Unhappy with vetting abroad

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CAZ123

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Has anyone had a problem with horse vetted abroad. Looking for advice. had horse 5 stage vetted and x-rays in Holland vet cert says conformation stance normal. when horse arriving in uk its pigeon toed! do i contact vet in holland or my insurance company any advice please?
 
Who did buy the horse from/through and did you go and see it in the Netherlands? Did you use their vet? Also, in the Netherlands/Germany there is often a clause in the "buying contract" (sorry not sure what the english translation would be!) that the horse is vetted on arrival to, which can result in the horse being returned/sale falling through depending on the findings at the second vetting - might be worth checking your contract.
Also get in touch with whoever you bought the horse from? I don't think contacting the vet in the Netherlands will achieve much personally.
Have you had a vet over here look at the horse and give you an idea of what they would have put down on a vetting? (would the horse have failed etc) That might also help when speaking to the seller. Your insurance company may have a legal department that can advise you, but ultimately not sure they can do much as it's not within the UK (I would think/assume you'd have to take it to a Dutch legal advisor, if it came that far).

If it was me, as a starting point, I'd give the seller a ring and take it from there.

Hope that helps!
 
Agree with contacting the seller first. Unlike above, though, I would also get in touch with the vet. Presumably you paid that person to act as your agent and they have not provided you with accurate information. Whether the horse would pass a vetting here or not is immaterial - the report does not accurately reflect the reality.

If there is a contractual issue or the horse is not as described then I suspect EU trading regulations might apply. After all, if you order a product from Germany, say, and it's not as advertised then you are not without recourse. I suspect your best port of call, if you can't get any joy from the seller, is a specialist solicitor.

Edited to say, you might want to check what "normal" means within the context of a Dutch vetting. It may be that the horse is within parameters, not that it's dead straight. It may also mean that any angular limb deformity is sufficiently mild as to not likely affect soundness.
 
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I know of a breeder local to me, who sold a pony which was ruined and then returned for a full refund two years later!!!

I want references from anyone who wishes to buy a horse from me and I want to know something about them.

As far as vetting is required I have experience with the same horse in UK and France. My Shagya stallion has just been 5 stage vetted for UK grading. I was somewhat disappointed as it said nothing - although of course I had no concerns about this particular horse.

In France his equivalent 5 stage vetting for 25% of the cost was rigorous. It included measuring the angles on his feet and very specific questions on foot conformation. Flexion tests and measurement of length and diameter of cannon bones, girth, height etc.

I think the French vetting was far superior.

I purchased two mares from Hungary and was unhappy with the vetting. I had them re-vetted on arrival. The stud offered a full refund and to transport them home at no cost to me.

However, I wanted to keep them. I negotiated a much reduced price for one, who is now the mother of my graded stallion. She is a fabulous brood mare.
 
Like in the UK, there are also different stages/classes of vetting you can have in NDL. Stating at around 100 euros to nearly 1500 euros. So agree with the above that it's worth finding out which vetting was carried out and contacting the seller in the first instance.

Sounds like re-vetting (or vetting on arrival, which is fairly standard within NDL/Germany) might be a good option if this means you can either return the horse or keep for a reduced price? (depending on what you want to do)
 
Thanks for replys. On vet cert it says to contact the vet that did the vetting if any problems. So I did ,sent him a letter from me my vet and my farrier to advise about the left fore. He sent me a email saying sorry can't help you I did not vet a horse for you. As on the vets cert it's not in my name as done through agent. I have receipts for the payment for vetting that I paid for and x ray's. I emailed him back to advise I paid for vetting as I was purchasing the horse. I hold the original vet cert all receipts etc and now he is just ignoring me.
 
TheMule said:
Sounds very dodgy to me- has the vendor/ agent forged the vetting?!
Click to expand...

I think the OP is saying the vet cannot discuss is as it's not the OP's name on the vet certificate and so his agreement is with the agent not the OP. Unfortunately fair enough as vets are not supposed to release information without the permission of the person who contracted them.

Back to the agent then, I guess. With a look into what sort of EU regs might cover trading issues.
 
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