Fundamentals of the equine pre-purchase examination

Chapter 22


Fundamentals of the equine pre-purchase examination





INTRODUCTION


The pre-purchase examination is a procedure unique to the equine industry and places the veterinarian in a rather peculiar position compared to his or her standard practice of animal husbandry. In no other area are veterinarians consistently called upon to act as objective “consultants” for a buyer before a horse is sold. It would be unusual, for example, for someone to consult with an expert before buying a car, furniture, or other sports equipment. Except in unusual circumstances, pre-purchase examinations are rarely performed in acquiring other species such as companion or food animals. It is also apparent that veterinarians do play a significant role in the outcome of the sale based on their findings during the examination. Beyond the sale, the reputation of the horse in the show world and in the next pre-purchase examination can also be affected if the horse did not sell.


Given the competitive nature of equestrian events and the rising costs of maintaining and training these athletes, buyers are pursuing pre-purchase examinations potentially in order to avert acquiring a problem. The examinations are an important facet of the equine industry for both owners and veterinarians and can establish new clientele for the veterinarian, provide significant revenue for the clinician’s practice, and provide a beneficial exposure for clients to the veterinary profession.


The veterinarian’s examination is critical since many transfers of ownership are heavily based on the outcome of the pre-purchase examination, and the decision to buy the animal or not frequently hinges on details revealed during the course of the examination.


While there are many potential benefits to both the client and the veterinarian, the examinations may also pose some liability concerns for the veterinarian. This may occur if a lesion is missed during the examination or if a clinical finding such as a radiographic change is misinterpreted. For these reasons, some veterinarians avoid pre-purchase examinations or are extremely conservative in their interpretations of the findings. However, as long as the potential buyer is educated about the objectives and the limitations of the examination, many of these reservations can be reduced or eliminated.



COMMITMENT AND UNDERTAKING


One of the difficulties with pre-purchase examinations is the expectation by the prospective buyer that the veterinarian can predict and/or guarantee future soundness. This predicament for the veterinarian becomes even more difficult when the examination is clouded by a mild lameness or mild response to a flexion test in the presence of radiographic changes. Occasionally radiographic changes may also be present in the absence of clinical signs such as degenerative changes at the tarsus or remodeling of the subchondral bone such as the trochlear ridges of the stifle or tarsus. For this reason, practitioners have moved away from declarations of “pass” or “no pass”. Instead it is more typical to summarize for the potential buyer the significant findings of the examination and the radiographic survey with the understanding that this examination is simply a snapshot in time and not a prediction of the horse’s future athletic career.


Generally, unless qualified to do so, veterinarians should not comment on the price or assist in the negotiation of the purchase price of the horse. It is important for clinicians to inform potential buyers that while they can make an assessment of the horse’s overall physical well-being, there are limitations to the pre-purchase examination.



HORSES FOR COURSES


Occasionally, specific details of the pre-purchase examination are dictated by the client’s financial ability, expectations, facilities available and the intended use of the animal. In horses intended for a specific purpose, such as Western pleasure or endurance, there may be some areas that are more relevant to the prospective buyer than others. For example, the potential endurance prospect may be more likely to receive an upper airway endoscopic examination than a Quarter Horse intended for Western pleasure/show classes. This may also increase the emphasis of scrutiny in specific areas. For example, in horses intended for cutting or reining, excessive forces are exerted at the hocks and lower joints so these areas must be especially evaluated to look for any lesion or evidence of an impending problem, most commonly via palpation and radiography.


Given that navicular degeneration (q.v.) can be common in Quarter Horses, the feet are also examined carefully with special attention to the heel area. It is generally accepted that no horse is “perfect”, especially if it has been competing consistently in some athletic event. Therefore, it becomes a question of what flaws and how many the potential buyer is willing to accept. Again, this question is one that can only be answered by the buyer.


Veterinarians must be aware of their own limitations and refer the horse to specialists if needed. For example, not all veterinarians may be qualified to perform a pre-purchase examination on a gaited horse such as a Tennessee Walking Horse. The role of veterinarians in pre-purchase examinations requires examiners to “recognize the seeds of soundness as much as the seeds of disease”.


Pre-purchase examinations are not always strictly confined to determining whether the horse is currently sound or not. Many owners may expect veterinarians to provide personal opinions about the horse’s conformation and if it is capable of withstanding its intended use. For example they may question if the musculoskeletal development is appropriate given the horse’s age, whether the horse too small, or fine boned, etc. Generally, overall balance and conformation evaluation are important considerations since discrepancies from normal can predispose the horse to future problems. For example, horses with a toed-in conformation may be at an increased risk of developing pastern ringbone (q.v.) or lateral suspensory branch desmitis (q.v.), and horses with elongated pastern bones may develop flexor tendon sheath effusion (q.v.).


In some cases the pre-purchase examination is highly tailored to the type of horse and its intended use. For example in polo horses, palpation of the flexor tendons and suspensory ligaments in addition to fetlock joint flexion can comprise up to 80% of the examination. While attempts have been made over the years to standardize the pre-purchase protocol, it still remains, and likely always will, at the discretion of the veterinarian and the parties involved.


The variables that should be evaluated in a pre-purchase examination should be modified according to the specific parties involved, the clinician’s experience, the intended use of the horse and the owner’s expectations.



HISTORY


It is advantageous for the veterinarian examining the horse to have some information about the horse’s career prior to the examination. For example: Have the potential buyers ridden the horse before? How long have they known the horse? What has the horse been used for in the past? Has there been any history of lameness or illness?


Commonly, the buyer will have had only limited exposure to the horse, and information regarding the lameness history or medical problems is scant. Horses that have been retired from one career to start another should have a good history and physical examination. For example, Thoroughbreds that have been “retired” from racing and are being purchased as prospects for dressage should be evaluated closely for signs of injury related to the racetrack. The flexor tendons should be inspected carefully for any sign of tendinitis (q.v.), and the joints should be palpated for any synovitis or effusion that might suggest osteoarthritis or chip fractures (q.v.). Horses retired for being too slow and lacking in “heart” should also be evaluated for poor performance due to upper airway conditions such as laryngeal hemiplegia or soft palate displacement (q.v.).


Because of the potential for litigation and in an effort to minimize any misunderstandings, it is in the veterinarian’s best interest to document fully the entire examination and conversations with the buyer and the seller. Some practitioners include a disclaimer at the summary of the examination form. In addition, worksheets that list the procedures to be performed are routinely used by some clinicians, not as the final report for the buyer, but more as a checklist to ensure that areas are not inadvertently omitted during the course of the examination.


Prior to the examination, it is important to discuss with the owner the parameters that will be evaluated to ensure that any diagnostic procedures that the buyer may have expected are not missed and also so that they have an estimate of what the cost of the examination is likely to be. Depending on the intended use of the horse, some buyers will want only a bare examination, while others will expect a very thorough diagnostic evaluation.

Related posts:

  1. Oncology
  2. The nervous system
  3. The stallion and mare reproductive system
  4. Perinatology

Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Tags:
Jul 8, 2016 | Posted by in EQUINE MEDICINE | Comments Off on Fundamentals of the equine pre-purchase examination

Full access? Get Clinical Tree
Get Clinical Tree app for offline access