Selling horse, buyer wants access to vet records

BlackRider

BlackRider

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I'm posting this asking for advice for a friend.

My friend is selling an outgrown pony, he's for sale at £1250, there is someone interested, and they want a 5 stage vetting, which is fair enough (think we all know that the upkeep of a horse isn't insignificant!), but the buyer has asked for access to his vets records too.

Had anyone else come across this? I've not heard of this before?
 
Becoming more common nowadays I think.

I presume your friend has no issue with allowing them access to the records unless the pony has had veterinary issues.
 
Not too sure if most veterinary practices will allow strangers to view their clients records. I have trouble getting permission to have a copy of x-rays of my horse which I have paid for let alone the vets letting somebody else view them!

If the horse is worth a lot of money then it may be a bit different but I certainly wouldn;t see the need for a vet to let a complete stranger view a horses medical history. Anyway, surely the owner would have invoices for any treatment carried out on the horse.
 
Thought it was from September buyers can have access to vet records but only with owners permission. It will be like vettings though, if you don't give permission it'll look like you've got something to hide.
 
Can't blame the buyer in this day and age. I was given a horse some time ago whose issues turned out to be much worse than I was led to believe and it led to a lot of strife. So if I was in the market again, I'd be tempted to ask, too!
 
I'm afraid I've suggested friends do this when buying, simply to be sure there's nothing horrible lurking in the past. Routine stuff isn't an issue, even cuts and scrapes etc, but you'd want to know if it had been treated for laminitis for example and unfortunately some sellers aren't honest about these things.

I'd ask if I ever bought another horse.
 
I think saying no makes it look as though there is something to hide. When I was viewing a mare recently I had concerns about the cause of a previous episode of lameness. I asked for permission to speak to their vet about it and this actually put my mind at rest. I went back for a 2nd look, which I wouldn't have done if they had said I couldn't chat to the vet about it. I think if I had decided to go ahead I would have been tempted to ask for the records.

If there is nothing to hide then allowing people to view records might just help to sell the horse...
 
I've always freely offered my buyers permission to contact my vet. Why wouldn't I? I want any horse I sell to go to the best possible home and if that means disclosing previous vet treatments/problems, then so be it. Otherwise the seller is just 'hiding' issues aren't they? If there aren't any issues, then why would an owner object??? And, equally, if they're also being fully honest with a buyer - why would they object???? :rolleyes:
 
i offered this to prospective purchasers when selling our pony. Think its important to be totally honest. Plus i was 100% confident as hed never had any issues at all.
 
Thanks everyone, will let my friend know this is now quite normal (its been I while since I last bought), she doesn't have anything to hide she was just surprised by the request.
 
when I bought my horse recently I wanted to see his medical history so his previous owner asked her vet to provide me with a copy of all his records, which they did. It was good to know everything that he's been treated for in the past, and nice to know it backed up what she had told me :)

I would definitely ask again in the future.
 
When I'm buying now I ask if I can have a chat with their vet and go over the records, and I've never been refused, thankfully. Usually the seller gives their vet permission to talk to me and I call them. However, I use 2 or 3 practices myself, and it would be possible I guess to give permission to chat with one, and exclude mentioning the other if you had something to hide, so not always as transparent as it seems.
 
Now you can have access, its one of the main things id be doing before buying along with a vetting, it costs to much in both cash and emotions if it goes wrong when people have been less than honest in selling
 
I wouldn't say it's standard personally. I don't know anyone who has asked.

I also know people who use one vets practise for vaccination and a different one for "issues". Not for the above reason, usually to do with cost, but it is something to consider as a buyer that people may do that to get around this.
 
We were offered access to our mares vet history when we brought her. The vendor authorised it with her vet then we spoke on the phone to the vet and he answered all our questions :)
 
galaxy said:
I wouldn't say it's standard personally. I don't know anyone who has asked.

I also know people who use one vets practise for vaccination and a different one for "issues". Not for the above reason, usually to do with cost, but it is something to consider as a buyer that people may do that to get around this.
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I do this - not for any sinister reason, but because my local practice is great for small stuff, but I use the Equine Vets for anything more serious. They are further away so it's not worth the extra travel costs for routine stuff.

Not that I would ever sell any of mine - no-one would want them! - but I could easily give details of the local practice and not the specialists :p
 
Also remember we can change vets at anytime, so what might of happend a while ago might not be on the vet records much like using two different ones.

Although when I registered they asked which vets I used to be with to get the records.
 
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I'm sure the sellers vet would provide the records to the buyers vet which they could inform the buyer if they thought there was anything the buyer should know about but I would be surprised if any vet just handed out clients history to anyone who asked for it?
 
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