Would you vet a horse that is free or very cheap?

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Lill

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Would you bother?

Don't think i would.
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Just speaking to friends, found i have a different opinion to them!

We've bought 3 horses very cheaply in the last 5 years and 1 was more expensive so he was vetted. Guess which has had the most problems? The one we got vetted.
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Depends if you're prepared to take the risk I guess - what would you do if something was seriously wrong? If you know the answer to that & can handle carrying out your decision (whatever that may be), then it's fine to take an 'educated' risk. If however, your world would fall apart, then probably best to reduce the risk with a vetting.
 
I think it depends what you want the horse for. If you get it for a song and you're hoping to event it - I'd have it vetted. If you're paying £500 for a field companion, I wouldn't bother. If I wanted anything to ride though, I'd have it vetted I think. Been stung too many times now!!!!
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Yeah I would. Just because it was free, doesn't mean that it won't cost thousands in vet fees if it has something wrong with it.
 
ive never had either of mine vetted - both were relatively cheap - under 2k, to be used for low level competeing. never had any problems, touch wood,had one of them 7 years now and never been lame. both were bought privately tho.
 
Not now I wouldn't, bought my first horse for £1500 and had him vetted for peace of mind, nearly ended up with all sorts of exclusions that wouldn't have been an issue if I could just have said to my insurance company "no I didn't have him vetted". I knew the horse very well for about a year and so if the same situation arose again, for £1500 I wouldn't have him vetted. I do think that it depends on whether you know the horse, what you want them for and how much you are paying oh and importantly, how experienced you are, things like knowledge of conformation, being able to spot existing conditions etc, overall horse knowledge account for a great deal in my opinion...and it is only my opinion....
 
I didn't with my freebie as knew he would fail, ironically the reason he would have failed hasn't been a future issue for him! I sometimes wonder though if I had had him vetted would it have showed up his navicular problems? Possibly but who knows?
I think for the sake of £200 I would vet even a freebie in the future
 
No, of all the animals we have bought (most expensive £1500), we have never had one vetted and never had cause to regret it. Anything expensive would be another story
 
I loaned my horse for about 6 months before the owner gave him to me. I didn't have him vetted, as the owner was very honest about his issues and things that came up with the vetting he had done, about a year earlier.

If I was getting a horse for free that I didn't know, and an owner that I didn't know, I would have a vetting done if the horse was to be ridden.
 
It really depends why the horse is cheap. We bought Spike earlier this year for £900 but because he alreday had 'issues' we decided to have him vetted to ensure we were not dealing with anyhting health wise. It turned out that his issues were 100% behavioural and now they are nearly sorted we have out self a bargain. Even with what we paid the vets bill and what we spent getting him rebacked he is still worth more so yes in that type of situation I think it is worth it.
 
ive bought 4 cheap ponies and 1 expensive one. Expensive one was fully 5 stage vetted for my peace of mind. the other 4 were bought without vetting or with 2 stage vet check.
Realy depends on what you want to do with it, if your willing to take the risk and how cheap it is?
 
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