You've done the searching, you've combed the classifieds, you've test ridden several horses and you've settled on THE ONE. What do you need to do now? Write the seller a check, load up and head down the road? You can… but depending on what you want to do with the horse, your level of long term commitment to the horse and your goals for the horse, a pre-purchase exam might be money well spent.
What is a pre-purchase exam? A pre-purchase exam is a series of tests performed by an equine veterinarian that determines the h
rse's current soundness and health and can identify problems that might affect future soundness. There are few things more heartbreaking than having your perfect horse go lame or have some other problem that turns him from your best riding companion in to a lawn ornament. A pre-purchase exam is best performed on a potential purchase prior to falling completely in love with the horse and deciding that you can't live without him. The pre-purchase exam is requested by the buyer, the buyer contacts a veterinarian of their choosing and the buyer is responsible for all costs incurred from the exam. It is usually recommended that the buyer select a veterinarian that is not the seller's usual veterinarian, both to eliminate conflict of interest and to not put the veterinarian in an awkward position of potentially reporting negative! results which might cause the sale to fall through for his client.
When your veterinarian shows up to perform the pre-purchase exam, the first thing he or she should ask is what your intended purpose is for this horse. What do you want to do with him? Are you looking for a trail horse that will go on leisurely rides 2 or 3 days a week? Or is your ultimate goal with this horse to be a high end competitor in your sport of choice? A good veterinarian will take this information in to account when evaluating a horse for you and this information will influence the final report made on this horse.
There are three main types of pre-purchase exams: a basic pre-purchase, a full pre-purchase and a breeding soundness exam A basic pre-purchase exam entails a complete physical exam and lameness exam. A full pre-purchase typically includes x-rays and often other diagnostic measures such as a routine blood panel. Breeding soundness exams are performed on animals intended to be used as breeding stock and are often performed in conjunction with a basic or full pre-purchase exam.
In a basic pre-purchase exam, the veterinarian will listen to the horse's heart, lungs and gut sounds. He'll examine the horse's eyes, dentition (both the condition that the horse's teeth are in and how well the horse's teeth align), legs, joints and overall conformation and condition. He'll likely ascertain the horse's health history, such as whether or not the horse has had problems with colic or lameness in the past and whether or not the horse is current on his vaccinations and deworming. The veterinarian will then ask to see the horse move, both at the walk (in hand) and at the trot (usually on a lunge line). He is looking to see how well the horse tracks and whether the horse wings, paddles or interferes when he is in motion (signs that can indicate a conformational issue and can lead to unsoundness). He'll also be looking for obvious or subtle signs of lameness. The next set of tests will involve using hoof testers on the horse's! hooves to apply pressure to very specific parts of the hoof and internal structures. Hoof testers can find signs of laminitis, stone bruises, navicular disease and other problems that may lead to the need for a career chance for the horse.
Once the horse has passed these tests, the veterinarian will move on to flexion tests. In a flexion test, the veterinarian will hold the horse's leg in a flexed position, focusing on each individual joint or series of joints (hock and stifle for example) for about 60 seconds at a time. He'll then ask the handler to trot the horse off in a straight line. The veterinarian is looking for signs of lameness following the flexion that can indicate an issue that requires further diagnostics such as x-rays or nerve blocks. It is not uncommon for a veterinarian to advise the buyer not to proceed with a horse that cannot pass his flexion tests as it often can indicate the presence of bony changes or arthritis.
A full pre-purchase exam has the same elements as a basic pre-purchase but also includes diagnostic radiographs (x-rays) of at least the front and rear fetlocks, front feet and hocks. Depending on the intended use of the horse, some practitioners will recommend radiographs of the stifles and knees as well. These x-rays will allow the veterinarian to look for bony changes such as arthritis, bone chips, high and low ringbone, navicular syndrome and OCD lesions that can all affect the horse's performance and lead to future unsoundness. A full pre-purchase exam may also include bloodwork to rule out metabolic disease, thyroid problems or the use of masking drugs which may make the horse appear sound or sane at the time of the pre-purchase exam.
A breeding soundness exam is requested on a mare or stallion whose intended purpose is that of a breeding animal. For a mare, the veterinarian will perform a rectal palpation and ultrasound to make sure the uterus and ovaries are of normal size, consistency and free from any abnormalities. A vaginal exam will ensure that the mare has a normal cervical seal and is free from scarring or tears. The veterinarian will also look at the mare's perineal conformation (whether her vulva is tipped in relation to the anus) and check her udders. Stallions will have their semen collected and evaluated, testicles measured and palpated and behavior noted.
Many times when a buyer is having a pre-purchase exam done on a horse, the question they are dying to ask is, "Well, did he pass or fail?". In reality, the veterinarian is not there to "pass" or "fail" the horse and can only point out all abnormalities and potential causes for concern. Veterinarians don't have a crystal ball and they do not have the ability to predict a horse's future soundness; they can only report on what they see on that day. It is up to you, the buyer, to make the final decision on whether or not you can live with his findings.
Julia A. Patton, owner of Aviance Arabians in Loveland, Colorado (http://www.AvianceArabians.com), a successful breeding a sales barn, Julie has been breeding horses for over ten years. The long time breeding manager at a 350+ head Arabian horse farm, Julie brings current, hands on knowledge in the areas of breeding horses from stallion collection to foaling and foal handling. She also spent several years at Colorado State University as a project manager working on reproductive safety trials for pharmaceutical companies. From there, she went to Florida to set up an embryo transfer and frozen semen station for a veterinary practice in Ocala. Now the resident horse expert at http://www.horsesportscentral.com, Julie shares her passion for horses, horse sales and breeding in articles, blogs and posts
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