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Buying the less-than-perfect horse: pre-purchase vetting decisions


  • A pre-purchase examination can throw up a number of issues to consider before buying a horse, but the vet can help the potential purchaser weigh up the results...

    Few horses tick all the boxes when it comes to health and temperament; a degree of compromise must usually be made.

    Experts agree that a five-stage pre-purchase examination (PPE) is a sound investment before buying, rather than the shortened two-stage exam, but how does a vet assess a horse with an obvious or suspected problem? And how does a potential purchaser weigh up the findings to make their decision?

    Lesley Barwise-Munro MRCVS and Malcolm Morley MRCVS discuss three typical scenarios…

    Safe and sound?

    This horse has a good competition record, but doubts have been raised about his behaviour. Is it the vet’s responsibility to protect a buyer from being over-horsed?

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