Vetting non-negotiables

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Wafflesandmaple

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Getting a horse vetted, I love her and really hope she passes but as she’ll be for a general all rounder I’m willing to accept some potential issues that will be manageable. What are some of your absolute no if it’s flagged on a vetting and what are you willing to manage?
 
Wouldnt want to deal with sweet itch or melanomas if a grey at that age. Sarcoids depending where they are can be troublesome too. Otherwise wye issues any heart stuff and lameness. So quite a lot I guess! Very best of luck.
 
Depends on their age/job/history/price/how much I like them!

Of the things that would make me likely back off irrespective of the above:
Laminitis history
Untreated ulcerating sarcoid
Uveitis
Copd/asthma
KS op without longstanding rehab/proof of functioning post op
2/10ths plus unless current owner investigates and there is a manageable cause
 
St Nicnaclaus said:
Not that bothered if horse takes a couple of unsound steps following the dreaded Flexion tests.
Heart and eye issues would make me walk away as well as melanomas on a 6 yo if grey.
Hope all goes well.
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Yes I agree a lot are deemed unsuitable (not fail, they don't pass or fail horses) that have 1 or 2/10 lameness but that wouldn't bother me if an older horse and wanting a low level allrounder. A horse of 6 though you should not expect much, especially for what you are doing. I agree Flexions are just so controversial!
 
Sweet itch or known lami will be a definite no from me because of the way I like to manage mine and neither of these two issues fit in with a field-kept pony with limited access to stabling.
 
I'm thinking here of the old vet's soundness check of "eye, wind & limb" .

So, for me:

Wind: Nothing with breathing problems (i.e. asthma or COPD). I do have one with asthma which she developed with me, and I know she'd probably fail the average vetting.

Eye: so anything like uveitis issues, basically anything that makes it not able to see properly. That said, as a happy hacker I'd accept some sight issues as long as they were not degenerative.

Limb: laminitis would be the big no-no for me here. Been there done that, and don't want to do it again. If its going short or whatever, it could just be fixable with physio/shoeing or whatever, but I wouldn't want to take it on, on the off-chance.

Other no-no flags for me: melanoma's (total no), lumps where girths/saddles are (I wasted a four-hour return trip once because the owner "forgot" to tell me about a lump right where the girth was), cribbing or windsucking (declined a very nice horse for this reason), and sweet itch. I've had a sweet-itchy horse, and I took him on knowing he had the condition simply because I liked him, but would I have another? Nope, even though I did successfully manage the condition, it isn't something I'd want to take on board again.
 
Anything connected to heart, breathing or eyes no straight away. Also anything connected with potential lameness would be an absolute no, although I ask for very 'mild' flexion tests, as I don't really believe in them. Sarcoids it would depend on location. I wouldn't want melanomas on a 6 year old. To be honest I would want a 6 year old to get through with nothing significant noted.
 
It depends on what job you want her for.

I recently rejected a 6yr old because of X-rays .I got 2 vets to look at them as I really liked the horse but both found the X-rays rather unusual for such a young horse. The X-rays were offered by the seller. The horse was currently jumping at novice BE. X-ray revealed possible hock arthritis and several spinal processes touching. The horse was sound but there was enough going on for me to walk away.
However, I did then buy a 6 yr old with long pasterns and straight hocks because I really liked him and he passed the vetting.
So who am I to comment!!
 
myheartinahoofbeat said:
It depends on what job you want her for.

I recently rejected a 6yr old because of X-rays .I got 2 vets to look at them as I really liked the horse but both found the X-rays rather unusual for such a young horse. The X-rays were offered by the seller. The horse was currently jumping at novice BE. X-ray revealed possible hock arthritis and several spinal processes touching. The horse was sound but there was enough going on for me to walk away.
However, I did then buy a 6 yr old with long pasterns and straight hocks because I really liked him and he passed the vetting.
So who am I to comment!!
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General low level RC all rounder, the odd unaff ODE in the future would be nice too but not a serious competition prospect.

I also had a 6 year old vetted previously that I pulled out sale due to significant bony changes
 
Interesting discussion! Sarcoids used to be a total no-no for me, but having got rid of about 6 successfully I would consider depending on type and location. They can suddenly flare up with moving homes so it’s a risk.

A few people have mentioned sweet itch, I would hope that’d be declared long before the vetting and wouldn’t be impressed if it was the first I’d heard of it on the day!

Lameness - I’ve seen significant issues present as 1 or 2 /10ths lame so I’m afraid I wouldn’t take on a young horse with this. Would be slightly more lenient if older/high mileage or on a hard circle but would want further investigations.
 
dapple_grey said:
Interesting discussion! Sarcoids used to be a total no-no for me, but having got rid of about 6 successfully I would consider depending on type and location. They can suddenly flare up with moving homes so it’s a risk.

A few people have mentioned sweet itch, I would hope that’d be declared long before the vetting and wouldn’t be impressed if it was the first I’d heard of it on the day!

Lameness - I’ve seen significant issues present as 1 or 2 /10ths lame so I’m afraid I wouldn’t take on a young horse with this. Would be slightly more lenient if older/high mileage or on a hard circle but would want further investigations.
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1/2 10ths lame after flexion? What about on a hard circle?
 
I'd be harder on a youngster with niggles than an older horse where there is value in their experience - assuming they have a recent track record of doing what level work I wanted them to do.

I was gifted a 14 y/o ex top level eventer who had a list of insurance exclusions 2 pages long and most certainly wouldn't have passed a vet and wasn't sound enough to carry on eventing. I was very careful with how and where I rode him and we had the best time for 7 years before he retired fully.
 
I'm surprised with so many not liking the lami, I have found that pretty easy to manage as a condition. Lot harder to manage something with dodgy hocks or other bony changes.
 
Laminitis is one of the hardest things to manage without one's own land - we have what feels like a year round battle, given huge fields with copious quantities of grass. OK, it is great that we have 365 days a year turnout but boy do we have to work hard at keeping weight off natural fatty NF's 🙈 :eek:
 
U.N.Owen said:
I'm surprised with so many not liking the lami, I have found that pretty easy to manage as a condition. Lot harder to manage something with dodgy hocks or other bony changes.
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It’s a difficult condition to manage, especially if you have little control over where you keep your horses. But for me, it’s the massive impact in the horses quality of life to manage them. It’s just something I wouldn’t knowingly enter into.
 
New Forests Rock said:
Laminitis is one of the hardest things to manage without one's own land - we have what feels like a year round battle, given huge fields with copious quantities of grass. OK, it is great that we have 365 days a year turnout but boy do we have to work hard at keeping weight off natural fatty NF's 🙈 :eek:
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I had a NF that came to me with a history of laminitis and I successfully controlled it for over 20 years on livery yards, with daily turnout and 24/7 in summer. No mask and no drugs. Same with the cobs. It takes some work but I wouldn't say much more than any other horse, I would say mine were happy too.
 
Having had the nightmare of Pssm1 I knew I wanted to try to avoid again. Like laminitis some will say it's easy to manage, but it is very horse dependent.

I was buying a 4yo so I wanted to know sire & dam had both been in work (higher chance of being healthy all round) & I asked vet to pull CK levels post exercise with bloods.
 
In a 6 year old I would be quite picky unless he his being sold at considerably less than general market value, but then I guess I would also wonder why they were underpriced. For an older been there done that type for low level general activities I would be more forgiving, but any sign of sarcoids, lammi or already obvious lameness would be a non starter for me.
 
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