By Lauren MacLeod, BSc., DVM

Purchasing a horse can be an exciting yet stressful experience, particularly when it comes time for the pre-purchase examination, or “vetting.” For the seller, there may be anxiety about uncovering health issues that could end the sale. For the buyer, there’s the fear that their dream horse might fail the vet check, leading to disappointment. However, understanding the true purpose of this essential veterinary service can help ease the tension and ensure a smoother process.

What a Pre-Purchase Exam Is (and Isn’t)

A pre-purchase exam is not designed to “pass” or “fail” a horse. Instead, the veterinarian’s goal is to assess the horse’s health and soundness at the time of the exam, providing the buyer with vital information about the horse’s current condition. The exam helps the buyer make an informed decision, but it does not guarantee the horse’s future health. Horses are prone to injury or illness, and a horse that appears healthy today may develop issues down the line. This uncertainty is an inherent part of horse ownership, and buyers must be prepared for the potential risks involved.

Why You Should Still Get a Pre-Purchase Exam

You may wonder if it’s necessary to have a horse vetted if it seems healthy and sound. After all, the pre-purchase exam doesn’t offer any guarantees about the horse’s future condition. However, the benefits of having a veterinary evaluation far outweigh the potential costs of purchasing a horse with hidden health problems.

While the initial purchase price may seem like the biggest expense, it’s often the ongoing costs that add up. If the horse has an undiagnosed health or lameness issue, the buyer could face significant future veterinary bills, medications, and potentially even costs associated with an unrideable horse. For example, a seemingly inexpensive horse may come with expensive long-term care costs, quickly making it more costly than initially anticipated.

Even if the horse is a low-cost purchase, like a $500 pony, a pre-purchase exam is highly recommended. The exam provides peace of mind and helps you avoid costly surprises later on.

Although often a hard decision, sometimes it is best for both horse and rider to seek a different partnership. Photo: iStock/Fotokostic

Before the Exam

Once the decision has been made to move forward with a pre-purchase exam, there are a few points to consider prior to booking the appointment with a veterinarian. First, it is necessary to obtain permission from the seller to have the horse examined. Most of the pre-purchase exam is non-invasive and is simply a thorough examination by the veterinarian. However, if the horse should require sedation for any reason, or if his shoes must be removed for radiographs, will the current owner allow this? It is always easier for all parties to determine this ahead of time. Another topic to discuss with the current owner is the quality of the facilities at which the horse is located. Is there hard, flat ground and an arena with good footing to use for the moving portion of the exam? Is there a barn with adequate lighting for examining the horse, and electrical outlets if radiograph or ultrasound equipment must be set up? If the facility does not meet these requirements, it may be necessary to haul the horse to another stable or a vet clinic in order to get the most out of the vet check.

Choosing the veterinarian to conduct the examination is usually the most important consideration. This decision is often straightforward if the horse is located in your area, as your regular veterinarian can perform the exam. However, complications arise if your veterinarian also does work for the seller, as this may be seen as a conflict of interest. By having an open discussion with the seller and the veterinarian, you will avoid putting your veterinarian in an awkward position on the day of the exam – one in which he or she must strive to remain objective while evaluating another client’s animal. Furthermore, if you are buying a horse in a distant location, you will need to hire a veterinarian who works in that area. In this situation, it often helps to speak with your regular veterinarian who may be able to provide you with a list of equine veterinary practices in that area.

The Basics

The pre-purchase examination can be as basic or as extensive as needed to fulfill the buyer’s needs. Most veterinarians offer a standard exam, which includes taking a full history from the person currently responsible for the care of the horse, a complete physical examination, and a soundness evaluation. Further diagnostics can be discussed at the completion of the standard portion of the visit, and will be further explored later in this article.

During the soundness exam the horse will be observed on the longe line on both hard and soft ground. Photo: Dreamstime/Manon Ringuette

The history given by the current caretaker is very important information and helps put the clinical exam in context. For example, while mild soundness issues requiring management may be expected in a seasoned show horse in his teens, the same finding in a young horse in training may raise a red flag. It is also helpful to know if the horse has been kept up-to-date on veterinary and farrier care, and a seller should be able to provide these records for review.

