I'm responding to several messages in one here.
>Would you choose a vet any differently than you would for anything else; are
some vets
>better at this than others? Do you *always* request leg xrays or any other
>test/specific exam type
Any good equine vet should be capable but one who deals with endurance or
dressage or other heavy duty sport horses would IMO be a better choice.
I'd emphasize the need for good legs to the vet.I would request x-rays if
the vet thought they were warranted. i.e. if the vet sees something that
she wants to take a closer look at we'll do the x-rays. But since bad
x-rays don't mean the horse is unsound and good ones don't mean the horse
is ok I don't routinely screen horses with x-rays. One thing I like to do
on all horses is pull blood for a drug screen. If the horse is trained
then the other is have my vet ride the horse. While few vets will do this
I'm lucky in having a vet who is a great rider and she can get on and
tell me a lot about the horse in a few minutes of riding. For breeding
animals I request a full breedign exam, that means semen collection and
evaluation for stallions and full culture, biopsy and ultrasound of the
ovaries for mares.
FWIW my own vet will not do pre-purchase exams on any horses we sell
because of conflict of interest and I wouldn't have it any other way. I
do have a few local vets who are not allowed on the premises, and I would
strongly urge someone wanting to use them to select another vet for the
pre-purchase exam. When we sell a horse we strongly urge a pre-purchase
vet exam and also make available all the medical records on the
horse/mule. I provide potential buyers with a list of good local equine
vets, tell them what if any our relationship is and let them select the
vet to use.
>I recommend getting a 30 day lease on a horse you are interested in buying.
> It is worth the insuracne and other costs to make sure that horse is right
>for you.
Just so long as the horse stays on our place I will do this. Having been
burned badly by selling horses (not long distance BTW) I won't let a
horse go off the premises until paid for. I am also very concerned about
the care the horses receive when off our premises. Instead I encourage
people to come visit, show up unannounced, work the horse and have any
additional exams or evaluations they wish done. I have refused to sell
horses to people with cash in hand but who IMO were not the right person
for that horse. I want to place horses where they will stay and do well
for their new owners. It means that I take a long time to sell one of my
"kids" <g>
Oogie McGuire - oogiem@dsrtweyr.com
Weyr Associates - Multimedia and Web Authoring Services & Consulting
Desert Weyr - CMK Arabian horses & saddle mules for endurance and show
http://www.dsrtweyr.com/