was genuine, but his wife got through to him in the end. The racehorse he intended to buy to point to point it went to the auction it was entered in ...... and was back again at the next sales.
.

 

[Sossigpoker]

My vet takes a blood sample even at a 2 stage vetting even though it's not strictly speaking required.

 

[GoldenWillow]

It is worth saying to the seller 'of course I will have bloods pulled at the vetting' as their reaction can be quite instructive

I was having a horse vetted and when it came to the vet to take bloods the seller suddenly remembered that the horse had had some bute the other day as it had been "stiff" as it had been on a long ride the previous day!

 

[ycbm]

I was having a horse vetted and when it came to the vet to take bloods the seller suddenly remembered that the horse had had some bute the other day as it had been "stiff" as it had been on a long ride the previous day!

Did you buy it?

 

[Indefatigable]

Many years ago I had the bloods run on a horse I bought from a dealer. The vetting vet tried to dissuade me. It came back positive for Mepivicaine.
I'm also interested to know if blood tests check for furosemide (Salix, Lasix)? This can mask a whole host of drugs that dodgy sellers use to cover up unsoundness. If not then running the bloods would seem to be a waste of money.

 

[GoldenWillow]

Did you buy it?

Ran away very quickly! There was another thing that came up in the vetting that would have made me think twice even without this.

 

[Lexi 123]

omg uk vets are amazing compared to Irish vets you have to ask for blood on 5 stages vetting. when bought my first horse and i only done a 2 stage vetting and she was diagnosed with arthritis later but I believe it was there on the vetting day but the vet barely spent 10 minutes.