Pre Purchase Examinations

Buying your next or even your first horse or pony is a big decision. Having a Pre-Purchase examination (vetting) helps give you the peace of mind that your next companion will be suitable for your needs and is in good condition.

We offer both Two and Five stage examinations.

The aim of a vetting is to not only assess the condition of the horse, but also its suitability for the intended purpose. A thorough discussion with the purchaser as to their intentions for the horse and any concerns they may have is a vital part of the pre-purchase examination process. The aim is to ensure that your new horse is suitable and your purchase results in a successful future together.

We are only able to perform vettings on your prospective horse as long as the owner is not a client of ours.

For all vettings we will require the horse to have been standing in the stable/yard for a minimum of an hour and a half prior to examination. We will also need a hard, even surface for trotting up with someone to to do this and a dark area for examining the horse's eyes.

The passport must be available at the time of vetting. For five stage we will require someone to ride the horse and an area available for ridden work.

Two stage

We will undertake a thorough examination, including the eyes, heart and lungs, as well as observation of the horse walking and trotting in hand and on a circle if possible. Flexion tests may be performed if it is safe to do so. Two-stage vettings are usually reserved for youngsters that are not yet in work, older horses and broodmares. It will usually take approximately one hour.

Two stage vettings don't include a strenuous exercise phase, therefore, they may not reveal subtle lameness, some airway issues and certain heart conditions, among other things.

Five stage

This has everything included in a two stage vetting, with the additional exercise phase where the horse is observed under saddle at walk, trot, canter and, if appropriate, gallop. This also allows assessment of the horse when it has an increased breathing effort and an increased heart rate. This is followed by observation of the recovery phase and reassessment of respiratory and cardiovascular parameters as they return to resting levels. The trot up is then repeated to assess the effects of a period of exercise on the horse's soundness.

We recommend a Five stage vetting for all riding horses and especially competition horses. This can take up to two and a half hours to complete.

Additional Vetting Services

We would recommend a blood sampling with ALL Pre-Purchase examinations. These samples would then be securely stored for 6 months following the examination, for testing in the event of a problem arising later on.

Other additional services that can be included in the process (although we would only recommend them if undertaking a Five Stage vetting) include:-

• Radiology - X-rays can be taken to assess any bony changes.
• Endoscopy - to further assess the horse's airway.
• Ultrasound - to examine a horse's tendons or soft-tissue structures.

Both of the above are generally requested for high value horses, or if you have a particular concern about the prospective purchase, or if changes are found during the vetting that require further investigation.

If you only request a 2 Stage Vetting we would appreciate the completion of the 2 Stage Vetting Consent form which can also be emailed to us.

If you are selling a horse and are a client of ours, please complete the Pre Purchase Vetting Disclosure Form below and email to us.

If you want to speak to someone, because you are unsure of which service may be the most appropriate, please call 01548 853322 or to request a vetting you can contact us here.