The next part of the exam is the physical examination. This is a thorough exam of the horse’s general body condition as well as all of his organ systems. Because most potential buyers are mainly concerned with lameness as a reason for a deal-breaker, the importance of the physical exam is sometimes overlooked. However, causes of unsoundness extend beyond the limbs. In this part of the visit, the veterinarian will listen to the horse’s heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract, perform an oral and ophthalmic examination, inspect his skin for tumours or other lesions, and search for scars that may hint at a previous surgery. The musculoskeletal system including the neck, back, pelvis, and all four limbs will be palpated for abnormalities or pain on manipulation. Similarly, the feet will be assessed for hoof quality and any sensitivity to hoof testers, which may indicate subtle foot pain. This is also a good opportunity to critically analyze the conformation of the horse, particularly in context of theintended use of the buyer. Certain conformational faults, even in a sound horse, may predispose the horse to the development of lameness in the future, and should be taken into consideration prior to purchase.

Flexion tests are done to detect subtle soundness problems, or to further investigate a lameness seen during the moving exam. Photo: iStock/Frogman1484

Hoof testers are used to detect subtle foot pain. Photo: Shutterstock/Osetrik

The final stage of the pre-purchase exam is the soundness evaluation. This is often the longest phase, and assesses the horse for any lameness or neurological deficits that may affect his gait. Most veterinarians will first watch the horse walk and trot in-hand on a straight line on hard, flat ground. Over the course of the exam, the horse will also be observed on the straight line on soft footing (such as in an arena) and then on the longe line on hard and soft ground. The horse should also be asked to back up and turn in tight circles, which can help reveal subtle neurologic dysfunction. Flexion tests, in which each limb or parts of each limb are held in flexion prior to immediately observing the horse at the trot, are performed at the discretion of the veterinarian to detect subtle soundness problems or to further characterize a lameness that was seen during the moving exam. A flexion test is deemed “positive” if a lameness appears after flexion or if a lameness that is already present is worsened by flexion.

Flexion tests are often the most dreaded part of the exam for both buyer and seller, as many sales fall through based on a positive flexion test. However, while a positive flexion test is certainly an abnormal finding, it is not always the end of the line for a potential purchase. It is vital to put this finding into context with respect to the severity of the positive result, the age and previous use of the horse, and the intended future use. For some, a well-trained, experienced horse with a mildly positive flexion test may be more desirable than one that is hot-tempered and green but perfectly sound.

A complete physical examination and soundness evaluation is part of the standard pre-purchase exam. Photo: Shutterstock/Osetrik

Delving Deeper

After the standard pre-purchase exam has been completed, it is up to the buyer to decide if he or she would like to pursue further diagnostics. The list of options is extensive, and may include medical imaging such as radiographs, ultrasound, endoscopy, and even magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); blood work such as a complete blood cell count, serum biochemistry screen, ACTH assay, Coggins’ test, or drug screening; or a full breeding soundness examination on a mare or stallion. The choice to pursue any of these options depends largely on the balance between a buyer’s desire to gather more information and his or her budget, as each additional test will add to the cost of the pre-purchase exam. It is mostly a matter of personal preference on the part of the buyer, as some people are more risk-averse than others and would prefer to spend the money to gather more information prior to buying, while others would rather save their money and are willing to take a reasonable risk on a horse. To help in this decision process, a veterinarian will make recommendations for further diagnostics based on the findings of the standard exam. For example, if a horse was positive to flexion of a particular joint, the veterinarian may advise radiographs of that joint to rule out osteoarthritis. Another example would be running an ACTH assay on a middle-aged or older horse where pars pituitary intermedia dysfunction (PPID or Cushing’s disease) may be suspected. The veterinarian should work with the buyer to choose the most pertinent diagnostics to maximize their budget. By the end of the exam, the buyer should be satisfied with the amount of information acquired about the horse to either be comfortable moving forward with the decision to buy, or continue their search elsewhere.

After the standard pre-purchase exam is complete, the potential buyer may decide to do further diagnostic tests such as ultrasound. Photo: Shutterstock/Osetrik

Though it may seem overwhelming at the start, the pre-purchase exam is a worthwhile investment for any prospective buyer. An understanding of the different aspects of the exam and why they are included makes the whole process much smoother and more enjoyable.

Happy horse shopping!

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Main photo: Dreamstime/Wavebreakmedia Ltd