Pre -Purchase Exam

I am thinking of purchasing a horse from a trainer that I have worked very closly with. The horse is one he has breed and trained. I do not want to offend him but I definetly want to know before shelling out the $$$.

So here are my questions...(I think they are horse health related...sorry if they are not)


Do you always do a pre-purchase exam before buying a horse??
Do you do just the basic exam or x-rays nose to tail??
Do you bring the seller along?

Always do a pre -purchase exam without exception, the others will have to answer the xray

Do you always do a pre-purchase exam before buying a horse??

On 2 out of my 3 horses, yes - the one I didn't was essentially a freebie, and I couldn't see anything wrong in the 2 week trial I had her for, so I didn't. Should I have? Yes - even though nothing has cropped up, I still feel uneasy about not getting it done. I STRONGLY suggest you get a pre-purchase exam on ANY horse that you might buy.


Do you do just the basic exam or x-rays nose to tail??

I just get the basic exam. Having said that, I SHOULD have gotten full X-rays on my Grand Prix prospect, because he ended up not being entirely sound, which didn't show up with the basic flexion tests.
If you aren't planning on doing any upper level work, don't bother with the x-rays, just get the basic exam - a horse should pass a basic exam, or you should walk away.
Anyways, if you feel the need or want to get X-rays, then do! It is more expensive, but could be better in the long run.


Do you bring the seller along?

The seller is usually present, yes. They can handle the horse for the vet if you don't feel comfortable. However, some people don't want the sellers to be present, so you can request that as well. I wasn't present when my mare got her pre-purchase exam when I sold her, and it turned out well.
I would recommend getting your own vet to do the pre-purchase exam, instead of using the seller's vet. Although vets are supposed to be neutral on the horse... they are people, and can be bought out by the seller.

Any other questions?

I say always do a pre-purchase exam as well. :)

It depends how much I am spending!

All three of the horses I have now did NOT have a pre-purchase exam. One was given to us by a friend (he's my dressage horse! :) ), Key was bought at an auction (he's my pleasure horse, and is fantastic! Going to the regional show this weekend!), and my weanling was bought from a different state (And is A-OK!).

It really depends! If you worked around the horse a lot, then you should know if he's alright. If you are questioning the horse's soundness, then you probably shouldn't get him in the first place! A pre-purchase exam never went amiss, but if the horse is more then 10,000, I'd say x-rays are a must. Sometimes, x-rays come up with something but the horse is totally fine!

Also, bring in a vet that your trainer DOES NOT use! Don't want the vet to be biased... :)

Good luck!

I would go ahead and have it done just to know what the horse has if it has any problems cause you don't want to pay lots of money on a horse that not even worth that much....you know?

One I did a pre-purchase on which included x-rays. He was expensive. Hubby's horse we had on a two week trial and didn't do a pre-purchase.

I would recommend to anyone who asked to at least do the basic exam, it's pretty cheap insurance. If the horse has a high sticker price I would want x-ray's, although mayfieldk made a good point about something minor showing in the x-ray yet the horse is sound.

Use your own vet, not one recommended by the seller.

The next horse I'm getting is definitely having a pre-purchase exam. Just so I know what i'm getting into BEFORE I buy him.

My 2 current horses did not have a pre-purchase exam and with my mare, I would have passed on (just because she is hypp positive) My gelding on the other hand, has athritis and his feet were a mess. We still would have gotten him, but it wouldn't have been a surprise to us.

I'm doing it just to be on the safe side. I learned a lot with my 2 current horses and I just want to know before I buy.

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS do a pre purchase exam!! NO matter if it's a freebie or something you paid for. Free----hello?? You want to know everything about this horse and why it's FREE!! Do you want to be stuck with mounting vet bills? .... Any other horse, you must or it will not stand in a court of law if something is wrong. It's like buying a USED car As-is. You stand to lose a lot and are risking TONS if you don't get a pre vet check. Would you buy a car without inspection? Or would you take the owner's word? SAME THING!!! Horse world is crooked! Be careful!

Any breeder, trainer or reputable stable would not feel put out about a pre-purchase exam, infact, I would say support it.

As for the types of the exams is your choice. They run in many price ranges.
If you are planning any heavy actives with this horse such as jumping, reining or barrel and etc., I would do some x-rays on those legs and feet.
The more x-rays means more for the exam. (obviously) but that would be cheap for the peace of mind.