Should I attend vetting?

[w1bbler]

As title really, just put a deposit down subject to vetting 😊
I won't be able to get time off work next weekto attend a vetting.
How important is it, to actually be there, is being at the end of the phone sufficient?

 

[Tyssandi]

For my second mare and my pony after and my new mare i did not attentend - I don't think it is if you cannot get there. If you can then i would but not always feesable
1. was in south wales
2. was in carmarthernshire
3. welyn

 

[Shay]

It is really important. I'm sorry - but you should not accept an animal vetted when you are not there. or if you do you deserve what you get.

I know that sounds harsh but I have avoided a vetting or two over the years. the horses are for my daughter and getting time of school is sometimes difficult. The school would accept - even applaud her time off to compete - but to be the jockey at a vetting... no.

You do really need to be there. To see what happens. To know if the horse is going as it did when ridden. To ride (or have your jockey ride) for that section. To be able to discuss with the vet in real time what might be of concern. If a test comes out slightly negative - how negative is it really? You can't know that if you are not there.

I have bought horses / ponies from vettings we could not attend. But without exception there issue which we might have spotted had we been there. Only once something serious - but I suspect that is luck rather than good judgement. If your vet phones part way through and suggests a blood test... agree!

 

[Goldenstar]

I usually don't but always talk to the vet beforehand .
To Tell him anything I have observed and want his opinion on and to discuss the job the horse is being bought for.

 

[gnubee]

Wasn't possible for me to be at mine but I had a call with the vet who talked through everything and that was fine. I wish I'd talked to him first rather than his receptionist though as one of my worries was she was a bit cow hocked and upright in the hinds. He said it was fine and she has grown out of it with age, but I don't think he got the message to check for that pre getting and until she grew into herself I did keep wondering if he would still have had no comments on it if he'd been really looking for it during the vetting rather than recollecting afterwards.

 

[JennBags]

I think it's important to be there if you can. I had a horse vetted that failed on flexion, and as the vetting was cut short then it obviously saved me money, but had I not been there, the vet would have continued; plus it was very clear to me that there was a problem there. With my first horse I wasn't there, and the vet didn't tell me on the phone that he had a back problem, so I bought the horse and only discovered it when I received the vet report. (It turns out he was the best horse I have ever had but it would have been nice to know the full ins and outs before I bought him, and the back problem went away with good physio and some muscle development).

 

[rara007]

It's pretty common to not attend. I've rarely had purchasers come to the vettings of ours and have only had one vetted and as he was abroad I didn't fly out to see it. (had already viewed the pony)

 

[Goldenstar]

I would never ever ride a horse I was buying at the vetting it's not your horse at that stage it needs to be the owner or the representative of the owner who does it .

 

[be positive]

I would never ever ride a horse I was buying at the vetting it's not your horse at that stage it needs to be the owner or the representative of the owner who does it .

I will never allow the purchaser to ride for a vetting, the only time I did, in part because I was feeling unwell so let their groom ride, he didn't keep the horse balanced so it was not moving well from the start, I felt it was impossible to take over, the vet asked for ridiculous things to be done, nothing to do with a normal vetting routine and which I would have refused to do, then to cap it off he ruined a decent saddle because his boots had mud on them which rubbed it, horse failed.

As for the OP there is no reason you have to attend, I have sold many that the new owners were not there for and the same when buying I prefer to go but if I trust the vet there should be no reason to think they will miss something especially if you flag up anything you are concerned about and ask them to contact you if there is a problem and they think it a waste of time to continue.
As for the comment about taking bloods I find they take them as standard even in a 2 stage unless to ask them not to rather than the other way round, don't forget bloods can be useful to the vet if they miss something that shows up at a later date, it can cover their back not just yours.

 

[Asha]

Im and ideal world you would be there , but sometimes it's just not possible.

I bought one from Ireland , no way was I going to fly over for the vetting. if I'm buying in an area that my vet doesn't cover or too expensive to send my vet I ask them to recommend one. I then have a good chat with the vet doing the vetting beforehand , just to talk through any concerns or areas I want to focus on.

After the vetting , we then have a good chat about the results. The vets I've used have so far been spot on in every respect

 

[ycbm]

Im and ideal world you would be there , but sometimes it's just not possible.

I bought one from Ireland , no way was I going to fly over for the vetting. if I'm buying in an area that my vet doesn't cover or too expensive to send my vet I ask them to recommend one. I then have a good chat with the vet doing the vetting beforehand , just to talk through any concerns or areas I want to focus on.

After the vetting , we then have a good chat about the results. The vets I've used have so far been spot on in every respect

If I was buying from Ireland I would only use the vets on the Gorsebridge sales panel or one recommended to me by someone I knew very well.

