Vetting for under £5k

[Whoopit]

How many people actually vet a horse before purchase that’s less than £5,000 for the insurer?

Whilst over £5k it’s all but compulsory to insure it for the value you bought it for, how many bother at less than that threshold?

I’ve bought horses in the past and not had them vetted but I’ve paid less than £1k for ex-racers so not worth any vetting to insure them! Just curious how many people have paid say £3k or £4k and not bothered paying £400 to vet as you can still insure in full?

 

[Melody Grey]

I do, though often only a two stage (I’m never spending more than £1.5k) as all of mine have either been OTTBs or projects. Inevitably, they’ve all required vet treatment at some point as I do work them and keep them long term so I need to be able to insure to give them options. I’m experienced but certainly not a vet and I wouldn’t want to buy something with a problem that a vet may have spotted for the sake of a few hundred pounds.

 

[Whoopit]

I do, though often only a two stage (I’m never spending more than £1.5k) as all of mine have either been OTTBs or projects. Inevitably, they’ve all required vet treatment at some point as I do work them and keep them long term so I need to be able to insure to give them options. I’m experienced but certainly not a vet and I wouldn’t want to buy something with a problem that a vet may have spotted for the sake of a few hundred pounds.

I’m either plenty over the £5k for non-OTTB or under the £1k for OTTB. Interesting if there’s different perceptions on what’s worth the vetting at what price.
I think I’m the middle ground of £3-4k I think I’d vet at 2 stage.

 

[Ambers Echo]

There is a good thread in whether or not to insure. I don’t, but the purchase price of the horse does not factor into my decision. A cheap horse can rack up a 10k bill as fast as an expensive one and presumably will be cared for as well as an expensive one. Unless someone is buying cheap as chips and plan to pts if it goes wrong? So I’ve never seen the logic of deciding whether a horse is worth insuring for vets fees based on purchase price.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Sorry totally misunderstood your post! Duh. It’s early. I don’t always vet under 5k. Depends mainly on how well I know the seller and the history.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

How many people actually vet a horse before purchase that’s less than £5,000 for the insurer?

Whilst over £5k it’s all but compulsory to insure it for the value you bought it for, how many bother at less than that threshold?

I’ve bought horses in the past and not had them vetted but I’ve paid less than £1k for ex-racers so not worth any vetting to insure them! Just curious how many people have paid say £3k or £4k and not bothered paying £400 to vet as you can still insure in full?

my mare was 2200 i had 2 stage
pony£ 1200 also 2 stage

 

[blitznbobs]

Purchase price has nothing to do with it.. I don’t insure and rarely vet… in fact not vetted anything in many years… I did used to vet if I felt uncomfortable about something with a horse but now I just walk away cos those ones always fail and of those that passed some were basically written off within 6 months… so I don’t see the added value for me (I’ve been keeping horses for 40 years and don’t insure) but if you can’t spot a subtly lame horse then get them vetted whatever… a full lameness work up can cost best part of 2k before treatment starts so purchase price is irrelevant.

 

[lannerch]

I would vet whatever the purchase price, a horse out of action or convalescing costs the same to keep or even more than a healthy one, and out of action means I cannot do with the horse which I purchased it to do.

 

[maya2008]

I don’t vet because I don’t buy anything that is already backed. I would if I did, but would probably want a few extras as the standard vetting misses a lot of potential problems.

 

[Boughtabay]

I didn't vet my last horse as she was under £2.5k. She broke down with navicular after a year of ownership and I now have a large 10yo ornament plus her (vetted) replacement. They're kept at home so I can keep her retired, but I do regret not getting her vetted. I'll never know if it would have shown up but not knowing is almost worse for the sake of a couple 100 pounds. Now she's here I'm happy to have her around - but having a sound horse on the first go with a cheap little companion pony would have been a lot easier/nicer to the fields/cheaper in the long run!

 

[meleeka]

I’ve vetted once and ended up buying the horse for £1 as he failed, so that was money well spent.

I think if I wanted a horse for a job and keeping another field ornament would be impossible I’d vet (which is why I had one vetted. I already had two oldies to keep). I wanted to know he was up to some level of regular work and what he failed on didn’t affect that so I had him anyway.

It would also depend on if I knew the horse or a friend of a friend did.

 

[HorseMaid]

I've never vetted and never paid more than £1200 for a horse. Of those, first one undiagnosed hock issue written off shortly after purchase. Then an ex racer PTS after an injury. Third one given to me for free as had failed the vet on conformation but stayed sound, healthy and in work until she was PTS years later because she had cancer. Fourth never any health or lameness issues sold on because of horrific loading issues. Current (heart horse who is never ever going anywhere!) horse never been sick, been lame x2 because of a hoof abscess and an injury in the field (now healed). I only ever insure for injuries (Harry Hall).

Saying that if I was paying a significant amount of money I'd definitely vet! Happy to take a punt if they're cheap enough.

 

[Reacher]

There is a good thread in whether or not to insure. I don’t, but the purchase price of the horse does not factor into my decision. A cheap horse can rack up a 10k bill as fast as an expensive one and presumably will be cared for as well as an expensive one. Unless someone is buying cheap as chips and plan to pts if it goes wrong? So I’ve never seen the logic of deciding whether a horse is worth insuring for vets fees based on purchase price.

