One of the additional services we can offer at Minster Equine is vetting for owners and vendors. The vetting procedure is a process laid down by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to standardise examination.
- Information for Purchasers
- Information for Vendors
- How to book an appointment
- The procedure
- General overview
- 5 stage and 2 stage examinations
- X-rays
1. Is the horse fit to be examined?
A 5-stage vetting cannot be performed on an unbroken or unhandled youngster If the horse is known to be lame, then little point in a Vet going out until it is sound again, similarly if the horse is unwell.2. Is the vendor an existing client?
Where possible we try not to examine horses that are owned by an existing client of the practice, for reasons of a potential conflict of interest. We will declare this to the potential purchaser and sometimes they prefer to proceed but it can cause awkwardness with an existing client if we “fail” their horse, so in most occasions we will refer the potential purchaser to another local veterinary practice.3. Are the premises at where the examination is taking place suitable?
We will need:- A stable, preferably one where reduced or lower light levels are possible for full examination of the eyes
- A long straight level firm surface for the trot-up
- Somewhere suitable for lunging and the strenuous exercise phase
- A level firm surface for lunging on a firm surface
- Someone suitable to ride or lunge the horse
If the horse you wish to purchase is at a premises which is not suitable for a vetting then we can perform the examination at the clinic, although there are limited facilities for ridden exercise but the lunging pen usually provides an excellent surface for a period of strenuous exercise.
4. Has the horse been shod recently?
We prefer the horse to have been shod within the previous 4 weeks so that loose shoes or over-long feet etc do not compromise the examination.5. Has the horse got a valid passport?
It is illegal to sell a horse if it does not have a legal and valid passport. Make the vendor (person selling the horse) aware of this and ask them to have the passport present at the vetting.1. Is the horse fit to be examined?
A 5-stage vetting cannot be performed on an unbroken or unhandled youngster. If the horse is known to be lame, then little point in a Vet going out until it is sound again, similarly if the horse is unwell.
2. Are you an existing client?
Where possible we try not to examine horses that are owned by an existing client of the practice, for reasons of a potential conflict of interest. We will declare this to the potential purchaser and sometimes they prefer to proceed but it can cause awkwardness with an existing client if we “fail” their horse, so in most occasions we will refer the potential purchaser to another local veterinary practice.
3. Are the premises at where the examination is taking place suitable?
We will need:
4. Has the horse been shod recently?
We prefer the horse to have been shod within the previous 4 weeks so that loose shoes or over-long feet etc do not compromise the examination.
5. Has the horse got a valid passport?
It is illegal to sell a horse if it does not have a legal and valid passport. Please be aware of this and have a passport present at the vetting.
When you ring to book an appointment for a pre-purchase examination the receptionist will ask you for:
We will also require a credit or debit card number, as we will charge that card with cost of the examination (including the visit charge and blood sample fee etc) before we issue the certificate.
To make an appointment please contact one of our branches
If a potential purchaser only requires a 2 stage examination we will fax or send the form instructing us to perform the reduced examination, to you to sign, prior to the examination. If this is not possible and you will be at the vetting, we may get you to sign the form before we start the vetting.
If the horse you wish to purchase is at a premises which is not suitable for a vetting then we can perform the examination at the clinic, although there are limited facilities for ridden exercise but the lunging pen usually provides an excellent surface for a period of strenuous exercise
The vetting procedure is a process laid down by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to standardise to examination.The vetting procedure is a process laid down by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to standardise to examination.
There are 5 stages to the examination
1. Thorough clinical examination of the horse at rest. This includes
2. Dyanamic Assessment, including
3. Strenuous Exercise
4. Period of Rest
5. Second Trot Up
The Pre-purchase examination should not be thought of as something black and white that the horse passes or fails – it’s an assessment of that horse on that day, which identifies detectable abnormalities so that you, as potential purchaser, can make a decision based on the risks associated with those abnormalities identified.
It is far more like the AA or RAC test that a car undergoes prior to purchase, except we can’t as easily replace the faulty bits on a horse! The overall result of the examination will detail the faults identified and give you the vets opinion as to the suitability to do the job you have declared the horse is being purchased for.
There are some things that will be obvious fail points, e.g., a lame horse is clearly not suitable for purchase.
There are certain things that aren’t covered by the examination, unless specifically requested, e.g. the pregnancy status of mares, or the breeding potential of mares or stallions.
Under certain circumstances, it may not be appropriate or desired to have the full 5 stage examination and some purchasers request that just the first 2 stages are performed. We do require purchasers requiring this reduced examination to sign a request form which states that as they are requesting a reduced examination they are aware that some abnormalities may not be identified as a result of the shortened examination.
If a potential purchaser only requires a 2 stage examination we will fax or send you the form instructing us to perform the reduced examination, which needs to be signed prior to the examination. If this is not possible and you will be at the vetting, we may get you to sign the form before we start the vetting.
X-rays
Purchasers and horse owners should be aware that X-rays and other imaging techniques can be as problematic as they are reassuring.
If X-rays are taken on behalf of an Insurance company, then any abnormalities identified are likely to lead the insurance company to place exclusions on the policy related to those abnormalities. Some Insurance companies place blanket exclusions based on these X-ray findings, such as excluding the whole limb. This is unfair in most cases and providing the vetting examination did not reveal clinical abnormalities, then discussion with the insurance company may help narrow the range of the exclusion and if appropriate, place time limits on the exclusion, ie. If no claim made in 2 years, and X-ray changes not progressed, then the exclusion may be removed.
It should be noted that the pre-purchase examination is not a diagnostic process, which means that if lameness is identified, the examination does not go into making a diagnosis as to why the horse is lame. Sometimes a swollen joint or something similar may give a possible indication to the cause.