 

[Asha]

My vet recommended them, he knows the practice very well. The vetting was spot on too ,I asked hem to comment about temperament as well, again spot on. This was particularly important as I bought unseen

 

[LeannePip]

I think if you can attend then its very useful, if you can't then make sure you have a chat with the vet carrying out the vetting before hand, not just the receptionist!

I didn't attend my current horse's vetting or use my own vet as it was nearly 5 hours away, but i did use the vet of a friend who wasn't far away, who also came highly recommended on here when I posted asking for Vets in the area (was also not the sellers vet!). I spoke to the vet and told him what the intended use of the horse was and discussed if anything had stood out for me, then after the viewing he called me back we discussed everything and he sent the vet report immediately so i could look at that before contacting the owner to make the decision.

All worked out fine horse is Fabulous and there isn't anything i would have picked up had i attended the vetting!

 

[FestiveFuzz]

The only vetting I've not attended was the one for Pops and there is a part of me that wonders if things were missed, especially as the vet in question deemed it unsafe for her to be ridden at the vetting (complete nonsense as she was the most laid back youngster I've ever met).

I'll never know for sure, but in my case it's been a costly mistake.

 

[millitiger]

I would always attend a vetting personally.

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Absolutely attend unless logistics make it impossible. Vetting is about a horse being fit for purpose and how can a vet assess this without you being there to talk about what the purpose is going to be? Yes you can do it over the phone but physically being there means that you can discuss, with the vet and also with the owner, any issues that the vetting finds and it will find issues - no horse is perfect. What is a 'no-no' for some owners is an 'Ok' for others.

You can also ensure that the vetting is done properly and thoroughly, especially if you are not using your own vet.

This is another chance to see the horse. Remember also that a vetting is only the vets professional opinion on that day.

 

[Shay]

Really interesting views - especially from bepositive. Having only sold (and bought) privately I had not thought of it from a professional producer's perspective. Although in fairness the response only underlies why you should ride if you can. A professional can influence the horse's way of going to present a better picture than the new owner might be able to and it is what the new owner wants that is the purpose. If the owner was not willing to allow me to ride at the vetting I simply would not proceed. If the horse was sound and safe enough to ride for trial then it would still be so at the vetting.

But that said - there are going to be cases and times when you can't. In which case all you can do is the best possible.

 

[Goldenstar]

Why as a buyer would you need to ride yourself at a vetting .
The horse is not yours if by some strange chance it's damaged during the process you're in a right muddle to it fails then the owner goes off in one and says it's down to you .Its the buyer job to present the horse for vetting I won't even lead them up if I am there .
All they are doing is raising the horses heart rate for the heart and wind tests .
Vetting is not an interactive activity the vet is working within a preset system to reach his judgement .
I do go sometimes if my best friend is doing the vetting but I never say a word to her unless she speaks to me .

 

[teddypops]

You don't need to be there, when you book a vetting, you and the seller will be asked everything necessary. The buyer will be asked what are they intending to use the horse for and if they have any points of concern etc. The buyer will be asked questions about the horse and whether their facilities are suitable for performing a vetting etc Usually, the vet will speak to the buyer before and after the vetting. The vet won't continue a vetting if the horse isn't fit for it to continue whether you are there or not. The seller provides the handler/ rider not the buyer.

 

[be positive]

Really interesting views - especially from bepositive. Having only sold (and bought) privately I had not thought of it from a professional producer's perspective. Although in fairness the response only underlies why you should ride if you can. A professional can influence the horse's way of going to present a better picture than the new owner might be able to and it is what the new owner wants that is the purpose. If the owner was not willing to allow me to ride at the vetting I simply would not proceed. If the horse was sound and safe enough to ride for trial then it would still be so at the vetting.

But that said - there are going to be cases and times when you can't. In which case all you can do is the best possible.

The vet asked the rider to canter figures of 8 on less than 15 metre circles without trotting on the change of direction, why I have no idea, he did not have flying changes established, sold as a PC/RC schoolmaster, she had been told before starting, I would have refused as the poor horse was totally unbalanced and confused, nothing to do with covering up anything or showing it to be better than it was, more about being in control of the situation and giving the horse a good chance of passing which at the end of the day both parties want a positive result not a fail due to it looking "wrong behind in canter and going disunited at times on the changes of direction" which is what happened to this horse.

The most interesting vetting I attended was when the vet rode, very experienced 4* eventer, it was a horse I had not ridden at the trial with my client because I had not felt the need as it went so well, he immediately asked me if I had sat on it and that rang alarm bells, it was not right and while it trotted up sound, looked sound under saddle it was obvious from on top it was uneven, a bit of digging and it had just had treatment for psd and had recently been denerved, we ran away but it showed me that I need to sit on and feel not just advise from the ground, if another vet had seen it I think it would have passed.

