Vetting for a two year old

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jackiepink

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Hi I have seen a two year old I would like to purchase. It is a expensive horse but the owner has not got appropriate facilities to run the horse up and will not allow the horse to be flextion tested. The horse has never been taught to pick up its feet.so I was thinking the safest option is to X-ray the hocks ?. The only thing the vet can do is test the eyes ,heart, feel the horses joints and watch it move in the sand paddock. The horse has not been taught to lunge so it cannot be lunged. Has anyone else had this type of vetting for a two year old. I am a bit worried as it is a expensive horse so I want to be as thorough as I can be.
 
As long as you're paying pennies, then a limited two stage would be fine I would have thought.

However, if it's expensive, and you're not allowed to vet appropriately - walk away.
 
I had a two stage for my two year old, I do think though by two I would expect the horse to be used to picking its feet up, has it not been trimmed? Sorry but it sounds a bit dodgy to me.
 
Our 2 year olds know how to pick up there feet however for vettings I won't allow flexions to be done on them at that age either. The buyers know that and it's not a problem as the horses get digital xrays anyway so no need for flexions.
 
Spring Feather said:
Our 2 year olds know how to pick up there feet however for vettings I won't allow flexions to be done on them at that age either. The buyers know that and it's not a problem as the horses get digital xrays anyway so no need for flexions.
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Ah, ok - interesting to to know that. And thinking about it a bit more, I can see why a vendor would say no to the flexions at that age.
 
As for the lunging part, again ours at that age have often not been lunged before but on the day of the vetting, unless it's a really stupid horse, it will get the hang of lunging quickly enough to be able to do that part of the vetting. If it's a really stupid horse then you probably don't want it anyway! Just ask the seller to lunge it for a few minutes each day prior to the day of the vetting and it should be fine on the vetting day.
 
amymay said:
Ah, ok - interesting to to know that. And thinking about it a bit more, I can see why a vendor would say no to the flexions at that age.
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I think a lot of it has to do with value of the youngstock. Many of the breeders I know who sell valuable youngstock are the same; we're what may seem to others as a little bit prissy :o it's not really that it's just that we don't want to do anything which could be detrimental to the horse because a vetting is just one day and no guarantee of a sale regardless of how well or poorly the horse may perform on the day. Some vets can be a little rough with youngsters, expecting them to conform to the standards of an older horse, so we do get a little tetchy about it. It's not that we're hiding anything, xrays are normal procedures for youngsters to be judged (and IMO a FAR better means of seeing what's going on than hoiking up a leg till the blood supply is cut off lol!). I also know some breeders who sell, what might be deemed as more run-of-the-mill type youngsters, and they usually aren't so precious about what they allow and don't allow at vettings.

It may look like a red flag to people not used to purchasing more expensive youngstock but it's really not meant like that, it's just safeguarding the stock and not taking any unnecessary risks. (Sorry, I've tried to word this diplomatically so hopefully it won't be seen as 'elitist'. I noted that apparently was a bugbear of some posters on here).
 
There's no way I would be buying an expensive two yo who had got to that age without someone taking the trouble to teach it enough manners to go through at least two stage vetting.
A few days would be enough to get a well tempered horse ready for the wind part ( the bit they might well have an issue with if it's going to be a big horse )my vet is kind and sensible vetting Youngstock and I have never been refused a flexion test.
The last one I bought had a five stage all flexions and lunging the owners spent ten days preparing him ie so he would understand the lunging bit it was done calmly and he seemed to enjoy the experiance he was all oh why is everyone interested in me very sweet.
 
Goldenstar, my point is that there is simply no need at all for flexions to be performed in this day and age; it's such a primitive method and many conditions don't even show up on flexion whereas digital xrays tell you exactly what's going on with the entire leg, from hoof right up to stifle.
 
I didn't bother getting mine vetted at all :eek:

But she was cheap as chips so I guess that's why. If I was paying 5K plus I'd want x-rays not flexions anyway...
 
Spring Feather said:
Goldenstar, my point is that there is simply no need at all for flexions to be performed in this day and age; it's such a primitive method and many conditions don't even show up on flexion whereas digital xrays tell you exactly what's going on with the entire leg, from hoof right up to stifle.
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It's just personal choice really interpreting x-rays is as highly subjective as flexions not to mentain expensive .
 
