Vetting this morning - horse failed :(

[wilkinson1]

After 5 months of actively looking, I finally found my perfect horse. She is just perfect. In every way. Except she failed the vetting this morning
She was sailing through, flexion was fine, trotting up on the straight was fine but when we lunged, she was 1/2 tenths lame on her left fore. We lunged on hard-core and grass and it made no difference. Her feet are quite long and the sellers aren't sure when she was last shod as she only arrived 4 weeks ago.

My vet suggested getting her shod and then trying her again in a few days to see if that makes a difference.... the sellers have had her feet done this afternoon so I am going back later this week. Am I clutching at straws here? I am so desperate for her to be sound as we just completely clicked and I haven't found anything else I felt remotely the same about (and I have looked at circa 20 horses now!)

 

[Sparemare]

I'd go with your vet's advice.

 

[Puzzled]

To be honest I know plenty of international horses who won't trot sound on a circle! Obviously down to personal opinion but I'd look at her again in a week or so yourself and see if there's improvement but remember if the whole foot needs rebalancing then this will take longer than a week. Otherwise why not X-ray if you like her that much...expensive but definitely worth considering.

 

[wilkinson1]

So its not completely out of the question that it could just be down to completely overdue shoeing? God I hope so! It was so disappointing and I don't want to give up on her if there is a chance that if we re vet her she could be sound.

 

[wilkinson1]

I would be happy to have her x rayed - I really do like her. But I guess I just wanted to get a feel for the general opinion on this kind of scenario - its been a very long time since I did this!

 

[tashcat]

Did the fail come as a surprise to the seller?

I would buy a horse that failed its vetting but only under certain circumstances. I agree regarding getting an x-ray.

No matter how lovely you think she is, I guess you need to weigh up what is more important - buying a horse that you instinctively have a good feeling about, or one that has passed its vetting. I think opinions on this are quite mixed - but if it appears 'minor' as such, I would re-discuss the price.

Fingers crossed!

 

[cundlegreen]

No horse is perfect. if she suits you in all other ways, get a xray done. FWIW, I had a horse vetted who failed on 3 out of 4 legs! he'd been away with a rider, and his feet were terrible at the vetting. brought him home, shod him properly, and he was sound.

 

[ester]

get the seller to get the horse shod, did the vet comment on feet at all?
Get vet back out to retest and possibly xray then go from there.

 

[Asha]

Take the advice off your vet, not off a forum. He/she can see the horse in front of them and will be able to give you their opinion.

I know how you feel, I had one vetted which failed, and he seemed perfect. I paid for a vetting and took the vets advice, which was walk away. I now have a super horse, that passed with flying colours, and is exactly what I wanted.

good luck with the next vetting after he/she has been shod

 

[wilkinson1]

Thank you! It did come as a surprise to them from what I could tell (but who really knows - I am wary of everyone!) She was completely sound when I tried her both times although admittedly that was hacking and in a field rather than an arena. They have also been hunting her quite a bit and she was fine. She trotted up completely sound in a straight line and her flexion tests were completely fine. What is the general stance with insurance though if they fail a vetting? One of the requirements of a horse over £2.5k is a 5 star vetting certificate? I would definitely want her insured.

I will continue as is then - go back in a few days and see how the land lies. Then perhaps pursue x-rays and go from there. Thanks guys x

 

[wilkinson1]

Vet said she is lovely and don't give up just yet - get feet shod and then see how she is. The quality of her feet seems fine, they are quite long though and possibly a little off balance. Vet was quite happy to come back again next week to examine and then carry on with vetting if all ok. I am totally ding as my vet recommended - I just wanted to get a general consensus as to whether I am being a numpty even thinking about pursuing it!

 

[ester]

No not a numpty at all.
I would be a bit cross at the vendors for not having her shod when they don't know when she was last shod and letting me vet her like it though.
Fingers crossed for you

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Am feeling for you OP, the same thing happened to me back in the summer, I'd been looking for nine months and found a lovely little mare who stole my heart. She'd been in a riding school but was way too good for that, and according to the YO had "passed their vetting with flying colours".

But the vet spun her - there wasn't just one issue there were several and she trotted up lame & unlevel both before and after flexion, on both hard and soft surfaces I was devastated, cried my eyes out all the way home. She's still in my heart if I am honest, I just think "if only".............

Hope this works out OK for you OP; hopefully it will just be a shoeing issue and she'll come sound, but like others have said, personally I'd be well miffed if a horse was presented for sale with awful feet which caused it to fail a vetting and which means you've got to go to the expense of another one. I wouldn't be a happy bunny at all about that.

Good luck anyway!

Let us know how things go.

