Thoughts on flexion tests?

[Ilovefoals]

A friend is gutted as she had a horse vetted who she was madly in love with and it failed on a positive flexion test.

Do you guys think these tests are reliable or as some folk say, can make a sound horse look lame?

She is still thinking about buying said horse or having it re-vetted in a couple of weeks time.

Just wondering what peoples thoughts/experiences are?

 

[PucciNPoni]

I'm no expert...but if it was a horse I really wanted, I would investigate further with x-rays. Flex tests from what I understsand can make a horse look lame if they're not, but can also show potential problems if they haven't shown up yet under normal conditions.

A friend was gutted when her fit healthy and otherwise sound horse was failed on flex test for a sale. Never took a lame step in all the years she had him. The buyers loved the horse and were really impressed with his schooling and ability and looks.

 

[paulineh]

A flex teat can be very false. A very sound horse can look slightly lame when a flex test is done.

Try holding your own leg bent for one minute and then release and run straight away. You will feel funny and look funny.

Further tests should be done before finally deciding what to do.

I had a horse that failed a vetting due to a very minor lameness due to a flex test. He went on to do 1000's of miles as an endurance horse and was never lame in his life.

 

[abbieandfiona]

Mine passed flex tests when lame so dont really think too much on them i know horses who have failed vettings on the flex test who were sound and passed them next day fine.

 

[galaxy]

If she wants it get a different vet practice to come and do it. She could just ask for them to come a flexion test if she wanted... But the insurance may be funny....

A client horse passed a 5 stage. They sold it 2 years later. Vet failed it. They immediately called their own vet out within an hour (they were worried it was apparently lame!) and he worked and tested it for over an hour, basically redid the entire vetting and couldn't make it go lame!! His verdict, the vet held the leg up badly. He even over flexed her and couldn't make her go lame. Sadly, the buyers didn't buy it. They were worried about insurance.

So no, I don't really rate flexion tests.

 

[spacefaer]

I think flexion tests are too subjective to be entirely reliable.

Depends on how hard the vet holds the leg, how amenable the horse is to being flexed, the age of the horse, the mileage/wear/tear on the legs, the surface on which it is trotted......

IME the number of horses I've seen at Goresbridge & Cavan pass the original pre-sale vetting and fail the subsequent post sale vetting on flexions .... and vice versa. I don't hold them in much stead really

too many variables - I would get a second opinion

 

[Louby]

Agree with all. My horse failed miserable on LF flexion. He hobbled. The vetting was stopped at that. He wasnt mega money and I really liked him so after much thought went back and bought him.. That was 8 yrs ago and he has never been lame. Has since been flexioned on that leg out of interest and he was sound. My vet said any vet can make a horse lame doing flexions, just by the way the leg is held.
Saying that my horse was 4 when I bought him, I think if he would have been 10, I may have had a 2nd opinion though just to make sure. Also if he was a lot of money I dont think I would have gone ahead or would have had xrays etc as he wouldnt have been covered by insurance. I dont know how much it is now but back then any horse over £5k needs a vets certificate