To vet or not to vet

[I don’t like mondays]

Hi everyone
I’m pondering the value of vettings (when a horse or pony is less than £5k). Two I’ve had vetted recently and polar opposite experiences -

1) a pony failed at 2 stage for mild stringhault and subtle lameness (on hard stony ground)- we didn’t buy, vet strongly suggested this pony wasn’t right and to walk away

2) had a horse vetted which passed however X-rays at PPE showed significant kissing spine, that’s not mentioned on the vetting form and horse passed - I didn’t buy. This was a deal breaker (past experience) for me but vet was saying it wasn’t a big deal and was keen on horse

these are 2 completely different vets

To me it now feels like a vetting can be quite subjective and vet dependent. It’s always tough because 9/10 you can’t use your own vet either.

I think I’d still vet a future horse but I’m starting to wonder if they are worth anything? Is 2 stage sufficient? I personally feel X-rays tell you the most. I also know subtle lameness can be the most serious, but equally feel the flexion test isn’t worthwhile

thanks

 

[Bernster]

For less than 5k I’d prob do a 2 stage. I would always do a vetting and tend to need it for insurance purposes anyway. But yes they can be of mixed value and no guarantee!

 

[I don’t like mondays]

For less than 5k I’d prob do a 2 stage. I would always do a vetting and tend to need it for insurance purposes anyway. But yes they can be of mixed value and no guarantee!

Thanks Bernster, I suppose at least with a 2 stage it’s basic lameness and hearts eyes etc that get checked

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

experience number 2 still allowed you to walk away from a problem you personally wouldn't compromise on, so I think this is still an argument for rather than against vetting. I would always go for the top level I can on a horse purchase if I was spending more money than I could afford to set fire to. A one off spend of £700 or so could seem like alot, but cheap ponies don't cost less when the vet comes out...

That being said I have never purchased for more than £2000 and I have also never vetted, nor owned a horse that has cost less than £10k in vets bills.. correlation?

 

[I don’t like mondays]

experience number 2 still allowed you to walk away from a problem you personally wouldn't compromise on, so I think this is still an argument for rather than against vetting. I would always go for the top level I can on a horse purchase if I was spending more money than I could afford to set fire to. A one off spend of £700 or so could seem like alot, but cheap ponies don't cost less when the vet comes out...

That being said I have never purchased for more than £2000 and I have also never vetted, nor owned a horse that has cost less than £10k in vets bills.. correlation?

Thanks Shetland, however my grievance (against vettings) was it was only the X-rays (which I asked for) that showed a problem, the vetting was glowing despite KS

yes I had a ‘cheap’ horse that cost me similar to that in vets bills ?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Thanks Shetland, however my grievance (against vettings) was it was only the X-rays (which I asked for) that showed a problem, the vetting was glowing despite KS

yes I had a ‘cheap’ horse that cost me similar to that in vets bills ?

You could go 2 stage but then get feet and back x-rayed as the usual suspect points.. it would then be sods law that my purchase would have hock arthritis!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

For less than 5k I’d prob do a 2 stage. I would always do a vetting and tend to need it for insurance purposes anyway. But yes they can be of mixed value and no guarantee!

^ this

My mare was £ 2.200 I did 2 stage

 

[Melody Grey]

I’d rather have the peace of mind of a 2 stage on any horse- gives me the reassurance I haven’t missed anything glaringly obvious as I’m usually in my own, so I value the trained set of eyes.
That said, I’ve gone on to purchase vet fails at reduced costs with mixed results in terms of long term soundness so it’s all a big gamble, albeit at bargain basement prices for me.

 

[milliepops]

I think it comes down to how much you will "feel" the purchase price if it goes south with that horse. for me 5k would be much more than i've ever spent and so i would want to assure myself as much as possible, so would 5 stage.

2k i would 2 stage at the least, may as well avoid any very easily detectable things, and get farrier OH to have a good look at the limbs and feet.

That said... max i have spent has been £950 at the bin end auctions, others have been freebies, i have had mixed luck over the years but not down to anything that would have been picked up at a vetting. one thing that has paid off for me has been insurance, i insure anything that is in work.

 

[PeterNatt]

I would always have a horse vetted as I would hate to buy a horse and find that there was something wrong with it. I appreciate that they may not find everything but at least it is a good precaution.

 

[Annagain]

KS can show on xrays and never affect a horse though. Just because x-rays are less than ideal, doesn't mean a horse can't do its job.

In the same way, arthritic changes could show on xrays and never be an issue. My old boy was 24 when he suddenly, for the first time ever stopped at a fence with me. I took him straight to the vet. He x-rayed him and found severe arthritis in both knees. The left was pretty bad but the right was horrific. The vet was amazed he was even walking yet he trotted up completely sound and was only 1/10th lame after flexions. The vet estimated that arthritis had been developing for 10 years. 10 years in which he'd never taken a lame step.

 

[Goldenstar]

KS can show on xrays and never affect a horse though. Just because x-rays are less than ideal, doesn't mean a horse can't do its job.

In the same way, arthritic changes could show on xrays and never be an issue. My old boy was 24 when he suddenly, for the first time ever stopped at a fence with me. I took him straight to the vet. He x-rayed him and found severe arthritis in both knees. The left was pretty bad but the right was horrific. The vet was amazed he was even walking yet he trotted up completely sound and was only 1/10th lame after flexions. The vet estimated that arthritis had been developing for 10 years. 10 years in which he'd never taken a lame step.

Because he was bilaterally lame .

 

[Fred66]

I have never vetted but did insure the latest one on a just in case something goes wrong in the first year. It gave me opportunity to see if anything became apparent and then decide whether to continue with insurance or not.

