Giving them the best chance

A successful vetting can help to make a sale, so what is involved and how can sellers prepare a horse for a vetting

- Stephanie Bateman

A VETTING, also known as a pre-purchase exam (PPE), is an assessment carried out by a vet to ensure a horse is suitable for the purpose for which the client is buying it. Clients can choose between a two-stage and a five-stage vetting, both of which have well-defined stages.

“Which one the client chooses depends on the value, age and experience of the horse,” says Jonathan Anderson, specialist in equine surgery and orthopaedics at Rainbow Equine Hospital. “If a horse is unbroken, then the two-stage exam will cover most bases, but with an in-work horse that is expected to be ridden at any level of work, a five-stage PPE would always be recommended.”

STAGES OF AN EXAM 

BEFORE an exam is carried out, the vet will normally speak to the purchaser to find out what they know about the horse and what their intentions are for it.

“We like to know the horse’s history, including any previous illness or injury, whether it is on any medication, its normal routine and management, what it’s fed and its level of education and current exercise,” says Jonathan.

Stage one

“The first stage of a two- and five-stage exam is a full physical assessment, which includes listening to the heart and lungs, and palpating the horse all over to feel for lumps, swellings and heat, and identify any sore areas,” explains Jonathan. “You’re also making an assessment of the symmetry of the muscle and anything that might alert you to potential issues that could become apparent in the dynamic assessment.

“Most horses presented for PPE will sail through the first stage, bar surprising findings such as surgical scars, heart abnormalities or limb or joint swellings.”