Vettings...

Buds_mum

Buds_mum

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 October 2011
Messages
1,713
Visit site
Its always said, never buy a horse without having it vetted...

And i'm not aiming this at first time novice buyers, who need the confidence in a vetting but...

With the average vetting at my equine vets costing near or on £400 why on earth would you get any horse under 2k vetted...? Especially when its under 1K (as the average roughed off youngster is)

Unless your paying big bucks for an animal to make you big bucks a vetting will throw up very little you can't see yourself....

4 legs?

Sound?

Average conformation?

The rest comes to surface over time and through the growing up stages... I would always ask my instructor to cast her eye over any potential purchase as well as trot the horse up for my vet when they came to vaccinate/teeth ect.

I have only ever had one horse vetted, he failed spectacularly and I had him until he died aged 26 and he never missed a days work until his retirement...

Just musing really....

Would anyone really get a £250 yearling gypsy cob 5* vetted?
 
I so agree.
Have bought many ponies, mainly youngsters and never had one vetted, in fact Ive never had anything vetted. Ive bought unseen and waited with baited breath when they arrive, Ive flown down south to view, Ive bought privately and through the sales.
Used my judgement, seen through the fluff and done my homework. if they take my fancy, are the right price and look basically okay with everything where it should be I buy.
not the way everyone does it but works for me. in fact I love the gamble of putting a deposit on a foal sometimes just from a couple of pics then waiting til they are old enough to pick up or be transported up :)

eta have a specific 'want' for this year, cant wait for the foal pics to start going up ;)
 
Last edited:
When I was starting out with horses I had a few vetted. I don't bother now as I'd only buy a youngster and wouldn't pay more than 1k.
I know what I'm looking at though and I wouldn't be easily conned.
That said, my eyes can't see heart or eye problems, so that is a gamble.

Personal choice really, I've never bought a duff one yet from a physical perspective, but I do think vettings are essential for beginners/novices as much as an assessment by their riding instructor is.
 
In lots of ways I agree, but in another way, if it goes wrong will you just turn away, and if not fixed PTS? If you will then that's fine, but my point is that it costs the same to treat and investigate problems in a 2k horse as it does a 5k horse.
 
It costs as much to keep a bad one as a good one. Equally they can come home trip out of the lorry and be lame for life!

General soundness, I'd be pretty confident of with my own judgement and a knowledgable friends second opinion, maybe eyesight and heart murmer would be interesting to know.

Given the vetting can be quote subjective (flexions etc.) and is only as useful as the day it's dated I might be more inclined to spend £400 ish (or more if you end up getting more than one done!) on some good insurance for the first year so anything really nasty that comes to light in the first year you can get it fixed or get your money back - and I usually hate insurance companies.
 
Never had a horse vetted, but recently a friend did & the only got as far as scanning micro chip, it was not the horse in the passport, hard to spot from markings bay with white star & nothing else.
Made me think about future - might be more inclined to vet now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top