 

[wilkinson1]

Thanks and so sorry to hear you also went through similar. Its rubbish but I am trying to use my head rather than heart this time round as I ended up with 2 x field ornaments for the best part of the last 10 years I am pretty miffed but trying not to let it rile me too much as its not going to get me anywhere.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Nativelover]

This happened to a friend of mine who was selling, her horse failed a vetting and a week later passed.
We put it down to antics in the field and maybe a bruised sole or something. Don't give up hope just yet!

 

[Goldenstar]

Why people let their horses go forward to a vetting with too long feet is beyond me .

 

[popsdosh]

I would ask your vet to take X ray equipment with them to the vetting . Just for peace of mind now even if passes I would X ray as the first time she goes lame you will always have doubts. Its a very small expense compared to buying a problem.

 

[w1bbler]

Definitely discuss with your insurance. Friend bought a low value horse & did not declare the vetting she had - which mentioned a minor issue. She then got in real trouble later when the horse had a completely unrelated issue - insurance company cancelled her policy.

 

[Goldenstar]

It's very likely you won't be able to insure the feet even if the horse passes .

 

[Asha]

It's very likely you won't be able to insure the feet even if the horse passes .

But wouldn't the vet just re do the whole 5 stage , and then they could insure ?

 

[Goldenstar]

But wouldn't the vet just re do the whole 5 stage , and then they could insure ?

No they have declare what happened it's fraud otherwise .

 

[007Equestrian]

I would second x rays, they're always a good fall back should something happen and very useful at determining how joints etc have changed over time. Also I know people who have been caught out by just a basic blood test, we are advised to specifically ask for 'full bloods' to be done. Also I don't know the type of horse you are looking at but if it was a TB or TB type I would be x-raying the back for potential kissing spines also.

 

[Asha]

No they have declare what happened it's fraud otherwise .

Now that's really interesting, as id always thought that a vetting was 'a moment in time'. Therefore another vetting a week later could always produce different results.

Glad I didn't go down the route of re - vetting the one that I looked at then

 

[SKW]

I'd be wary. If she's lame and you xray, what are you hoping to find? If the xrays show something is wrong then you have a horse with an issue, if they don't then you still don't know the cause of the lameness. Just because it doesn't show up on xray doesn't mean there's nothing wrong! I've been through the mill with a horse I bought in April who has a low grade lameness that was probably pre-existing. We can't get to the bottom of it 8 months later despite numerous investigations and I am currently stuck with a field ornament. Won't go into further details on here due to potential ongoing action, but I would just be very careful. If she's completely sound after being shod then fair enough, but if not I'd personally walk away.

 

[eggs]

If you really like this horse, and it sounds as though you do, I would go with your vet's advice. Might also be worth negotiating with the seller to go 50/50 on the additional vetting cost. I'm also surprised that people try to save money by not getting a horse shod before a vetting.

I have brought horses in the past that 'failed' a vetting but only after discussion with my vet. On the plus side it meant I was aware of an issue and was able to manage the horse accordingly and the issue then never caused a problem. There was one horse I really like that failed but my vet was quite adamant that I should walk away from that one so I did.

 

[Cortez]

I would take your vet's advice. A lot depends on what you want to do with the horse, how old it is, the price (and its flexibility) and what the past management has been. I have bought horses knowing they were lame and totally fixed the issue, I have also bought horses which were 100% sound and went lame later on, so there are no guarentees even with a "pass" vetting.

I would say that very few horses are absolutely 100% sound, even those competing & winning.

 

[wilkinson1]

So, today my vet called me back and said that after thinking about it, she would be surprised if the horse came sound after shoeing, particularly for a 7 yr old horse who isn't in hard work currently. She would advise that I walk away. But then several people I have spoken to today have said that very few horses would be sound in that situation and the fact that she passed flexion tests was good. Someone has suggested that if I really like her, then I could try and renegotiate the price right down. Then x-ray / nerve block as appropriate before finalising the purchase.
I genuinely don't know what to do. My heart is saying I really really like this horse and I haven't found anything I like half as much in my 5 months solid looking. My head is saying why on earth would I buy something with problems from the off.

 

[Ceifer]

My head would rule my heart these days. I got a horse that wasn't quite right. I had him put down 3 weeks ago. What the one vet thought was a weakness turned out to be neurological.
Walk away

 

[wilkinson1]

sorry to hear that Ceifer

 

[Puzzled]

How desperate are they to sell? Will they give you a warranty for a set amount of time or loan with view to buy? I'd still be tempted to give it a bit of time then maybe go and see the horse again...ask the owners to lunge on a circle for you to see and if all looks good get your vet back in. I owned a horse who would never trot sound on a small circle...never stopped him competitively though....including jumping at Olympia!