Vetting horses: it’s not about PASS or FAIL

Dr Malcolm Morley BVSc MRVS, explains how purchasers can get the most out of a vetting or pre-purchase examination

One of the most common misunderstandings about a pre-purchase examination is that it is about pass or fail. In fact, a successful vetting is one where the vet helps a purchaser to make up their own mind about whether or not to buy the horse.

Purchasing a new horse is one of the most exciting times for any horse owner but it can be a real challenge to find the steed of your dreams at the right price. For most owners the pre-purchase examination is the best way of checking that a horse is sound and free from illness.

A five stage process

Vetting has been an important part of the work of horse vets for hundreds of years and the word “vetting”, has passed into our general vocabulary to mean a thorough inspection. It is a five-stage process that takes a horse from standing in the stable through a detailed examination, trot-up, and strenuous exercise to recovery and rest followed by a final trot up. The nature of the examination is intended to find any detectable disease, lameness or abnormality, which may have an impact on the purchaser’s intended use of the horse. Clearly a young racehorse must be free from a different set of ailments from those that might affect an older dressage horse and, the intended use may have a big influence on the conclusions.

When a vet examines a horse, a careful inspection is fundamental. This is the time for thoroughness and a determination to pick up any small abnormality, however trivial. Those findings are considered carefully to decide how they might affect the horse —what is their significance? It takes experience, knowledge and often a healthy dose of pragmatism to be good at interpreting those findings; this is why it’s great to ask a vet you know and who’s values you respect.

Almost every vetting is going to flag up some concerns or problems. Many of them are trivial and are unlikely to affect the horse’s intended use, and some of them are so fundamental that any reasonable purchaser would think twice before buying the horse. Life would be simpler if it was always so black and white but, it is most common to find things that take some discussion between vet and purchaser. What about skin lumps that might be sarcoids? How would you feel about a horse that will need remedial farriery but should stay sound? What about a horse who is a lame on one foot but missing a shoe? There are almost endless permutations of possible concerns!

It might come as a surprise but there is no mention of the words “pass” or “fail” in any of the paperwork associated with pre-purchase examination and there never has been. The certificate records relevant clinical findings and/or history and then goes on to given an opinion which states whether, on the balance of probability, the clinical findings will affect the horse’s intended use. The balance of probability is widely interpreted to be 50:50, and this is because in many cases we can’t be certain about the exact risks. Whether or not the clinical findings are likely to be significant to the purchaser depends much on the values of the purchaser and their perception of risk.

In my experience, the discussion between examining vet and purchaser is vital in helping the purchaser make the right decision, rather than just thinking of pass vs fail.

Think about how much risk you are willing to take

Some purchasers are much more risk averse than others. A typically risk-averse purchaser is someone buying a single pony for a child to compete. If that pony is lame or ill there will not be an alternative and it can be heart-breaking for the family to be faced with a pony who is unsuitable.

There are two types of purchaser who are typically less risk-averse:

•  If you are short of money and can’t afford to buy the horse you would like, then buying a horse with veterinary issues can be a good way of matching horse and budget. Definitely have the horse vetted by a vet who understands what you are after and explain your values beforehand. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking “the horse will fail so there’s no point having a vetting”, an experienced vet will be able to help you weigh up the problems and think whether they are really going to be right for you. Incidentally, the findings of the vetting can sometimes be useful for negotiating further on price.
• Another interesting type of vetting is the “schoolmaster” horse. Many of these horses can be wonderful for a developing or less confident rider but they almost always come with some age-related issues or they would not be a schoolmaster. The challenge is deciding whether the risks outweigh the benefits and sometimes these horses are more suited to loan than purchase. A vetting should help you make up your mind.

But what about insurance?

It is important to recognise that you and your insurance company are looking for very different things. Although the horse may be very suitable for you, the insurer will not want to cover anything that is perceived to carry an increased risk. Discuss with the vet about whether any of the findings that might be OK for you are likely to cause problems with an insurer. Where possible in such situations you should make sure you can take out suitable insurance cover before purchasing the horse.