 

[fawaz]

Thanks Shetland, however my grievance (against vettings) was it was only the X-rays (which I asked for) that showed a problem, the vetting was glowing despite KS

yes I had a ‘cheap’ horse that cost me similar to that in vets bills ?

I always have my own vet who I trust and know go over any x-rays, scans or blood results. I don't rely solely on a random vet.

 

[Birker2020]

Thanks Shetland, however my grievance (against vettings) was it was only the X-rays (which I asked for) that showed a problem, the vetting was glowing despite KS

yes I had a ‘cheap’ horse that cost me similar to that in vets bills ?

The trouble is xrays can be so subjective.

Vet and physio have both explained
to me that you could xray ten horses, eight of which could show KS or arthritic changes yet maybe only one of those horses is physically compromised.

So vet (presumably on palpation, stretching and seeing it moving) felt it wasn't as issue.

I was surprised to find my knee on xray was 'showing considerable arthritis' yet I'd never had issues with it before this point.

 

[SEL]

Both my mares were free so weren't vetted but have gone on to keep the vets in exotic holidays. What's interesting is one of the vets said she'd have passed my PSSM mare as suitable for riding club type work if she'd seen her on a good day and it wouldn't have even occurred to her to flag it as a risk.

I'd have my next one vetted but I'm sure it would then promptly either injure itself or be diagnosed with something rare and unusual.

 

[blitznbobs]

It Depends I’ve had it go both ways… my horses I have at the moment, a cob…not cheap and not vetted . I rode him he was sound when I rode him trotted him up. Not cheap but didn’t get him vetted. Still in full work 4 years later (touch wood)


i have an ish. expensive. Full vetting including x rays. Flew through vetting for low level eventing (up to be 100) colic surgery 9 months later and has never really worked properly since. Now is a large field ornament as lame in both hinds and probably a fore as well and has a host of other problems.

2 dressage bred warmbloods babies not vetted… watch this space.

I used to go with gut feeling and experience whether to get something vetted… now I vet for the x rays only on something that is expensive. I trust myself more than a lot of vets to know if something is lame especially if I’ve ridden it. I can feel lameness before I see it. So vetting depends on why your doing it and what you are going to do if the horse ends up out of action. I also should qualify this by saying I don’t insure so this isn’t a consideration

 

[ycbm]

Because he was bilaterally lame .

Possibly not if he was only 1/10 lame after flexions. That's barely visible, even after a flexion.
.

 

[ycbm]

I haven't vetted for years after losing use of two in a row with issues that should have been warned about on a vetting. I wouldn't recommend it, though, unless you are very experienced and insure (unless you can afford to lose the money and are can harden yourself to having the horse PTS rather than pay huge vet bills).
.

 

[I'm Dun]

I dont vet. I normally buy cheap. The last one was the most expensive horse I've ever bought but I knew people who knew him and could confirm he was and had been sound since he left racing. its a gamble, but buying a horse is a gamble. So many peope buy them than have them break shortly afterwards anyway.

 

[twiggy2]

Hi everyone
I’m pondering the value of vettings (when a horse or pony is less than £5k). Two I’ve had vetted recently and polar opposite experiences -

1) a pony failed at 2 stage for mild stringhault and subtle lameness (on hard stony ground)- we didn’t buy, vet strongly suggested this pony wasn’t right and to walk away

2) had a horse vetted which passed however X-rays at PPE showed significant kissing spine, that’s not mentioned on the vetting form and horse passed - I didn’t buy. This was a deal breaker (past experience) for me but vet was saying it wasn’t a big deal and was keen on horse

these are 2 completely different vets

To me it now feels like a vetting can be quite subjective and vet dependent. It’s always tough because 9/10 you can’t use your own vet either.

I think I’d still vet a future horse but I’m starting to wonder if they are worth anything? Is 2 stage sufficient? I personally feel X-rays tell you the most. I also know subtle lameness can be the most serious, but equally feel the flexion test isn’t worthwhile

thanks

Of course a vetting is subjective you are paying for a qualified pair of eyes to look at the horse that stands in front of them on any given day.
Many many vets don't ride or spend anytime round horses outside of work though so whilst medically they can assess what is jn fro t of them I do question their ability to say if the animal is fit for the job you want it to do.

 

[Annagain]

Because he was bilaterally lame .

And still totally up for everything, totally happy to jump, gallop about everywhere (under saddle and in the field) with a joie de vivre that you could only understand if you knew him. He didn't just do things, he was excited to do them. As I said, at the first sign of anything wrong - stopping at a jump for the first time in the 11 years I'd had him by that point - we went straight to the vet. I'm not denying he had issues, I'm just saying he didn't let them affect him for a long time just like some people cope better than others.

 

[irishdraft]

I've just had a horse vetted by a vet I don't know but I'm very glad I did. I had suspicions over a horses posture which were allayed by the very experienced groom or I should say I thought she was, as a 4* rider . Also said horse had physio every 6 weeks so how this posture had been missed I don't know but anyway horse failed vet for reasons I suspected so although I'm kicking myself for not having the courage of my convictions, I think we are lucky we can access good vets. So yes of course there are always people who say vettings aren't worth the paper there written on but that's the same of many things in life .

 

[Bobthecob15]

We recently had vetting's for 2 ponies for 5-6k, one failed (was unsuitable for a number of reasons rather than 'failed'), the other flew through (we bought him). I had 5 stage for both, had we been spending more than that then yes I probably would have gone for xrays.

Its not cheap but for me definitely worth it, had to pay random vets as they were both the other side of the country.

 

[mini_b]

.

 

[BentleyBelly]

I recently had a 12.2 kids pony 2 stage vetted before I bought him. I have one field ornament, I really don't want another. The vet I use is a fellow horsey Mum and knew exactly what I was after and what minor imperfections I can cope with. Personally I found the reassurance i needed from the vetting process and would do it again.