BUYER BEWARE

The Importance of a Thorough Prepurchase Examination

Buying a horse is supposed to be exciting. You visit barns, try horses, imagine the possibilities and, eventually, find one that seems to fit. But the excitement of buying a new horse can quickly disappear when an undiscovered medical problem emerges after the sale.

The simplest way to reduce that risk is also one of the most important steps in the buying process: have the horse examined by a veterinarian before you buy it.

A prepurchase examination is not an accusation against the seller. Even an honest seller may not know about an underlying problem, particularly if the horse has been competing, performing normally or receiving medications that mask symptoms. The purpose of the examination is to give the buyer as much objective information as possible before money changes hands.

That is particularly important with polo horses, where the demands placed on a horse can expose problems that might never become apparent in less strenuous use.

Start With the Basics

A prepurchase examination does not have to be an elaborate, multi-thousand-dollar diagnostic workup.

A basic examination generally includes an assessment of the horse’s overall condition, heart and lungs, eyes, limbs and movement, along with flexion tests and other standard physical evaluations. The veterinarian is looking for anything that suggests the horse may not be suitable for the buyer’s intended use.

The appropriate level of examination depends on several factors, including the horse’s age, purchase price, intended use and medical history.

For an inexpensive older horse intended primarily for light riding, a basic examination may provide sufficient information. For a young, expensive performance horse expected to compete at a high level, a much more extensive examination may be justified. That could include radiographs, ultrasound, blood work, drug screening or other advanced diagnostics.

The important point is that the examination can be expanded when something suspicious appears.

If a horse fails a flexion test, for example, the veterinarian may recommend nerve blocks, imaging or other diagnostic procedures to determine what is causing the abnormality. That additional expense may seem frustrating during the purchase process, but it is insignificant compared with the cost of discovering a serious problem after the horse has been purchased.

There Is No Perfect Horse

A prepurchase examination should not be viewed as a pass-or-fail test.

Especially with older performance horses, veterinarians will often find something that is less than perfect. Minor abnormalities do not necessarily mean a horse is unsuitable. The real question is whether a particular finding is likely to affect the horse’s ability to perform the job the buyer has in mind.

A horse purchased for occasional trail riding has very different requirements from one expected to race across a polo field several days a week.

The veterinarian’s role is therefore not to guarantee the horse’s future soundness. No examination can do that. A horse can pass a comprehensive examination and injure itself the following day. Conditions can also develop years after the purchase.

Instead, the examination provides information that allows the buyer to understand the risks and make an informed decision.

Sometimes the appropriate response to a problem is to walk away. In other cases, the buyer may decide the horse is still worth purchasing, perhaps at a reduced price or with a realistic understanding of what the horse can and cannot do.

Choose the Veterinarian Carefully

The veterinarian conducting the examination matters.

Ideally, the buyer should select a veterinarian whose judgment he or she trusts and who can provide an independent assessment of the horse. This is particularly important when a broker, trainer or seller has a long-standing relationship with the horse.

The veterinarian should have access to the horse’s relevant medical history whenever possible. Buyers should also understand that veterinary records may be subject to privacy and authorization restrictions, meaning that previous records or diagnostic images are not necessarily available simply because a horse is being sold.

A seller should also be asked to provide a complete history of the horse, including previous injuries, illnesses, medications, vaccinations and veterinary treatment.

The goal is simple: the buyer should know what is being purchased.

The Danger of Trusting the Wrong Person

The consequences of skipping a thorough examination were illustrated by one buyer’s experience.

An experienced polo player had leased horses for years but had never owned one. He became attached to a horse he had previously played and eventually had an opportunity to purchase it.

The horse had developed some behavioral and performance issues, including crow-hopping, and had reportedly become too much for another rider. The buyer nevertheless remembered the horse fondly and believed the problems were manageable.

A veterinarian was brought in for a prepurchase examination. The horse failed a flexion test, and an ultrasound also identified a small tear in the upper suspensory. Further diagnostic work on the front leg was recommended.

Instead of pursuing the additional testing, the buyer relied on the advice of the broker involved in the transaction and proceeded with the purchase.

Within weeks, the horse remained lame.

Further investigation eventually revealed navicular disease as well as significant lesions in the deep digital flexor tendons of both front feet. What initially appeared to be a potentially manageable problem turned into a prolonged rehabilitation effort involving specialized treatment, corrective shoeing, medications, stem-cell therapy, stall rest and extensive hand walking.

After years of treatment and considerable expense, the horse was unable to return to polo.

He ultimately went to a large retirement pasture, where he could live comfortably even though he could no longer perform the job for which he had been purchased.

The buyer accepted responsibility for the decision but came away with an expensive lesson: a prepurchase examination is only useful if the buyer follows through when the veterinarian identifies something that requires further investigation.

The Real Cost of Due Diligence

The cost of a veterinary examination can seem substantial when added to an already expensive horse purchase. But compared with the potential cost of maintaining an unsound horse, treating a chronic injury or discovering that a new purchase cannot perform as expected, the examination is relatively inexpensive insurance.

The most important lesson is not necessarily to order every diagnostic test available. It is to make the examination independent, appropriate to the horse and its intended use, and thorough enough to investigate anything abnormal.

A basic examination can identify problems that deserve further attention. Advanced diagnostics can then determine whether those problems are significant.

Most importantly, the buyer needs to listen to the veterinarian.

If something does not look right, investigate it before completing the purchase. If the veterinarian recommends additional testing, understand why. If the findings indicate that the horse is unlikely to meet the buyer’s needs, walking away may be the best decision.

There will always be another horse.

A prepurchase examination cannot guarantee that a horse will remain sound for the next five, ten or fifteen years. What it can do is reveal as much as possible about the horse’s condition on the day of purchase and give the buyer the information necessary to make a rational decision.

In horse buying, that may be the most valuable thing a few hundred or a few thousand dollars can purchase.