I often help potential buyers to make a more informed decision regarding the purchase of a horse, as well as provide existing owners with a thorough assessment of their animal for insurance purposes.

Pre-Purchase Examinations (PPE’s) follow a very thorough five-stage vetting process but should not be regarded as a total guarantee of the animal’s suitability for any intended purpose.

Insurance examinations follow the five-stage process but do not include an opinion and should not be interpreted as a pre-purchase examination.

Pre-Purchase Exam:

1. Thorough examination of the horse at rest including auscultation of the heart and lungs, appraisal of conformation, inspection palpation and manipulation of the limbs/joints and inspection of the skin, eyes and teeth including an estimate of the horse’s age.
2. Examination of the horse at walk and trot in hand including flexion tests.
3. Strenuous exercise, in most cases ridden. This allows further evaluation of the horse’s movement as well as the detection of abnormal respiratory sounds and auscultation of the heart immediately following exercise to detect abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias) and sounds (murmurs).
4. Rest period to monitor the horse’s recovery rate following the strenuous exercise period.
5. Further examination of the horse at walk and trot in hand.

Radiographies are taken of all limbs in number to be combined with the buyer/client and in virtue of the intended use of the horse.