Sooo wish I hadn't had her vetted - your expert advice needed (again)!

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diddy

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Hello everyone!

In case anyone remembers the story, we have seen a lovely pony and had her vetted this week. The vet came back saying she has a thickening of the extensor tendon on her off hind leg. I think that's what she said but my knowledge of horsey geography is limited to knowing which end is which! Basically, she has a small lump on the bottom of her leg :)

Without further investigation, the vet won't pass her for more than just hacking. When she's fitter and older we would probably want to do a bit of jumping, PC stuff and low level endurance (pleasure rides etc.)

She's not lame and the lump doesn't appear to bother her in any way. She passed the flexion test and trotted up fine. It could be nothing at all and never give her any bother. However, it could of course turn out to be something awful that means we can't do what we want with her or she ends up lame.

The vet could solve this for us by doing a scan but this would involve shaving her leg which her current owner doesn't want to do. Not unreasonably, she thinks if we decide not to buy on the basis of the scan she is stuck with a half-shaved pony and may as well stick a big label on her saying "this horse has a problem" :)

We really wanted this pony and I want to think it's all a big deal about nothing. She most likely had a kick a while ago that's never given her any grief and never will do. But equally, if it turns out to be something major, I'll feel like a right muppet.

So, what d'you think we should do? Has anyone had a similar experience..? If so did you walk away or go for it..? And how did it turn out for you in the end..?!

All idea welcome and apologies if I've rambled on a bit. You should hear me when I've got a pint inside me :rolleyes:

Diddy x
 
Depends what price she is I guess. But then if she's expensive enough that u've had a vetting u ought to take the advice u paid for. That said i'd go with my gut.
 
Walk away!! My friends horse failed because of a curb (not the same but you know) Similar to you not lame fine on flexion, it ended up having OCD in the stifle and because of the curb insurance had excluded that leg so there was nothing they could do and in the end had to give him back with no refund to the breeder as they couldnt afford two horses and he could only lightly hack (shes on here btw)!

Seriously if the owner doesnt want her scanned when its in her best interest (horses) and is prepared to lie to new people and not say about the problem, if the scan shows up something (which I assume would be the only reason you wouldnt go ahead with purchase) that is then how do you know shes being truthful with you in the first place and hasnt already had it fail a vetting or she might have had scans and found a problem!

Coincidentally thats what happened with friend, she fell in love and a bit naively (hinsight of course) bought the horse on the basis that she had been told he had passed to get into the police force but the owner decided she didnt want him to go and also told he had passed a vetting but the potential purchasers pulled out. Truth was he failed the police horses for hind limb and a heart murmur and failed the vetting with potential purchasers. She found this out as I was a friend without realising of someone who was good friends with the "potential purchasers" which set alarm bells ringing in her head so they rang the police and was informed why he wasnt taken!!
 
Personally I would walk away from and underlying problem in a potential horse. You never know what could be wring with it and 2 years down the like you could end up with a lame horse that can no longer be ridden. Also could cost more than you originally bargained for! x
 
I would walk away - I know you have set your heart on this pony, but there are plenty more out there just waiting for you to take them home, and who will pass a vetting.
 
Really sorry, but if the owner refuses to let the scan go ahead, you have no choice but to walk away. You can't do any more, and it's a big chance to take otherwise. :(
 
If the vet has indicated they are 'suspicious' about the swelling then I would say you either insist on a scan to find out if there is an issue or you walk away. It could be nothing BUT it could be something and to be honest if the vet is unsure then that would make me think about just walking away. If the owner won't allow you to have a scan then I would leave it to be honest. There are plenty of horses out there without issues there already

Back in the day when we were looking for ponies/horses sooo many failed (we were probably naive - these days I would have probably seen some issues myself!). That was before the days of scanning. You went off what the vet said.

At the end of the day it's your decision but I would be wary of any potential underlying tendon issue. They are mroe difficult to rectify than say a fracture. A damaged tendon is likely to continue as a weakness, whereas a broken bone fixes and, although there could be a blemish (ie lump) there's no reason that it'd be any weaker.
 
Walk away. The owner is being stupid - they are relying on the hopes now that the next purchasers won't want a vetting - if they do the same problems will arise again. Better for their sakes to find out what the issue is, on your time and money rather than theirs!
 
I too would walk away. Wouldn't be quite so bad if horse was already doing what you intended to do in the future but you have no way of knowing if she will hold up to what you want to do in the future, that is always a risk BUT a huge risk with one the vet is worried about.
There are more horses out there. i know how hard it is as I too had one fail the vetting, but the one I have now if far better than the one that failed so it worked out for the better in the end
 
It is always a risk buying a horse and equally you could have a horse pass a 5 stage vetting only for it to fall ill within a very short time of owning it, as happened to me.

