PREPURCHASE EXAMINATIONS

 

    There are many things to consider before buying a horse.  There are human factors and horse factors.  The human factors may include:  age, size, experience and expectation of the  intended rider.  Horse factors may include: age, sex, size, conformational suitability for job, temperament, level of training, affordability, state of health and degree of soundness.

 

A knowledgeable friend, coach, or trainer may be able to help you with some of the above considerations.  As experienced veterinarians, we are the ones best suited to help you with general conformational suitability, state of health and level of soundness.

 

Prepurchase examinations are performed on behalf of the PURCHASER ONLY, and information gathered belongs to the purchaser.  Prior to beginning the examination, a history is obtained from the seller, which the seller signs.  The examination begins with a general conformational assessment taking into account the proposed use of the horse. Next a thorough physical exam of various body systems is conducted to look for any signs of sickness, disease or abnormality.  A thorough evaluation of the feet and limbs will be done with the horse at rest prior to beginning the soundness evaluation phase. 

 

The level of soundness required will depend on the purchasers level of tolerance for any unsoundness and also on the proposed use of the horse.  Obviously, a casual use trail horse may be able to get by with a minor soundness issue, which could possibly be career ending for a high level athlete.  During the gait evaluation phase, we may ask to have the horse ridden for part of it.  Various physical tests and movements will be used to evaluate the various gaits and movements.

 

After the wellness exam and soundness exam phase, we may recommend further tests such as radiographs (X-rays) of specific joints, ultrasound exams of suspicious soft tissue areas, blood tests, endoscopic exam of the upper respiratory tract, drug tests, etc.

 

No two prepurchase exams are the same, and almost every horse has some abnormalities. Our goal is not to “pass or fail” a horse on an examination, but rather to provide the purchaser with as much information as possible to help in the decision making process prior to the horse being purchased.