 

[ester]

Why as a buyer would you need to ride yourself at a vetting .
The horse is not yours if by some strange chance it's damaged during the process you're in a right muddle to it fails then the owner goes off in one and says it's down to you .Its the buyer job to present the horse for vetting I won't even lead them up if I am there .
All they are doing is raising the horses heart rate for the heart and wind tests .
Vetting is not an interactive activity the vet is working within a preset system to reach his judgement .
I do go sometimes if my best friend is doing the vetting but I never say a word to her unless she speaks to me .

Friend rode, owner had become too scared of her own homebred 4yo to ride it much/if at all/properly and understandably friend wanted it ridden for vetting and no one else available. Both parties were happy, horse passed.
I can't quite fathom how riding it for the vetting and horse being damaged while being observed is any different to you riding it at viewing and it becoming damaged. Unless you mean if a deposit has been place subject to vetting?

OP I would go if I could but if it really wasn't possible I would speak to the vet before hand.

 

[frostyfingers]

I couldn't attend the vetting for the most recent purchase but used a vet recommended and used by a relative who was local to the seller. I had a long conversation with him before hand where he asked me what I wanted it for, how it was described in the advert, price and whether I had any specific things I wanted him to check for. He rang me back at the end of the vetting, whilst sitting in his car and sent me a photo of his notes. He was really helpful and I had no worries about not being there.

 

[MagicMelon]

If possible then I would always prefer to be there as you can see everything first hand, it also gives you more on an insight into the horses behaviour too.

 

[SO1]

I have experience of two vetting's and I was not there for either due to work commitments.

The first failed the vetting and I did not go ahead with the purchase the second passed and is still with me 10 years later. I do not have the knowledge to pick up on something that an experienced vet would not notice and would have always gone with the vets advice so not being there did not matter. Some vets do specialise in vetting's and I did use a practice that had a Senior Vet who had a specialist interest in vetting's. He asked me what I wanted to go with the pony, if there was any concerns or issues that I had and he called me back from his car straight after the vetting so I knew the results. As I was purchasing a native pony I was especially concerned about laminitis which I explained to the vet this meant the vet checked digital pulses before exercise and spent more time looking at the hooves than perhaps they normally would. The first pony failed due to cataracts but the vet also pointed out that the pony was overweight and another week on good grazing and he might come down with laminitis. The pony also misbehaved on the vetting and the rider fell off, which the vet told me about.

Second vetting I had with same practice and luckily pony passed. Vet said he had been kicked but was not lame and only comment was that the pony was very quiet but he did not think he had been doped, it was just his nature. He did take bloods but they were never needed. He was only five and started off quiet but has become more spirited as he has aged, now he is 15 he is lively.

It is great if you can be there but some people won't be able to get time off work easily at short notice or may have other commitments they cannot rearrange and if they wait until they are free then the horse may be sold to another person who gets the vetting done sooner.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I would want to be there for a vetting come what may.

It is an ideal opportunity to see how the horse reacts in a slightly pressured situation and whether it is polite and mannerly and stands up well for the vet, picking up feet etc etc., vital to know this before purchase IMO!

Also, especially if you don't know the vet in question, it gives you an opportunity to have a chat with the vet, ask questions etc etc.

Yes I would want to be there!

 

[JanetGeorge]

Very few of our buyers come for the vetting - but rely on the vet telling them all they need to know. It's usually a 5 stage vetting - and the last one also had a STACK of x-rays done (buyer was seriously paranoid, lol). The vet complimented the mare's behaviour to the buyer - which is usually standard.

 

[Andalucian]

I think it depends on you. If this is your one and only horse, and all your hopes and dreams are pinned on it, you need to be there. Personally, I'd always be there, there will be something that the vet comments on, it's much better to be there and discuss it with the vet at the time, than deal with it later.

 

[Kaylum]

If you can't be there ask the seller to video it for you

 

[Tyssandi]

It is really important. I'm sorry - but you should not accept an animal vetted when you are not there. or if you do you deserve what you get.

I know that sounds harsh but I have avoided a vetting or two over the years. the horses are for my daughter and getting time of school is sometimes difficult. The school would accept - even applaud her time off to compete - but to be the jockey at a vetting... no.

You do really need to be there. To see what happens. To know if the horse is going as it did when ridden. To ride (or have your jockey ride) for that section. To be able to discuss with the vet in real time what might be of concern. If a test comes out slightly negative - how negative is it really? You can't know that if you are not there.

I have bought horses / ponies from vettings we could not attend. But without exception there issue which we might have spotted had we been there. Only once something serious - but I suspect that is luck rather than good judgement. If your vet phones part way through and suggests a blood test... agree!

It is advisable in truth but not always possible due to work etc, my pony was 5.5hrs away so impossible to go down there for a 2 hr vetting.

 

[Goldenstar]

If you can't be there ask the seller to video it for you

Unless the seller has staff or friends there they will handling the horse