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| THE VET'S NOTEBOOK |
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The Pre-Purchase Exam
by Dr. David Ramey, DVM |
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One of the more frequent examinations that an equine veterinarian is asked to perform is an evaluation of a horse prior to its purchase. Every veterinarian has an established routine for doing these exams, so the mechanics of the exam may differ from person to person. In this article, I'd like to take you through a prepurchase examination (often called a vet check) and explain what questions it can (or cannot) answer for you.
If you are having a prepurchase examination done, I assume that you have already decided that this is the horse for you and that the horse can do the job you want. It is not my job to tell you whether or not a horse can perform the task that you ask of it--that's between you and your instructor/trainer. So it would be wise to take a lot of time with the horse to make sure that you get along with it. Remember that my job is to tell you about the horse's general health and soundness, not whether or not this is the horse for you.
Once you've decided on your horse, you can schedule your prepurchase exam. It is customary for the purchaser to pay for the exam. A prepurchase examination is very much like taking a used car to a mechanic before buying it. I will evaluate how well the parts of the horse work. I'll check the mouth to get a rough estimate of how old the horse is and to make sure that his teeth are in good condition. I'll make sure that he can see, that his heart is beating with no abnormalities, and that his skin, coat, lungs, and other systems are working properly. Usually, about 99 percent of all the horses that I examine pass this part of the exam with no problem.
I spend the majority of the pre-purchase exam evaluating the horse's legs. Most people buy a horse to ride it. I want to see if the horse has a pre-existing injury or disease condition that would prevent him from being ridden or limit what he can do. First, I take an overall look at the horse to see if there is something abnormal that stands out and catches my eye. Next, I'll run my hands over each of the horse's legs, checking for signs of previous injury. I'll manipulate its joints and check for stiffness or pain. I'll pinch areas of the limbs to see if they are sore. Then I'll watch him move back and forth a few times, mostly at the trot, because the trot is the gait at which lameness is most usually apparent. Ideally, the horse should show no signs of lameness. Next, I'll perform flexion tests.
Flexion tests are a terribly misunderstood and overinterpreted part of the prepurchase exam. A flexion test is performed by bending the leg and holding it for 60 to 90 seconds, depending on the leg examined. The horse is trotted off immediately, and I look to see if he limps. It is not at all uncommon for a horse to limp for a few steps after one of these tests. (You would do the same if you crouched and then ran.)
Flexion tests can indicate a potential problem area, but they have to be interpreted along with all of the other things that I find during an exam. Just because a horse limps a few steps after a flexion test doesn't mean that he has a lameness problem; in fact, research suggests that flexion tests mean very little in a horse that is otherwise normal. Conversely, if I find a problem during the first parts of the examination, flexion tests may help find an area of pre-existing disease.
After the flexion tests, I'll watch the horse lunged in both directions. I may elect to watch him under saddle, too. As a final part of the clinical exam, I'll go over the horse's feet with hoof testers, a device that checks for areas of soreness.
After all of this, I may take radiographs (X-rays). It's important that you understand the purpose of X-rays because they are useful for two things: 1) If there is an area of disease or injury suspected after the clinical exam, it can help confirm or deny it and 2) they can serve as a record of the horse's condition at the time of purchase in case the horse ever becomes injured or you want to resell it. However, X-rays cannot tell you if a horse will go lame in the future. I cannot predict any horse's soundness based on his X-rays. Some horses with X-ray problems are completely sound; some horses with clean X-rays are always lame. You should not base a purchase decision solely on the basis of X-rays.
There are other tests that I can perform during a prepurchase exam as well. For example, I can look in the horse's airway with an endoscope to see if it working normally. I can draw blood to see if the horse has been given drugs such as pain relievers or tranquilizers that may affect how the horse performs during the exam. I can have blood tested to check the horse's overall general health. All of these things give you more information about the horse you are going to buy--they also add to the cost of the exam.
After the exam is finished and the X-rays are taken and interpreted, I'll draw a conclusion. I will not tell you whether or not you should buy the horse, but I will offer a professional opinion as to how the horse looked to me on that day and whether any problems that I found appear to be major ones. Remember that the ultimate decision to buy that particular horse is up to you. Owning a horse is a big responsibility; however, a thorough prepurchase exam is one way to ensure that you'll be starting off with a big, healthy horse instead of a big problem.
© 1998 by Dr. David W. Ramey. All Rights Reserved.
Dr. David Ramey is a 1983 graduate of Colorado State University. He is the author of numerous books and articles on horse health, including Horsefeathers: Facts vs. Myths About Your Horse's Health and the Concise Guide series on equine health care. He can be reached at (818) 953-8528. |
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