Four years ago, before putting pen to paper and signing a bill of sale indicating I’d waived my right to have a prepurchase exam performed on a 5-year-old gelding, I hesitated briefly. It wasn’t too late to call the vet out to give Helios a once-over. But impulse got the best of me. I had “vetted” many horses over the years before buying, and none had ever presented with a significant issue. The cost of a full veterinary work-up on this young “failed” dressage horse would nearly equal his purchase price, so I passed. Besides, I had been riding him for six months and he had yet to take a bad step.

Bypassing a prepurchase exam on a jumper prospect led to some unwelcome surprises a few years down the road

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

SIGN UP

Already have an account?
Login and continue reading.