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| Pre Purchase Examinations |
Introduction
Our experienced vets perform the full range of pre-purchase examinations following the BEVA/RCVS guidelines. This offers important information on the suitability (or otherwise) of potential purchases and are increasingly required by insurance cover before “vets fees” insurance can be obtained.
We can perform pre-purchase examinations either at the vendors/purchasers premises or increasingly at our clinic which has the advantage of purpose built trot up and lunging areas. In addition we can offer the full range of ancillary investigations requested by the purchaser or insurance company including x-rays, tendon ultrasonography and endoscopy of the upper respiratory tract.
5 Stage Pre-Purchase Examination
This is the most thorough vetting available and the one we would generally recommend except for young unbroken animals. It consists of 5 separate stages;
- Thorough examination of the horse at rest including auscultation of the heart and lungs, appraisal of conformation, inspection palpation and manipulation of the limbs/joints and inspection of the skin, eyes and teeth including an estimate of the horse’s age.
- Examination of the horse at walk and trot in hand including flexion tests.
- Strenuous exercise, in most cases ridden. This allows further evaluation of the horses movement as well as the detection of abnormal respiratory sounds and auscultation of the heart immediately following exercise to detect abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias) and sounds(murmurs).
- Rest period; To allow the heart rate to return to normal and any stiffness post exercise to develop. The horse will be observed for any vice like behaviour.
- Further examination of the horse at walk and trot in hand.
Strenuous exercise is an integral part of a 5 Stage Vetting
If the horse is considered suitable for purchase a blood sample will be taken and stored to allow subsequent analysis should a lameness or temperament problem develop
We will usually take a blood sample for storage as part of 2 and 5 stage vettings
2 Stage Pre-Purchase Examination
A more limited examination consisting of stages 1 and 2 outlined above can be performed when requested either due to the fact the horse is young/unbroken or so as to not incur the cost of a full vetting. Obviously certain abnormalities will not be detected during this limited examination and so we request you to sign a disclaimer form to this effect prior to the vetting taking place.
Mortality Insurance Vetting
This is an examination along similar lines to a 2 stage vetting to allow a horse to be insured for mortality purposes.
Facilities
Certain facilities are required for us to perform pre-purchase examinations. Briefly these are a dark stable, a flat hard area at least 30m long for trotting up and an arena or flat field for strenuous exercise. The horse must have been stabled for the day of the vetting.
Contact the clinic for more details and costs.
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