In a message dated 4/17/2008 11:07:40 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
katswig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
When/if
I do a pre-purchase exam, I want to know that the vet was working for ME no
matter what the outcome of the exam. Especially since
pre-purchase exams don't usually come in the "pass/fail" variety. The vet
just tells the buyer his findings and lets the buyer decide what to do with
that information.
Most vets - at least every one I have worked with - generally will
"officially" indicate that a horse is "serviceably sound" for a given work
career. We spell out what it is, and we also have it IN WRITING for the buyer.
We do pay for the exam, and if the buyer chooses the horse, they are aware up
front that we will pay up front and the fee for the exam is added to the sale
price. Why? Well, after several....mmm, how shall we describe these people....
no very ethical individuals who would have a full work up done on a horse they
SAID they wanted for endurance or jumping, they just bailed on the whole deal
even with a better than servicably sound finding by one or more vets. One
potential buyer even had the vet out TWICE - on MY bill - and then walked.
Nothing wrong with the horse. With a call charge of $50 to 75 now, I wouldn't
dream of vetting a horse without either a. a commitment to buy WITH a deposit
(refundable) if the horse passed suitably, or b. a deposit/written agreement to
pay the fee if the horse passed suitably. Gets rid of the goof balls to a large
degree.
In addition, in our sales contract at point of
contract, IN the contract, a buyer must sign if they DECLINE a vet exam, and we
always STRONGLY encourage them to have it done - and why? So that they cannot do
what two clients over the years have done - not have one then take a young horse
home, ruin them, then scream about their soundness. Had one who had a 2 1/2 year
old filly who she felt was old enough to put a 250# or so 'NH clinician" on her
back and OH how proud they were of how WELL this filly behaved under saddle for
that 3 day event! They even sent me PHOTOS of her being cantered - a LOT.... she
went dead lame in the heels. A few weeks later, the buyer said if I did not give
her the $$ back and pick up the filly, she would come tie her to our door
step... sigh! Good thing I had had our vet out for routine attention just days
before the filly was sold. Happy ending - filly was resold to someone who
cared enough to let her heal and then put her to work and she is doing well.
Sometimes what you do is not for the $$ but for the
welfare of the horse. We insist on a vet exam.
Sandy Adams Deep Sands
Arabians www.deepsands.com
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