Goldenstar said:
It's just personal choice really interpreting x-rays is as highly subjective as flexions not to mentain expensive .
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No they're really not comparable :confused: Digital xrays can be emailed to any vet anywhere so if one vet interprets them one way and the buyer wants a second or third opinion then it's simply a case of emailing them to another vet. The price is reasonable too I'd say, the last 2 year old who was vetted here cost the buyer a little over 1500 and that was complete with full digital xrays.
 
I bought a rising 3 year old who only knew the basics, had never been lunged before but like others have said she had a good temperament in the first place so picked it up quickly, mine never had x rays but did have flexion tests done and the owners were more than happy to let the vet get on with this!! i think its all down to personal choice and like has been said very dependent on the original price of the horse itself!!
 
I've never bothered vetting a youngster but have bought relatively cheap and factored in future vetting costs into this.

I wouldn't be happy without watching something expensive move properly in hand and loose in field. I'd also want at minimum all basics shown; catching (more than once), feet lifted, leading (backing up etc), past other horses and repeated by someone else besides the usual handler. I'd also want full vet history and breeding.
I wouldn't expect flexion tests as I would not be happy with any of mine having them done. Many vets can misinterpret them and damage may be done if the vet performs them incorrectly. There is no need for them imo.
I also wouldn't be concerned about not lunging. Not something I'd expect at that age.

I bought mine with none of this but knew the full background - completely unhandled and added the risk of finding a problem at a later date in to my purchase.
 
jackiepink said:
I am a bit worried as it is a expensive horse so I want to be as thorough as I can be.
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They're only worth what someone will pay.

Why expensive?
If breeding I'd want to see the full paperwork, what it's sire and dam etc have done and watch it move.
Without breeding and at a point where it can't lift feet up at 2. I honestly can't see a good reason to be that pricy... unless homebred which seems to carry a surcharge.
 
My pure-bred fillies are almost always presented for grading at 2 - and that includes a vetting which is more than 2 stage - not QUITE 5 stage. Have never had any trouble with flexions, or either lunging or loose schooling for wind! One 2 yo DID show a heart murmur on exercise only which was 'dodgy' (in fact an u/s showed her heart was fine) and for that reason I would always want a youngster 'run around' so the heart could be listened to after exertion.

I'd be leary of an 'expensive' 2 year old who hadn't been properly handled - has it been properly wormed? Has it been trimmed? Has it been micro-chipped and vaccinated??
 
I was buying an expensive 2yo filly, and had her 2 stage vetted.

Thank god I did, as she proved to have an eyesight problem, to the extent that my vet said that it wasn't good enough for her to be ridden.

She had been placed at a national level in hand, I was gutted to loose out on her, and then I ended up with Apache - so happy days :-)
 
Thanks for the replies. The asking price for the two year old was 10k, to me that is expensive. Anyway things have not worked out well on the same day I was due to book the vetting I fell off a horse whilst having a lesson. Having hurt my back and having all my confidence taken away from me horse bolted when in canter. I asked the owner if I could put the purchase on hold for now. I explained I had lost my confidence and I am not sure if a youngster is the best option for me at the moment. I did explain that if the horse had not sold in the future and I had got my confidence back I would get back in touch. Owner said do not bother if you will not purchase her now she is not the wright horse for you. You were obviously not serious about her. This is not true and I feel very sad about it all.
 
Bloody hell. I think you've had a lucky escape.

10k for a horse that can't lift feet at two and looks lame kept somewhere where you can't even run up?! Not with a bargepole I'm afraid!
 
Just realised this is the same jackiepink as on the thread about buying for trainer... wow! Seller was almost right. IMHO as someone without probably a heap more confidence than yourself you've just saved yourself 10k (+ livery costs etc) of heartache. So, even if you were serious... well, maybe you shouldn't have been IYSWIM.

Don't worry!
 
Tickles said:
Just realised this is the same jackiepink as on the thread about buying for trainer... wow! Seller was almost right. IMHO as someone without probably a heap more confidence than yourself you've just saved yourself 10k (+ livery costs etc) of heartache. So, even if you were serious... well, maybe you shouldn't have been IYSWIM.

Don't worry!
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Several threads with same comments, novice and nervous, one I've commented on with the same jist as you.

The horse is not suitable. The instructor I'd be ditching.

Get a safe and older horse to give you confidence and education, get an instructor who wants to teach, not rob blind wih a youngster you'll probably never sit on!
Or stick to finding a good riding school who will teach you for now and then ask them to help advise via word of mouth or help with viewings. And with future lessons on own horse.
 
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