If you really want the horse, get the leg scanned. If the current owner doesn't want you to do this then walk away. However even if you do have the leg scanned and the vets mention a lesion or ' whatever' on the tendon, it is highly likely that any insurance company will exclude that leg for at least a year.

As others have said, there are many horses out there who I'm sure would be just as good, or you could pay your money and take your chance.

My tb x con failed his vetting with a grade 4 heart murmur but we still went ahead and bought him, that was 7 years ago and he's been absolutely fine! Good luck with your decision.
 
The owner's response sounds very suspect! The horse has a potential problem that would be uncovered by any serious buyer, it's in the owner's interest to find out what is going on there. If the horse doesn't have a problem then you can buy it or the report from the vet will be available for other buyers. If the horse does have a problem then the owner needs to know about it!

Sadly, walk away!
 
I always think it's pointless to pay out all that money for a vetting to then go against the vet's advice when problems are hightlighted ???

Either don't have the next one vetted and take a chance or walk away because the pony has failed or offer them a really cheap price and keep your fingers crossed . . . . . simples !!
 
Booboos said:
The owner's response sounds very suspect! The horse has a potential problem that would be uncovered by any serious buyer, it's in the owner's interest to find out what is going on there. If the horse doesn't have a problem then you can buy it or the report from the vet will be available for other buyers. If the horse does have a problem then the owner needs to know about it!

Sadly, walk away!
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Echo this too again especially as she is not doing much work, owner may even be worried that she won't hold up to much more than she is doing now. I know someone who sold a horse like this.
It injured itself and when she started doing more it went lame again. she cut back on the work until it was sound then tried again, again it went lame. So again she cut back on work until it was sound then sold it as 'not done much' I heard it went lame within a couple of months of average RC type work it passed the vetting too
 
Scan it or walk away. In any case the owner should be able to cover up any clipped hair by clipping all the hair off the other legs if scan isn't good news. If in doubt and you still really like horse scan it.
 
Think current owners response is very weird. In that, she is hoping to hide the problem from other potential buyers...when she should really be wanting to find out for herself what the problem is.

I know that it will be super difficult as you really like this pony, but you've been given advice and I really do think you should take it on board.

Press for the scan and if the response is still no...walk away.
 
I have to say I would just go with my "heart". If you want the pony then buy him and just try and negotiate a price you are happy to pay. I have never had horses vetted but I only compete at local level and if all fails i would accept a happy hacker but that may not be your thinking.
Some vets are OTT about covering their backs and in reality the lump may not cause a problem at all. If you are keeping it I would be far less worried than if you are likely to sell it on in a few years. Keep us posted.
 
Well, I have never had a horse vetted and have never had cause to regret that BUT if I had paid for a 5 stage vetting then I would take the vet's advice.
In this case I'd either insist on the scan or walk away. Certainly if the owner continues to refuse to allow a scan, it sounds as though she knows what will be found, so I would find another pony to buy.
 
GypsyTheCob said:
Personally I would walk away from and underlying problem in a potential horse. You never know what could be wring with it and 2 years down the like you could end up with a lame horse that can no longer be ridden. Also could cost more than you originally bargained for! x
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I completely agree, walk away. You say she most likely had a kick in the field but the law of the sod means if you don't get too check it out fully it probably won't be all that innocent.

Just not worth it, its bad enough for us adults but for a kid, I wouldn't go there.
 
Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all your comments. I thought everyone would say I'm overreacting and that I should go for it anyway, so most of the replies took me by surprise!

I'm planning to speak to the vet again about it and after all your helpful comments will talk to the owner again and see whether she might change her mind about the scan.

Fingers crossed that we can work something out - will let you all know how it goes. Thank you again :)

Diddy x
 
Walk away. You'll never get that leg (at least) insured so you could be buying a very expensive veterinary problem and might end up skint and with an unrideable horse. And as others have said, the owner's attitude is downright dodgy!
 
Walk away!

Also, if the owners refuse to let you continue with the vetting by scanning, then they've wasted your time and money - I'd be looking to have them repay you!

Did the vendor sign an agreement with the vet that the horse could have a 5 stage? (which most decent vets require!) and sometimes covers any furthur investigations which may arise from the vettings (x-rays being a common one) then look at the terms of that agreement, and you might have some grounds.
 
How big is the pony? How old? There was a long article in the Chiltern and Thames Rider this month about horse that had failed the vet but still gone on to be fantastic animals. Seriously if the animal is a small hairy native then they are less likely to break down than a larger horse with a similar issue. The vets have to be 100% cautious these days.

