Vetting advice

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sarahp

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Hello all,

I am considering buying a horse who is currently owned by a friend. This will be my first horse. She bought him three months ago when he was in a poor and neglected state. He was very thin with no muscle tone. She had the farrier out, who said that his feet were overgrown but otherwise in good shape. The vet came out to check a lump on his hock which is pretty sizeable but not tender. The X Ray didn't show up any problems. A physio has checked his back. He has now been brought back into work and is sound and working well (and jumping). One residual problem is that he is very unhappy about anyone mounting on the nearside but is quite happy to be mounted from the off side. This seems to be psychological given that his back has been checked.

What I am wondering is whether there is any point in having him vetted. I have ridden him several times and am quite confident that my friend is not trying to rip me off, especially as I am going to keep him at her yard! Is vetting going to tell me anything I don't already know? Would be grateful for any opinions.

Thanks!
 
I would get the horse vetted, yes. Especially as he now seems to be in some sort of full work 3 months after being in such a sorry state.....
 
I would vet it unless it is very cheap and easy to pass on if you find it does not meet your needs in the future.

Your friend and you do not know if it has a heart murmur, eye issues etc etc. You mention it has been in a poor state in the past, why ? could it's past history have any long term health effects ?

Plus, you need to consider if you plan to insure it as many companies require a ticket even on a cheaper purchase before they will insure it.

I am more cautious than most, but if it turns out have health problems it will cost you alot more to keep and give you a lot less pleasure than another fit and healthy horse will. If money is not an issue to you then take the chance and don't vet it, you can always bin it and start again. But, if money is a consideration I would advise vetting it.
 
I am one for going on gut instinct when buying a horse a vetting is only valid for the day and many things can go wrong afterwards. The two things that I really have no idea about that are easily checked by a vet are eyes and heart, so I usually have a 2 stage done mainly to do these checks.
As you are buying a horse you know was not vetted recently I would get a 2 stage done just for peace of mind, it will make things easier when purchasing from a friend if all is well now.
 
Thanks for your help so far. Just to clarify, the horse had previously been owned by a novice who lost interest and just bunged him in a field for several months with no food. When my friend bought him he was very thin and sore where his rug had rubbed him after wearing it for so long without a break. The vet has been out for vaccinations and has checked his heart. Thanks again.
 
amymay said:
I would get the horse vetted, yes. Especially as he now seems to be in some sort of full work 3 months after being in such a sorry state.....
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May I ask why you feel this way? My mare went from this to this in 2 months so was more than capable of being in practically full work just after 3 months?

OP I would get the horse vetted for your piece of mind, if your friend is a good friend she shouldn't mind.
 
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You , need to do what feels best for you, your pocket and the value of your friendship with the horses current owner.

As I said previously if the horse is cheap then a 5 star expensive vetting is possibly over the top, especially if the horse is not destined to do top end activities.

Apart from my £200.00 bargain, all horses I have bought have been alot of money and required to perform at a fair level, so I have never trusted my gut instinct or the vendor, and have had 5 star vettings, xrays and bloods done.

Thats just me being careful and not wishing to have a repeat performance of a horse I bought years ago that turned into a nightmare.

Good luck with your new horse and I hope you have lots of fun with him
 
Just typed a long reply and it's disappeared into the ether, so here's just a very brief summary of my thoughts:

1. Wearing rugs for a long time shouldn't cause sores. It doesn't on any of my gang. Wearing and ill-fitting rug could well cause sores - so be careful in your choice of rugs if you do buy this horse.

2. The hock problem will probably be excluded by any insurer, which means you'd have to foot the bill for any investigations/treatment to it in future. Make sure you find out exactly what was found on Xray, and that you are well informed on whether it is likely to cause problems in future.

3. I'd be concerned that a horse so recently in work was so adamant it wasn't going to be mounted from the nearside. A lot of riders don't bother mounting equally from either side, and if a horse was "funny" about mounting from the offside, I'd understand it more for that reason. Could be down to a badly fitting saddle, riders mounting heavily on the nearside, related/unrelated back/muscle problems.

4. "psychological" tends to be a cop-out for diagnosis, generally by people who are beyond their knowledge/experience. My experience is that people find it easier to blame the horse than to admit they just can't find anything to account for the horse's behaviour. Just because we can't see/find anything wrong doesn't mean there ISN'T something wrong.

5. The one who will be most honest with you about whether there is a problem, is the horse.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Sarah
 
Without a shadow of a doubt get a vetting. By having one there is little to be lost and everything to be gained should you find the horse has a major issue to do with wind, heart or joints that you are unaware of at present. It could save you a lot of heartbreak in the long run.
 
I agree about getting horse vetted. A cheap horse costs just as much when it goes wrong and often vets can spot a problem building that us lot can't. Also make sure you get a proper equine vet!! cost is the same but again they can spot things another might not
 
I paid only £189 for a 5 stage vetting 2 weeks ago, my horse was on trial for a month so I didn't have bloods taken. I don't think you would need them taken either as you know the horse. It's money well spent IMO so I would have a vetting.
 
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