VETTING flexion test fail

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horsemow1

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would you still buy a horse if had evented and never had a problem before always had blemish but failed vetting on flexion test advise please lovely horse
 
It depends on why it failed the flexion test , ie what was making the horse give the reaction to flexion this may or may not be easy to find out.
It would also depend on how much the horse cost I would not risk too much money.
I have bought a flexion failure before it was a hunter 13 yo my OH had five seasons of great fun with him hunting before the problem that the flexion test showed up ended his career.
you also will not be able to insure it so you would be carrying the risk yourself .
 
I wouldn't....if its an eventer then it ought to be fit so I would be concerned about it failing. What was vets opinion.

Kind of depends on your situation, I cannot afford to take gambles (as horses are already a huge gamble) as I never sell my horses...so therefore if mine is permantly lame (and she is) then I cannot afford to get another.

I have bought another now...but if he has a problem then I will have 2 horses to pay for that I cannot ride !!

As you have paid for a vetting and like this horse then I assume you are very gutted...can you trial this horse and get the vet to look again in 4 weeks?
 
I would look into the background further and speak to your vet. an older horse which has had a harder life eventing and hunting is more likely to fail a flexation. The degree of lameness can only be very very slight for it to fail. It depends also what you want to do in future as this highlights a weakness that may not be a problem for a happy hacker/ local rc type but maybe wouldn't stand many more years of hard eventing. Again, ask your vet for his opinion on the degree of lameness and suitability for your activity. As others have pointed out you would be excluded under your insurance for any illness or injury for that particular leg. Depends if you can afford the gamble or not. Good luck!
 
Agree with all above comments, but if I was to give you a straight yes or no answer to your question, personally I wouldnt, its failed for a reason so that would sound alarm bells.
 
If horse is great, ask the vet to X-ray it... Cost around £240 ish. Would not look at a horse that really did fail on flexing unless x rayed. Yes I know people say they are not fair but a decent vet will be realistic and a flexion test done correctly will show a weakness. I found Mr Perfect before Xmas, was to event again, failed the flexion test.... Vet suggested an x ray and we found poor boy had prob less than 18months competing left etc. Owner had no idea.
 
Luci07 said:
If horse is great, ask the vet to X-ray it... Cost around £240 ish. Would not look at a horse that really did fail on flexing unless x rayed. Yes I know people say they are not fair but a decent vet will be realistic and a flexion test done correctly will show a weakness. I found Mr Perfect before Xmas, was to event again, failed the flexion test.... Vet suggested an x ray and we found poor boy had prob less than 18months competing left etc. Owner had no idea.
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But where to stop that's the question it's as likely to be a soft tissue issue so if X-rays are clear do you scan it's a really difficult question to answer as I say I bought a flexion failure we got five good years the horse had a great time doing the job he loved but it can be a disaster.
 
thatsmygirl said:
Flextion tests can vary depending how it's done from vet to vet. Iv seen many horses fail than pass and vise vera.
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Agree with this. Flexion tests I believe have to be taken with a pinch of salt. Get a 2nd opinion. I had a horse a while back who was totally sound - competed every weekend, yet on selling him the vet failed him on both his hind flexion tests. I was so horrified I got my own vet out within an hour of them leaving and he passed him! Exactly the same happened with a friends horse not that long ago.
 
xxMozlarxx said:
Is the vet passing it as suitable for the use you intend?
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My current horse failed her flexions. Vet reckoned she was 2/10s lame. Neither me nor the vendor could even see the tiniest nod of her head, but the vet said she could.
I asked if she would reccomend buying anyway, as I only wanted her for hacking, but she said no, she didn't pass the flexion so a straight no.

I didn't agree and knocked a few hundred quid off her and bought her anyway. She has never given me a days trouble. :)

My insurers (SEIB) do not want any vetting certificate for anything under (I think) £3k, might even have been £5k, but certainly not for anything less than £3k.

Think it really depends on what your buying and what your wanting to do with it.

Good luck and it will all come right in the end. :)
 
chickeninabun said:
My insurers (SEIB) do not want any vetting certificate for anything under (I think) £3k, might even have been £5k, but certainly not for anything less than £3k.

The only thing is if your horse has an injury relating to that leg(s) and your insurers ask your vets if there are any 'pre-existing medical conditions' relating to that leg, then the vet would be duty bound to disclose the vetting if you had one so it might cause probs later on in the event of a claim. Knowing it had failed a flexation and not advising insurers could be classed as a non disclosure of a material fact you see. (ruddy insurers get you at every turn!)

I didnt need a 5* vetting for my horse, insurance wise so I didnt have a 5* vetting, we went with the 3* because at the back of my mind I knew she had a hard life hunting and eventing but would be sound enough for what we wanted. Touch wood she has been fine to date.

My last horse had a 5* vetting, passed flexation at the age of 13yrs but we lost him a couple of years later due to a tooth abcess - long story involving surgery, infection etc. Costing us iro £3-£4k as teeth were excluded under his policy (due to something unrelated to that tooth, but to teeth in general being spotted at the vets). So the flexation test turned out to be by the by with that one.

Trouble is nowadays vets have to be uber careful as they have been called to task over horses that passed the vetting and then going lame shortly afterwards and then the buyers go back to the vets to complain......

Its all a bit of a gamble really :0)
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chickeninabun said:
My current horse failed her flexions. Vet reckoned she was 2/10s lame. Neither me nor the vendor could even see the tiniest nod of her head, but the vet said she could.
I asked if she would reccomend buying anyway, as I only wanted her for hacking, but she said no, she didn't pass the flexion so a straight no.

I didn't agree and knocked a few hundred quid off her and bought her anyway. She has never given me a days trouble. :)

My insurers (SEIB) do not want any vetting certificate for anything under (I think) £3k, might even have been £5k, but certainly not for anything less than £3k.

Think it really depends on what your buying and what your wanting to do with it.
Good luck and it will all come right in the end. :)
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I asked because I had a horse fail a flexion but he was still passed as fit for the purpose I wanted (hacking, PC/RC etc) and he was sound for many years but did sustain a suspensory tweak on that leg eventually which as healed sufficient for him to perform to the same level. I am dubious about the tests
but it's always a risk.
 
So difficult isn't it? Only time I've had a horse fail it was on flexion tests and there is a real mixed opinion on here about how useful they are.

I agree with earlier poster that on the whole probably not, if it fails a vetting for what you want and you can't afford to take on a potential problem (who can?) but you might be prepared to invest in x-rays. But you will have an issue with the insurance I suspect.

Also does depend on age, history and what you want to do. I would expect a younger fit horse to pass clean, but might take more of a view on an older one if I was happy to take the risk.

Never know whether to go for basic or 5*. Speaking to vet she reckoned anything £2k and under, basic, over that 5*. And I do trust her, as not that much difference in the cost!

Am having a 5* done tomorrow - nervous, excited and everything else in between !!
 
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