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A pre-purchase examination (commonly known as a vet check) is not essential but is a very good idea. The examination will cost anything from about $80 upwards, depending on what the horse is to be used for. A competition horse will be given a much more comprehensive check than a horse which is only to be used for pleasure riding. When you make the appointment with the vet, state what you plan to do with the horse and find out how much you are likely to pay for the examination.
The potential buyer has the right to keep the information supplied by the vet and is not required to pass it on to the owner of the horse, whether the horse is subsequently purchased or not, but may do so if they wish, or if the cost of the check is split between the owner and potential buyer. It is always a difficult decision whether to have a horse vet checked before having it on trial or at the end of the trial. If the vet check is done at the end, you (or worse, your child!) risk becoming attached to a horse that later proves unsound. If the vet check is done at the beginning you may find out the horse is sound but forfeit the money at the end of the trial when you decide that the horse really isn't what you wanted. Most people opt to have the vet check at the end, then compromise on any medical failings because they have become so attached to the horse. If you are going to be really objective, have the vet check done after riding the horse only 3 or 4 times and give it a fairly rigorous testing in those few days (e.g. traffic, children, plastic bags, crossing creeks, touching all over, standing still for a long period of time). When a horse is booked for a veterinary examination the owner should ensure that the horse is appropriately presented. In particular, if the horse is to be used for riding it should be shod. To determine whether a horse is sound, it will need to be worked on hard ground and, if the horse is not shod, some lameness may develop during the test simply due to the fact that it does not have shoes on. |
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A vet will not usually comment on the value of the horse, but will comment on
the suitability of the horse for what you plan to do with it. Few horses will
pass the examination showing no problems at all and the older the horse the more
likely that problems will appear. The aim of the examination is to identify
those problems and for the veterinarian to provide a prognosis of them in
relation to the new owner's plans for the horse. The prospective owner can then
choose whether to buy the horse with a reasonably good knowledge of that horse's
limitations.