Agree with this. I’ve never paid over 5k for a horse and each has had full vetting.
A vetting is no guarantee but it’s better than nothing

 

[Goldie's mum]

How many people actually vet a horse before purchase that’s less than £5,000 for the insurer?

Whilst over £5k it’s all but compulsory to insure it for the value you bought it for, how many bother at less than that threshold?

I’ve bought horses in the past and not had them vetted but I’ve paid less than £1k for ex-racers so not worth any vetting to insure them! Just curious how many people have paid say £3k or £4k and not bothered paying £400 to vet as you can still insure in full?

I've never once bought a horse without a vetting, whatever the price. My take on it is however experienced I am, a professional is going to have skills (and equipment - stethoscope, ophthalmoscope, blood tests) I don't have and since I don't picture myself ever saying "it was only cheap so I'll just pts" a cheap purchase that gets ill is as costly for me as a highly priced purchase.
Also maybe I'm just being daft, but I tell myself that saying at the first phone call stage that I'd definitely want a vetting, might weed out some sellers that were intending to hide something.

 

[Bobthecob15]

I've always vetted...but the most recent we have actually insured for less than we paid to get the premiums down! We paid 6k and he's insured for 4k, we don't have loss of use.

Well worth the money in my opinion!!

 

[Bobthecob15]

Also maybe I'm just being daft, but I tell myself that saying at the first phone call stage that I'd definitely want a vetting, might weed out some sellers that were intending to hide something.

Exactly this!!!

 

[Antw23uk]

I had a two stage vetting on a TB that was going to cost me £1 to buy. He had a high grade heart murmur and could have dropped dead with me on him. I think regardless of how much you spend on a horse you should always get at least a two stage IMO

 

[webble]

I would and have to try and ensure I'm not buying a vets bill or at least if I am I can do so with my eyes wide open

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I bought my horses for £1000 and £2000 respectively, they were both full loans which turned into purchases. I didn't get them vetted as I already knew them, they were doing the job I needed at that time and I know what was wrong with them, neither would have passed, and I was emotionally invested.

If I was buying from the beginning rather than initially loaning then I would always at least get a 2 stage, regardless of the price.

 

[Widgeon]

I paid between 3 and 4 K and didn't vet, largely because the sellers were known to us and had sold good ponies previously. I could see from social media that the horse I was viewing was in work and doing more than I needed him to, and as I wasn't paying all that much for him we didn't vet. Had him 2 years + now and everything's been fine.

My last horse, I paid 6K (which was a LOT of money for me) and did vet. Nothing picked up, but he turned out to be a disaster. With lots of time and hindsight I suspect KS was a contributing factor, but that wouldn't have been picked up without x rays, as it didn't manifest until he was in proper work. When I bought him he was only in very light work. There were seemingly plausible reasons for this but I don't think I'd do it again. I'd only buy something that was working to the level I needed, and / or I knew the seller. I suppose you live and learn.

 

[throwawayaccount]

I’ve only ever vetted once out of the six I’ve ever owned; I’ll continue to do so for peace of mind and if their value is over £2k.

 

[Hallo2012]

i don't insure so don't vet (currently)

but also buy un backed and green as grass so hard to vet.

if i was spending £8k+ and already in ridden work then yes id vet.

 

[Goldenstar]

I had a two stage vetting on a TB that was going to cost me £1 to buy. He had a high grade heart murmur and could have dropped dead with me on him. I think regardless of how much you spend on a horse you should always get at least a two stage IMO

This sort of issue is why I always vet .

 

[Melody Grey]

I bought my horses for £1000 and £2000 respectively, they were both full loans which turned into purchases. I didn't get them vetted as I already knew them, they were doing the job I needed at that time and I know what was wrong with them, neither would have passed, and I was emotionally invested.

If I was buying from the beginning rather than initially loaning then I would always at least get a 2 stage, regardless of the price.

I think if the horse has been with you long enough on loan to see the vet and be doing the job you want, I wouldn’t vet then.
I see an unknown horse as a totally different prospect though and would vet then.

 

[Leandy]

I don't insure but I would vet whatever the purchase price. Horses all cost the same to keep and to treat if they go wrong whether they are cheap or expensive. The purchase price is the tip of the iceberg and not the major cost in having a horse. Even if the horse were insurable without vetting, I would still want one for the above reason and because I want to know what I'm buying. The amounts recoverable under insurance are very limited as compared to what you may need to spend over its lifetime on a horse which goes wrong and becomes an unrideable, unsaleable field ornament, or requires ongoing medical maintenance.

 

[catkin]

I always vet, even unbacked youngsters who have a 2 stage ( Have had one beautiful and beautifully-bred youngster fail very unexpectedly once my vet got a stethoscope on it!)

 

[OlderNotWiser]

I bought a horse for under 5k and didn’t have her vetted as I’d loaned her for 6 months first. My insurance policy did however state that as I hadn’t had a vetting the onus was me as the owner to prove that any conditions claimed for were not pre-existing. Nice get out clause right there! Lucky I didn’t make a claim but it could have been tricky!