[VaticanVice]

What are your thoughts? Have you ever bought a horse without one? If not, are there any circumstances under which you WOULD buy a horse without one?

I'm getting ready to purchase my first horse (yay!). I've leased a couple of times in the past, but never owned, so this is new territory for me. A few details: He's a seven-year-old registered Norwegian Fjord gelding. He's a little out of shape--fat, but still pretty muscular--and sound. The current owner says he's never had so much as a cold. Seems a bit of a stretch, but she's been very honest with me so far.

I want my first horse purchase to be a smart one. I know I SHOULD get a vet check, but it is some extra money spent on a fairly limited equine budget. Does anyone know what they run these days in Colorado? On that note, does anyone have a great vet to recommend in the Castle Rock/Elizabeth/Kiowa area?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[CLaPorte432]

Extra money that is well worth it! A $300 exam is better then a $3000 vet bill later. Or the $3000 spent on a horse that cant be used for your needs/wants.
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[NBEventer]

My first pony was bought without the PPE. She turned out to have soundness issues. My $500 pony plucked out of a field cost me way to much in the end.

Every horse I have had since then I have always had at least the basic flexion tests, xrays and check over. It might be a bit pricier, but if you are going to buy a horse, nothing is cheap. That $200 horse will cost you thousands over the years. And you could potentially save yourself from a holiday Sunday emergency call fee.

 

[Delfina]

I wouldn't buy a horse without one.

I absolutely LOVED the Vet who did my PPE on my gelding. She gave thorough a new meaning... I think she spent nearly 4 hours. I spent $500 but most of it was on x-rays that I opted for.

Anyways it's Lois Toll through Littleton Equine and she came all the way to Parker to do my PPE so I'm sure she'll go to your area.

Littleton Equine Medical Center-Meet the Team

 

[VaticanVice]

Thanks for the advice, all! Points well made, points well taken. Also, Delfina, thank you so much for the vet recommendation! I'll get in contact with her.

 

[NBEventer]

One more thing. NEVER trust a seller. Seriously. No matter how wonderful and honest they may seem. There is a reason that horse is for sale. I am not saying everyone lies, but... everyone lies. I sound jaded but its really the safest approach to take when buying a horse. I even have that attitude when I am buying a horse from my trainer who I have been riding with for 15 years and am friends with.

 

[Dreamcatcher Arabians]

My rule of thumb for a PPE is; Can I afford to lose the purchase price or do I think I'll get at least the purchase price back if the horse doesn't fit what I wanted it for? If the answer to either question is no, I get a PPE.

So, to put it in black & white:

I want a trail horse and go to look at one whose price is $1000. I test ride, do my own flexion testing and the the horse feels and trots off sound. I'll go ahead without the PPE because I'm not going to pay full price and that's pretty inexpensive.

I go see stallion shopping and see a 2 year old who is everything I want and he's got a $25K price tag. Dayum skippy I'm gonna get a PPE, I can't afford to buy a sterile stallion or one who can't move his out of his own way because of lameness.

It's all in what you can afford to lose.

 

[VaticanVice]

NBEventer, that's very sound advice. Jaded or not, I agree with you. I'm not taking anything she says at face-value--I call her "honest" because so far, she's been very up-front about the horse's flaws. That's certainly not to say she's addressed all of them, I know, but her demeanor has made me *relatively* comfortable that she's not sugar-coating the facts for quick sale.

 

[tealamutt]

I would not even take a free horse that was meant to be a pasture ornament without a PPE. If you're taking on the horse, you're committing to managing it's health. You should know exactly what the health status is, or there is no way you can know if you can afford the time and money to keep it healthy.

 

[MyLittlePonies]

I'm having one done including a Coggins test on my mare whom I'm getting in Colorado this weekend. I wouldn't dream of crossing the states without either of them. Of course I have to pay for it but that's fine.
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[JustDressageIt]

Yes, absolutely. It was worth every penny for the peace of mind. I got Ronan insured and it was included in the PPE; it would have been $100 on its own.

 

[usandpets]

We didn't do one on any of our horses. None had issues that would have been found with a PPE. Of course we have only 8 horses so maybe we were just lucky so far.

If I was buying a performance horse or for shows, I probably would have one done because it would be a bigger investment.
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[BarrelRacingLvr]

I would never buy a horse without getting a PPE....no matter if it was just a pasture pet. I want to be sure that there is NOTHING wrong or prone to go wrong in the future. I don't want to get s tuck with a crippled horses and it coming out after it is to late to change my mind. And I don't have any sympathy for people who complain about getting a crippled horse when they didn't get the PPE...their own fault.

I would rather spend the small fee vs eating what I paid for a crippled horse that I can't do anything with. It is really worth it in the long run.