what 'stage' vetting would you do?

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Hedwards

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Friend is in the process of buying her first horse, a 16 year old, Section D x Arab mare - an absolute saint in every way! and seems perfect for friend. She's getting her vetted, my initial view was to just do a 2 stage, the vets she has phoned are pursuading her to do a 5 stage, what would you lot do? I've said to friend i'm not comfortable pursuading her in either direction as its her horse and her money...
 
2 stage personally unless your buying something for serious competing etc . If your friend is rich then go for the 5 stage but at 16 it's possibly not worth it ....
 
I've just booked a 5 stage vetting at a cost of £235. Was £60 more than the 2 stage but worth it IMO. At least mt potential purchase will get a full MOT.
Will be absolutely gutted if he fails though!
 
I would personally get a 2 stage unless money wasn't an issue and she's not planning on doing serious competitions (i.e affiliated). I recently paid £170 for a 2 stage vetting but last year was quoted £400 for a 5 stage vetting and another £200 for X-rays as there were question marks on the horse's legs. He failed the first stage so only cost me £150 in the end!
 
horse.love92 said:
2 stage personally unless your buying something for serious competing etc . If your friend is rich then go for the 5 stage but at 16 it's possibly not worth it ....
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To me this is the wrong way round, if friend is rich she can afford to pay for a vetting?

If she is rich she is in a better position to pay for treatment, or lose money if the horse is not fully fit and sound once purchased. It is not really about whether the horse will cost a lot to buy or if it is going to be a top competition horse but whether if it does all go wrong can they afford the risk, insurance may cover most conditions but not if it is something they feel was preexisting.

I personally would only 2 stage this horse but I have my own land so can keep another ornament if required.
 
I only had my horse 2 stage vetted because his previous owner had him five star vetted five months previous to that and he had only been out in the field.
 
A lot can happen in 5 months so I wouldn't consider what the last owner had done relevant.


Last horse was an older horse, but she was 5 stage vetted with Xrays. Didn't cost the earth tbh. Worth it to know there were no red flags at the time of purchase, god knows it can go wrong soon enough, don't want to buy established problems if it can be avoided.
 
I'd always get a 5 stage done over a 2 stage - they look at so much more, and when I asked for the price difference there really wasn't a lot in it - the vets told me that they prefer to do 5 stage ones as they are more thorough, so don't like charging a lot more for them.
 
Thanks everyone... she has decided to go for a 2 stage... the 2 stage is £180 the 5 stage £350. It was totally her choice and we're confident this pony is fit as a fiddle, and my firend isnt going to be expecting much from her at all...
 
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