Vetting

[Hanlou16]

Hi all just after some advice. I am looking at buying a 16hh dutch warmbloods gelding. He's 14 years old and has previously competed bsja. I'm buying him to be a happy hacker, general schooling and small jumps (no competitions) kind of horse. The owners have had him for a year and he was 5* vetted previous to that. I'm not sure whether to have a 5* vetting or a 2* (with additional blood test done). There are no real facilities where he is, so the vet wouldn't be able to put him through his paces to test that. What does everyone recommend. I do currently own another horse but never had her vetted so this is all new to me. Thanks in advance for anyone's advice

 

[PorkChop]

You do not need any facilities to do a five stage vetting, a field to lunge/ride them in and somewhere to trot up on a hard surface, even a road would do!

Whether you have a vetting done depends on your experience, how well you know the horse, whether you can afford to deal with unseen problems.

 

[Hanlou16]

There's no where to lunge/ride in as there are other horses in the field that play up (I have been told) but there is a road that he can be trotted up and down. I don't know the horse. Experience is minimal, although I am a current owner, I have never had any problems to deal with with my current mare. I'm definately getting a vetting done, just unsure whether 2* would suffice or I need a 5*

 

[be positive]

Have you seen and tried the horse? you say you don't know it and they have no facilities which suggests that maybe you have not actually ridden it properly other than on the roads, which would be a concern. I would usually say a 2 stage is sufficient for a schoolmaster type but I would be questioning why they are selling after only 1 year, plenty can go wrong in a year, conveniently not having facilities for a 5 stage would ring alarm bells, surely there must be somewhere that they can ride it even if it means taking it somewhere or bringing in the other horses for a while.

 

[PorkChop]

The fact that they have told you that there is nowhere suitable to have the horse vetted would worry me tbh. Most genuine sellers will be as accommodating as possible for obvious reasons.

 

[Hanlou16]

I have seen and ridden the horse (out on a hack) where we walk, trotted and cantered. The horse is kept out 24/7 in a field which is literally a field. The other horses can't be brought in as there is no where to stable them. I was told the reason for selling was that they have too many horses ( have seen them) and he has done his job for them. They need to reduce the numbers for winter. They said I could have it vetted with no problem she was just concerned that they have no facilities to do it properly

 

[NeverSayNever]

i have the same set up here and it is quite possible to tie the other horses up with haynets while using the field to lunge the horse.

 

[brucethegypsycob]

Don't mean to sound nasty but if I've read this right you say your experience is minimal despite already owning another horse. Incidentally, what type is the horse you already own. .? I say this because I question whether a Dutch warmblood is actually the right 2nd horse for you. Will take a lot of management IMHO . But good luck anyway.

 

[twiggy2]

Don't mean to sound nasty but if I've read this right you say your experience is minimal despite already owning another horse. Incidentally, what type is the horse you already own. .? I say this because I question whether a Dutch warmblood is actually the right 2nd horse for you. Will take a lot of management IMHO . But good luck anyway.

what extra management does a DW need? it is a horse.

a horse needs to be exercised for a vetting to check the heart and wind of the horse, speak to current owners about tying up other horses, having them held or sectioning off part of the field with a single strand of electric tape, TBH though one field for lots of horses with no facilities all sounds a bit dodgy to me

 

[Princess Rosie]

I would be worried if the owners can't find you some space in the field on one occasion. If you have minimal experience as you state then just make sure you are aware of what you can be taking on, especially if you don't know the horse, a warmblood isn't always the most suitable for someone with "minimal" experience, just would hate for you to end up seriously over horsed. I think on this occasion listen to your gut feel on why the owners aren't being particularly accommodating over the field, there a lot of untrustful people out there. Best of luck and hope it all works out for you x

 

[Hanlou16]

When I say minimal experience I didn't mean handling horses (I have a feisty Welsh d mare, who I got as a 6 year old. I meant minimal experience with the whole vetting thing (my poor wording sorry). Set up didn't seem to be worrying as they are regular competors and travel all over with their horses for showjumping. Thanks for all your responses though I will see how it all pans out

 

[twiggy2]

When I say minimal experience I didn't mean handling horses (I have a feisty Welsh d mare, who I got as a 6 year old. I meant minimal experience with the whole vetting thing (my poor wording sorry). Set up didn't seem to be worrying as they are regular competors and travel all over with their horses for showjumping. Thanks for all your responses though I will see how it all pans out

if they travel to compete then surely they will take horse to local yard and you can hire a manege?

 

[Honey08]

Or offer to take some electric fencing tape and posts to section off a corner to lunge in?

Sellers have to think of ways to help ease a sale if they sell a horse especially if it's being advertised as a competition type, otherwise it should be very cheap and sold from the field.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

I would have a five stage vetting done - I bought a gelding from somewhere with no facilities - lunged in a corner of the field and trotted up on driveway. If sellers want a sale they ve got to put themselves out a bit - maybe take it to a yard with better facilities. If it seems like too much hard work to make it happen walk away.

 

[Shay]

This screams caution at me. It might depend on where you are in the UK - but no-one I know who competes BS (BSJA ended a couple of years ago) does so from solely field kept animals. I accept we compete juniors and perhaps it is different with horses - but the idea of someone with a strong competition record, traveling all over, yet not having stabling sounds highly implausible to me. Also the fact that you haven't taken the horse in an arena which is what he is bred / trained to do. Might he not be 100% sound on a tight surface? Might he get really fizzy and over excited if he thinks he's going to jump? I know you only want him to hack - but you'll want to take him in an arena at some point I'm sure.

You also haven't said how much. The vetting can depend on the price and most insurers require a 5* for anything over £6K. If it is a competition horse with a good record you'll be paying more than that. If not - you'll want to ask yourself why not. Has the horse broken down for some reason? They have said they are reducing numbers over the winter - understandable. But how did they choose the horses to reduce. You'll probably want to check out the BS record for yourself and perhaps chat to others in the same area to see what sort of reputation the sellers have at competition.

Any sport horse - DW, ISH, whatever - is going to be different to care and keep than a native. They are less hardy - even if this one is currently field kept - they do eat more and often because of early training they can have particular behavioral quirks.

 

[laura_nash]

Whether you have a vetting done depends on your experience, how well you know the horse, whether you can afford to deal with unseen problems.

And whether you intend to insure them.

I bought a mare as a teenager, I'd been riding her for over a year and knew her and her owners very well so didn't have her vetted. Four years later she became lame due to an arthritic coffin joint and the insurance refused to pay out as a I hadn't had her vetted so couldn't "prove" she hadn't always been lame from it.

I don't insure my current horse for vets bills or loss of use, so this wouldn't be an issue for me anymore, but it is worth considering.

 

[oldie48]

My vet practice is a specialist equine one and I've had a horse vetted at their premises. Failing that I'm sure if you ask around there will be a yard not too far away that you can use for a vetting. I wouldn't touch this horse without a vetting and even for a 2 stage you will need a hard surface.