Vettings / Pre-Purchase Examinations

Here at Summerleaze we offer both two stage and five stage Pre-purchase examinations. We strongly recommend that any horse or pony you purchase undergoes a five-stage examination.  Vettings can also be performed for insurance purposes.

We are unable to perform pre-purchase examinations on horses that are owned by our clients or that we have previously treated due to conflict of interest. 

The five stages of a pre-purchase examination are:

• Stage 1:  A thorough clinical examination of the horse at rest to detect any apparent signs of injury, disease, or physical abnormality. This includes a thorough palpation of all the limbs. Listening to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope. A dental examination and an examination of the horse’s eyes in a dark stable with an ophthalmoscope.
• Stage 2: Observation of the horse walking and trotting in hand in a straight line on a hard, level surface, including flexion tests. The horse is normally also trotted on a small circle on a firm surface to detect subtle lameness issues.
• Stage 3:  Observation of the horse performing strenuous exercise, ideally ridden. This allows further evaluation of the way the horse moves and assessment of the heart and respiratory systems’ response to exertion. If ridden exercise is not possible (e.g. if the horse is unbroken), this stage may be conducted by exercising the horse on the lunge.
• Stage 4:  A period of rest in the stable to give time for any stiffness induced by the exercise to become apparent. During this time, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are monitored as they return to their resting levels. The horse’s markings are normally recorded and the passport examined.
• Stage 5: A second examination of the horse at trot in hand. This is primarily to check that the strenuous exercise has not exacerbated a subtle underlying lameness problem. Flexion tests or trotting on a small diameter circle are sometimes repeated at this time.

NB. The examination may take place in a slightly different order.

Bloods will be taken at the vetting and stored for six months in case of any concerns after the vetting that the horse may have been under medication during the vetting process.

To undertake a five-stage vetting we will require an area of hard that the horse can be safely lunged on. Ideally an arena or suitable space for the horse to be ridden in as well as a rider who is happy to do so. A dark space, ideally a stable where the horse’s eyes can be examined and a level non slippery hard area where it is safe to perform trot ups and flexion test. A five-stage pre-purchase examination can take several hours so it is important that we have a competent handler who is available throughout. The purchaser does not have to attend the vetting, but it can be very useful. Prior to the vet being the vet performing the examination will ring you to discuss the desired purpose of the horse and any concerns you might have. 

Radiographs and further diagnostics can be performed at the prepurchase examination, but it is important to discuss this in detail with the vet who is going to perform the examination.