Lesson 2: Buying Your Horse

The Pre-Purchase Exam

I can't stress how important it is to get a vet check done on a horse you wish to buy. Some people think this is only essential for an older horse, but trust me when I say a vet can see what you can't. If you're spending a large amount of money on an animal then it's only wise to invest a little more to into seeing if that horse is healthy. I had friends that bought a 2-year old without a vet check, thinking that because the horse was young they didn't need one. They'd just pumped $1500 into having the horse trained and she could never be ridden because of degenerative arthritis that was genetically inherited. They ended up with a hay burner that left them $3000 in the hole without the feed and medical bills.

First and foremost, choose a neutral vet, one that the sellers have never used and don't know. Always be on hand for the vet check and listen carefully to all the vet says. The vet will issue a written report to you, but if you're eager for the sale to go ahead, then you can catch what you need to know first hand. You can also ask the vet whether the horse will be physically suitable for the discipline that you want to use the horse for.

The vet will look at the horse's structure and determine whether his feet and bone structure are suitable for what you wish to do with the horse. He'll also be able to point out any imperfections. He'll check the horse's vital signs and check for lameness after being exercised. He'll check the horse's teeth to see if they correspond to the age the seller claims the horse to be and he'll also look to see whether the equine's teeth have been maintained. Essentially the vet will check the horse's conformation, movement and soundness, wind, gut sounds, heart and lungs, eyesight and hearing. If anything untoward is apparent then it's a chance for further investigation.

It will be really hard to control your enthusiasm at this point. You think you've found the perfect horse and maybe a little flaw in his health here and there might not be a bad thing. Sadly flaws can grow, sometimes out of control, so if your vet finds a flaw, ask him to explain what it means for the horse's future, and whether it could develop into a serious problem at a later date.

A helpful booklet called Purchase Exam can be gleaned from The American Association of Equine Practitioners and you can get a copy through vets that are members.

Finally, always ask the vet to perform a Coggins test before you take the horse home and before you introduce it into a new herd. We’ll look at what the Coggins test is next.

Read Chapter 7; Pre Purchase Exam p.70-77 of The Horse Illustrated Guide to Buying a Horse.

Check out the Equine IQ Check - It is hard to determine an equine psychological profile which can predict how the horse is going to act. Things like horse sense, behavior, and manners often escape the standard Vet Check. So if you are looking for a mental I.Q. Check out the link.

  1  2  3  4  5  6   

Print this page