Vettings

Vettings

Before buying a horse or pony it is advisable to have a pre-purchase veterinary examination (“vetting”) undertaken.  This is a thorough examination of the horse in five stages and is aimed at detecting any signs of disease or defect that may render the horse unsuitable for the purpose for which you intend to use it. Some insurance companies require a five stage pre-purchase examination certificate before they will insure a horse.

The five stage examination will be carried out by an experienced veterinary surgeon following the guidelines set out by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the British Veterinary Association and the British Equine Veterinary Association.

1.    Stage one ' examination at rest. The horse is examined all over, including heart and lungs, eyes, limbs and feet, checking teeth for age and looking for blemishes or injuries. The markings are compared with the horse's passports and drawn for the certificate.
2.    Stage two ' trot up on a hard surface. The horse is examined at the walk and trot in hand on a level hard surface to check for lameness. Flexion tests may be performed.
3.    Stage three ' strenuous exercise. The horse is exercised to increase heart and breathing rate and to examine at faster gaits. This is usually ridden exercise unless the horse is unbroken where it may be lunged instead.
4.    Stage four ' cooling off. The horse's recovery period is monitored to indicate fitness and to note any post exercise stiffness.
5.    Stage five ' a final trot up. The horse is checked again for lameness and any other checks deemed necessary after the first four stages. A blood sample is taken at this stage and stored.

It is important to remember a few points about pre-purchase examinations....

·    Horses are not "passed" or "failed" at a vetting, rather their suitability for the purpose for which they are intended is assessed. A horse may prove not suitable to event but suitable for general riding, or suitable for dressage but not for hunting.
·    A horse that is deemed suitable for purpose at vetting may have some defects present which the veterinary surgeon carrying out the examination thinks unlikely to affect the horse for the purpose for which it is intended. Insurance companies however generally like horses to be perfect and may decline cover or place certain exclusions on cover. It is advisable to make sure that the horse can be adequately insured after the vetting but before the actual purchase.
·    The pre-purchase examination is not a guarantee of the horse's future health ' there is no crystal ball to see into the horse's future!
·    The pre-purchase examination cannot assess parameters such as ability to get pregnant or ability to go round Badminton!