It comes down to whether the pony is worth taking a risk on. If he is fantastic in every way for your child - safe, honest, good brakes, good to handle etc then I would ask them to drop the price considerably and go for it. It was only a thickening and could have been anything - as you say a very old injury that will never cause any problems. However, if the pony is not 100% in every way then go and find one that is.

What about getting a second opinion from another vet - just to come up and take a look at the one issue - not a whole vetting.

Good luck.
 
As the others have said the owner maybe hiding something, why dont they pay for the scan as surely its in their interest to. i.e. its not your animal and if you paid for scan to find out whats wrong with someone elses horse.

If you really like it put in a very cheeky offer.

Anyway hope everything works out for you.
 
diddy said:
Hello everyone!

In case anyone remembers the story, we have seen a lovely pony and had her vetted this week. The vet came back saying she has a thickening of the extensor tendon on her off hind leg. I think that's what she said but my knowledge of horsey geography is limited to knowing which end is which! Basically, she has a small lump on the bottom of her leg :)

Without further investigation, the vet won't pass her for more than just hacking. When she's fitter and older we would probably want to do a bit of jumping, PC stuff and low level endurance (pleasure rides etc.)

She's not lame and the lump doesn't appear to bother her in any way. She passed the flexion test and trotted up fine. It could be nothing at all and never give her any bother. However, it could of course turn out to be something awful that means we can't do what we want with her or she ends up lame.

The vet could solve this for us by doing a scan but this would involve shaving her leg which her current owner doesn't want to do. Not unreasonably, she thinks if we decide not to buy on the basis of the scan she is stuck with a half-shaved pony and may as well stick a big label on her saying "this horse has a problem" :)

We really wanted this pony and I want to think it's all a big deal about nothing. She most likely had a kick a while ago that's never given her any grief and never will do. But equally, if it turns out to be something major, I'll feel like a right muppet.

So, what d'you think we should do? Has anyone had a similar experience..? If so did you walk away or go for it..? And how did it turn out for you in the end..?!

All idea welcome and apologies if I've rambled on a bit. You should hear me when I've got a pint inside me :rolleyes:

Diddy x
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i have a horse we bought last may with exactly the same thing she is a hunter and hasn't had any problems she is 10 . there are vets around that have a machine which scans and you dont have to shave the leg my vet has one and hes from lambourn so if you really like the horse might be worth trying to find a vet which has one of these magic machines just for peace of mind if you really want the horse and the price is right What do you intend to do with the horse?
 
She's not lame and she passed the flexion test!

I think vets can be OTT as they're scared of being sued somewhere down the line. Afetr all, it's in their best interests to fail a horse. They still get paid but they haven't given anything the ok :(

If you really like that pony, you'll compare every other one you look at and will kick yourself if someone else buys her and you miss out.
 
i agree with the people that say push for a scan and if the owner refuses then walk away. i know if i was selling i'd be happy to have a scan done on my pony if that's what was needed, it would also show me that the person wanting him loved him enough to go through that. that's how the owner should be thinking if she cared about the pony.

i don't know how much the pony is but maybe offer her a very low amount if you have your heart set on the pony, or tell her that you will offer x amount if the pony passes the scan.

another thing to maybe ask if she is so against you scanning is ask her if you could have permission to speak to her vet about the leg. again if she is against that then walk away, she obviously has something to hide and there could be more little 'secrets' that come out once you buy the pony. good luck.
 
Other people have given you great advice. If you do decide to buy the pony, the vetting issues would be a very valid reason to bargain for a significantly lower purchase price.
 
diddy said:
We really wanted this pony and I want to think it's all a big deal about nothing. She most likely had a kick a while ago that's never given her any grief and never will do. But equally, if it turns out to be something major, I'll feel like a right muppet.

So, what d'you think we should do? Has anyone had a similar experience..? If so did you walk away or go for it..? And how did it turn out for you in the end..?!
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Yep, went through something almost identical last summer with a mare I'd absolutely fallen in love with but my vet had concerns about one of her fetlocks (and then she went and got injured in another manner, blah blah blah, long wait etc etc).

In the end we went halves on Xays with the seller and my vet (and all others at my practice) failed her. It hurt, but I did indeed walk away. I already have one (heartbreakingly) young field ornament and going through her being written off aged 8 was much worse than not buying a horse I'd fallen for.
 
I bought a horse who had been vetted and passed the vetting, however afterward the vet mentioned that she had some sensitivity in her back, which we had noticed during the vetting. We discussed it and thought it may be due to a badly fitting saddle (we later found out the dealer we bought her from had pretty much 1 saddle for every horse!) and so went ahead with the purchase. Fast forward 2 months and she was dangerous and ended up back at the dealers! I wish we had listened to our heads not our hearts.
 
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